The word "ballet" sounds magical. Closing your eyes, you immediately imagine burning lights, chilling music, the rustle of tutus and the light click of pointe shoes on the parquet. This spectacle is inimitably beautiful, it can be safely called a great achievement of man in the pursuit of beauty.

The audience freezes, staring at the stage. The ballet divas amaze with their ease and flexibility, apparently performing complex steps with ease.

The history of this art form is quite deep. The prerequisites for the emergence of ballet appeared in the 16th century. And already from the 19th century, people saw real masterpieces of this art. But what would ballet be without famous ballerinas who made him famous? Our story will be about these most famous dancers.

Marie Ramberg (1888-1982). The future star was born in Poland, into a Jewish family. Her real name is Sivia Rambam, but it was later changed for political reasons. girl with early age I fell in love with dancing, giving myself over to my passion. Marie takes lessons from dancers from Paris Opera, and soon Diaghilev himself noticed her talent. In 1912-1913, the girl danced with the Russian Ballet, taking part in the main productions. Since 1914, Marie moved to England, where she continued to study dance. In 1918, Marie got married. She herself wrote that it was more for fun. However, the marriage turned out to be happy and lasted 41 years. Ramberg was only 22 years old when she opened her own ballet school, the first in the city. The success was so stunning that Maria first organized her own company (1926), and then the first permanent ballet troupe in Great Britain (1930). Her performances become a real sensation, because Ramberg attracts the most talented composers, artists, and dancers to her work. The ballerina took an active part in the creation of the national ballet in England. And the name Marie Ramberg forever entered the history of art.

Anna Pavlova (1881-1931). Anna was born in St. Petersburg, her father was a railway contractor, and her mother worked as a simple laundress. However, the girl was able to enroll in drama school. After graduating, she entered the Mariinsky Theater in 1899. There she received roles in classical productions - “La Bayadère”, “Giselle”, “The Nutcracker”. Pavlova had excellent natural abilities, and she constantly honed her skills. In 1906, she was already the leading ballerina of the theater, but real glory came to Anna in 1907, when she shines in the miniature “The Dying Swan”. Pavlova was supposed to perform at charity concert, but her partner fell ill. Literally overnight, choreographer Mikhail Fokin staged a new miniature for the ballerina to the music of San-Saens. Since 1910, Pavlova began to tour. Ballerina acquires world fame after participating in the Russian Seasons in Paris. In 1913 she last time performs within the walls Mariinsky Theater. Pavlova gathers her own troupe and moves to London. Together with her charges, Anna tours the world with classical ballets by Glazunov and Tchaikovsky. The dancer became a legend during her lifetime, having died on tour in The Hague.

Matilda Kshesinskaya (1872-1971). Despite his Polish name, was born a ballerina near St. Petersburg and has always been considered a Russian dancer. About Us early childhood declared her desire to dance, no one in her family even thought of stopping her from this desire. Matilda brilliantly graduated from the Imperial Theater School, joining the ballet troupe of the Mariinsky Theater. There she became famous for her brilliant performances of the parts of “The Nutcracker”, “Mlada”, and other performances. Kshesinskaya was distinguished by her signature Russian plastic music, into which wedged notes Italian school. It was Matilda who became the favorite of the choreographer Fokine, who used her in his works “Butterflies”, “Eros”, “Eunice”. The role of Esmeralda in the ballet of the same name in 1899 lit a new star on the stage. Since 1904, Kshesinskaya has been touring Europe. she is called the first ballerina of Russia and is honored as the “Generalissimo of Russian ballet.” They say that Kshesinskaya was the favorite of Emperor Nicholas II himself. Historians claim that in addition to talent, the ballerina had an iron character and a strong position. It is she who is credited with the dismissal of the director of the Imperial Theaters, Prince Volkonsky. The revolution had a hard impact on the ballerina; in 1920 she left the exhausted country. Kshesinskaya moved to Venice, but continued to do what she loved. At 64, she was still performing in London's Covent Garden. And the legendary ballerina was buried in Paris.

Agrippina Vaganova (1879-1951). Agrippina's father was a theater conductor at the Mariinsky Theater. However, he was only able to enroll the youngest of his three daughters in ballet school. Soon Yakov Vaganov died, the family had only hope for a future dancer. At school, Agrippina showed herself to be mischievous, constantly receiving bad grades for her behavior. After completing her studies, Vaganova began her career as a ballerina. She was given many third-rate roles in the theater, but they did not satisfy her. The ballerina was spared solo parts, and her appearance was not particularly attractive. Critics wrote that they simply did not see her in the roles of fragile beauties. The makeup didn't help either. The ballerina herself suffered greatly about this. But through hard work, Vaganova achieved supporting roles, and newspapers began to occasionally write about her. Agrippina then took a sharp turn in her fortunes. She got married and gave birth. Returning to ballet, she seemed to rise in the eyes of her superiors. Although Vaganova continued to perform second roles, she achieved mastery in these variations. The ballerina managed to rediscover images that seemed to have been erased by generations of previous dancers. Only in 1911 did Vaganova receive her first solo part. At the age of 36, the ballerina was sent into retirement. She never became famous, but she achieved a lot given her data. In 1921, a choreography school was opened in Leningrad, where Vaganova was invited as one of the teachers. The profession of a choreographer became her main one until the end of her life. In 1934, Vaganova published the book “Fundamentals classical dance"The ballerina devoted the second half of her life to the choreographic school. Nowadays it is the Academy of Dance, named in her honor. Agrippina Vaganova did not become a great ballerina, but her name will forever go down in the history of this art.

Yvette Chauvire (born 1917). This ballerina is a truly sophisticated Parisian. At the age of 10 she began to seriously study dancing at the Grand Opera. Yvette's talent and performance were noted by directors. In 1941, she already became prima of the Opera Garnier. Her debut performances brought her truly worldwide fame. After this, Chauvire began to receive invitations to perform in various theaters, including the Italian La Scala. The ballerina became famous for her role as the Shadow in Henri Sauguet's allegory; she performed many roles choreographed by Serge Lifar. Among the classical performances, the role in “Giselle” stands out, which is considered the main one for Chauvire. Yvette demonstrated true drama on stage, without losing all her girlish tenderness. The ballerina literally lived the life of each of her heroines, expressing all emotions on stage. At the same time, Shovira was very attentive to every little detail, rehearsing and rehearsing again. In the 1960s, the ballerina headed the school where she once studied. And Yvette’s last appearance on stage took place in 1972. At the same time, a prize named after her was established. The ballerina repeatedly went on tour to the USSR, where she was loved by the audience. her partner was repeatedly Rudolf Nureyev himself after his flight from our country. The ballerina's services to the country were rewarded with the Order of the Legion of Honor.

Galina Ulanova (1910-1998). This ballerina was also born in St. Petersburg. At the age of 9 she became a student at the choreographic school, from which she graduated in 1928. Immediately after the graduation performance, Ulanova joined the troupe of the Opera and Ballet Theater in Leningrad. The young ballerina’s very first performances attracted the attention of connoisseurs of this art. Already at the age of 19, Ulanova danced the leading role in Swan Lake. Until 1944, the ballerina danced at the Kirov Theater. Here she became famous for her roles in "Giselle", "The Nutcracker", " Bakhchisarai fountain"But her part in Romeo and Juliet became the most famous. From 1944 to 1960, Ulanova was the leading ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater. It is believed that the pinnacle of her work was the madness scene in Giselle. Ulanova toured the Bolshoi in 1956 In London, they said that there had been no such success since the days of Anna Pavlova. Ulanova’s stage activities officially ended in 1962. But for the rest of her life, Galina worked as a choreographer. Bolshoi Theater. She received many awards for her work - she became People's Artist of the USSR, received the Lenin and Stalin Prizes, and became a twice hero Socialist Labor and winner of numerous awards. The great ballerina died in Moscow, she was buried on Novodevichy Cemetery. her apartment became a museum, and a monument was erected in Ulanova’s native St. Petersburg.

Alicia Alonso (born 1920). This ballerina was born in Havana, Cuba. She began studying the art of dance at the age of 10. At that time there was only one on the island private school ballet, directed by Russian specialist Nikolai Yavorsky. Alicia then continued her studies in the USA. Debut on big stage took place on Broadway in 1938 in musical comedies. Alonso then works at the Ballet Theater in New York. There she gets acquainted with the choreography of the world's leading directors. Alicia and her partner Igor Yushkevich decided to develop ballet in Cuba. In 1947 she danced there in Swan Lake and Apollo Musagete. However, at that time in Cuba there were no traditions of ballet or stage. And the people did not understand such art. Therefore, the task of creating the National Ballet in the country was very difficult. In 1948, the first performance of "Ballet of Alicia Alonso" took place. It was ruled by enthusiasts who staged their own numbers. Two years later, the ballerina opened her own ballet school. After the 1959 revolution, the authorities turned their attention to ballet. Alicia's troupe has become a desirable National Ballet Cubes. The ballerina performed a lot in theaters and even squares, went on tour, and was shown on television. One of Alonso’s most striking images is the role of Carmen in the ballet of the same name in 1967. The ballerina was so jealous of this role that she even forbade staging this ballet with other performers. Alonso has traveled all over the world, receiving many awards. And in 1999, she received the Pablo Picasso Medal from UNESCO for her outstanding contribution to the art of dance.

Maya Plisetskaya (born 1925). It is difficult to dispute the fact that she is the most famous Russian ballerina. And her career turned out to be record long. Maya absorbed her love for ballet as a child, because her uncle and aunt were also famous dancers. At the age of 9, the talented girl entered the Moscow Choreographic School, and in 1943, the young graduate entered the Bolshoi Theater. There the famous Agrippina Vaganova became her teacher. In just a couple of years, Plisetskaya went from corps de ballet to soloist. A landmark for her was the production of “Cinderella” and the role of the Autumn Fairy in 1945. Then there were the classic productions of “Raymonda”, “The Sleeping Beauty”, “Don Quixote”, “Giselle”, “The Little Humpbacked Horse”. Plisetskaya shone in “The Fountain of Bakhchisaray”, where she was able to demonstrate her rare gift - literally hanging in a jump for some moments. The ballerina took part in three productions of Khachaturian's Spartacus, performing the roles of Aegina and Phrygia. In 1959, Plisetskaya became People's Artist of the USSR. In the 60s, it was believed that Maya was the first dancer of the Bolshoi Theater. The ballerina had enough roles, but creative dissatisfaction accumulated. The solution was “Carmen Suite”, one of the main milestones in the dancer’s biography. In 1971, Plisetskaya also established herself as a dramatic actress, playing in Anna Karenina. A ballet was written based on this novel, which premiered in 1972. Here Maya tries herself in a new role - a choreographer, which becomes her new profession. Since 1983, Plisetskaya has worked at the Rome Opera, and since 1987 in Spain. There she leads troupes and stages her ballets. Plisetskaya's last performance took place in 1990. Great ballerina showered with many awards not only in her homeland, but also in Spain, France, and Lithuania. In 1994 she organized international competition, giving him his name. Now “Maya” gives young talents the opportunity to break through.

Ulyana Lopatkina (born 1973). The world-famous ballerina was born in Kerch. As a child, she did a lot of not only dancing, but also gymnastics. At the age of 10, on the advice of her mother, Ulyana entered the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in Leningrad. There Natalia Dudinskaya became her teacher. At the age of 17, Lopatkina won the All-Russian Vaganova Competition. In 1991, the ballerina graduated from the academy and was accepted into the Mariinsky Theater. Ulyana quickly achieved solo parts for herself. She danced in Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty, The Bakhchisarai Fountain, and Swan Lake. The talent was so obvious that in 1995 Lopatkina became the prima of her theater. Each of her new role delights both viewers and critics. At the same time, the ballerina herself is interested not only in classical roles, but also in the modern repertoire. Thus, one of Ulyana’s favorite roles is the part of Banu in “The Legend of Love” directed by Yuri Grigorovich. The ballerina works best in the roles of mysterious heroines. Its distinctive feature is its refined movements, its inherent drama and high jump. The audience believes the dancer, because she is absolutely sincere on stage. Lopatkina is a laureate of numerous domestic and international awards. She - People's Artist Russia.

Anastasia Volochkova (born 1976). The ballerina remembers that her future profession She identified it already at the age of 5, which she told her mother about. Volochkova also graduated from the Vaganova Academy. Natalia Dudinskaya also became her teacher. Already in her last year of study, Volochkova made her debut at the Mariinsky and Bolshoi theaters. From 1994 to 1998, the ballerina's repertoire included leading roles in "Giselle", "Firebird", "Sleeping Beauty", "The Nutcracker", "Don Quixote", "La Bayadère" and other performances. Volochkova traveled halfway around the world with the Mariinsky troupe. At the same time, the ballerina is not afraid to perform solo, building a career parallel to the theater. In 1998, the ballerina received an invitation to the Bolshoi Theater. There she brilliantly performs the role of the Swan Princess in new production Vladimir Vasiliev " Swan Lake". In the main theater of the country, Anastasia receives the main roles in "La Bayadère", "Don Quixote", "Raymonda", "Giselle". Especially for her, choreographer Dean creates a new part of the fairy Carabosse in "The Sleeping Beauty". At the same time, Volochkova is not afraid to perform and modern repertoire. It is worth noting her role as the Tsar-Maiden in The Little Humpbacked Horse. Since 1998, Volochkova has been actively touring the world. She has received the Golden Lion prize as the most talented ballerina in Europe. Since 2000, Volochkova has left the Bolshoi Theater. begins performing in London, where she captivated the British. Volochkova returned to the Bolshoi for a short time. Despite her success and popularity, the theater administration refused to renew her contract for the usual year. Since 2005, Volochkova has been performing in her own dance projects, her name is constantly heard, she is a heroine. gossip columns. The talented ballerina recently began to sing, and her popularity grew even more after Volochkova published her nude photos.

The best representatives of Russian ballet are Anna Pavlova and Galina Ulanova.

Ballet is called an integral part of the art of our country. Russian ballet is considered the most authoritative in the world, the standard. This review contains the success stories of five great Russian ballerinas who are still looked up to today.

Anna Pavlova

Anna Pavlova is an outstanding Russian ballerina.

The outstanding ballerina Anna Pavlova was born into a family far from art. She developed a desire to dance at the age of 8 after the girl saw the ballet production of “The Sleeping Beauty.” At the age of 10, Anna Pavlova was accepted into the Imperial Theater School, and after graduation, she was accepted into the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater.

What is curious is that the aspiring ballerina was not placed in the corps de ballet, but immediately began to give her responsible roles in productions. Anna Pavlova danced under the direction of several choreographers, but the most successful and fruitful tandem, which had a fundamental influence on her performance style, was with Mikhail Fokin.


Anna Pavlova as a dying swan.

Anna Pavlova supported the choreographer’s bold ideas and readily agreed to experiments. Miniature "The Dying Swan", which later became business card Russian ballet, was almost impromptu. In this production, Fokine gave the ballerina more freedom, allowing her to independently feel the mood of “The Swan” and improvise. In one of the first reviews, the critic admired what he saw: “If a ballerina on stage can imitate the movements of the noblest of birds, then this has been achieved: in front of you is a swan.”

Galina Ulanova

Galina Ulanova is an outstanding ballerina, to whom monuments were erected during her lifetime.

Galina Ulanova's fate was predetermined from the very beginning. The girl’s mother worked as a ballet teacher, so Galina, even if she really wanted to, was unable to avoid ballet barre. Years of grueling training led to Galina Ulanova becoming the most titled artist of the Soviet Union.

After graduating from the choreographic technical school in 1928, Ulanova was accepted into the ballet troupe of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater. From the very first performances, the young ballerina attracted the attention of spectators and critics. A year later, Ulanova was entrusted with performing the leading role of Odette-Odile in Swan Lake. Giselle is considered one of the ballerina’s triumphant roles. Performing the scene of the heroine's madness, Galina Ulanova did it so soulfully and selflessly that even the men in the audience could not hold back their tears.


Galina Ulanova performs the role of Giselle.

Galina Ulanova has reached unprecedented heights in her performance skills. They imitated her, teachers of the leading ballet schools in the world demanded that their students do steps “like Ulanova.” The famous ballerina is the only one in the world to whom monuments were erected during her lifetime.

Galina Ulanova danced on stage until she was 50 years old. She was always strict and demanding of herself. Even in old age, the ballerina began every morning with classes and weighed 49 kg.

Olga Lepeshinskaya


Olga Lepeshinskaya is a ballet dancer and ballet teacher.

For her passionate temperament, sparkling technique and precision of movements, Olga Lepeshinskaya was nicknamed “The Jumping Dragonfly”. The ballerina was born into a family of engineers. From early childhood, the girl literally raved about dancing, so her parents had no choice but to send her to the ballet school at the Bolshoi Theater.

Olga Lepeshinskaya easily coped with both classic ballet (“Swan Lake”, “Sleeping Beauty”) and modern productions (“Red Poppy”, “Flames of Paris.”) During the Great Patriotic War Lepeshinskaya fearlessly performed at the front, raising the morale of the soldiers.


Olga Lepeshinskaya - ballerina with a passionate temperament

Despite the fact that the ballerina was Stalin’s favorite and had many awards, she was very demanding of herself. Already at an advanced age, Olga Lepeshinskaya said that her choreography could not be called outstanding, but her “natural technique and fiery temperament” made her inimitable.

Maya Plisetskaya

Maya Plisetskaya - Russian and Soviet ballet dancer

Maya Plisetskaya is another outstanding ballerina, whose name is inscribed in golden letters in the history of Russian ballet. When the future artist was 12 years old, she was adopted by Aunt Shulamith Messerer. Plisetskaya’s father was shot, and her mother and little brother were sent to Kazakhstan to a camp for the wives of traitors to the Motherland.

Aunt Plisetskaya was a ballerina at the Bolshoi Theater, so Maya also began attending choreography classes. The girl achieved great success in this field and after graduating from college she was accepted into the Bolshoi Theater troupe.


Maya Plisetskaya is an outstanding ballerina.

Plisetskaya's innate artistry, expressive plasticity, and phenomenal jumps made her a prima ballerina. Maya Plisetskaya performed leading roles in all classical productions. She was especially successful tragic images. Also, the ballerina was not afraid of experiments in modern choreography.

After the ballerina was fired from the Bolshoi Theater in 1990, she did not despair and continued to give solo performances. Overflowing energy and incredible love for her profession allowed Plisetskaya to make her debut in the production of “Ave Maya” on her 70th birthday.

Lyudmila Semenyaka

Lyudmila Semenyaka - Russian and Soviet ballerina.

The beautiful ballerina Lyudmila Semenyaka performed on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater when she was only 12 years old. The talented talent could not go unnoticed, so after some time Lyudmila Semenyaka was invited to the Bolshoi Theater. Galina Ulanova, who became her mentor, had a significant influence on the ballerina’s work.

Semenyaka coped with any part so naturally and effortlessly that from the outside it seemed as if she was not making any effort, but was simply enjoying the dance. In 1976, Lyudmila Ivanovna was awarded the Anna Pavlova Prize from the Paris Academy of Dance.


Lyudmila Semenyaka, Andris Liepa and Galina Ulanova at a rehearsal.

At the end of the 1990s, Lyudmila Semenyaka announced her retirement from her ballerina career, but continued her activities as a teacher. Since 2002, Lyudmila Ivanovna has been a teacher-tutor at the Bolshoi Theater.

Publications in the Theaters section

Modern Russian ballerinas. Top 5

The proposed five leading ballerinas include artists who began their careers in the main musical theaters of our country - the Mariinsky and the Bolshoi - in the 90s, when the situation in politics, and then in culture, was rapidly changing. Ballet theater became more open due to the expansion of the repertoire, the arrival of new choreographers, the emergence of additional opportunities in the West, and at the same time more demanding of performing skills.

This short list the stars of the new generation are being discovered by Ulyana Lopatkina, who came to the Mariinsky Theater in 1991 and is now almost finishing her career. At the end of the list is Victoria Tereshkina, who also began working in the era of perestroika in ballet art. And right behind her comes the next generation of dancers, for whom the Soviet legacy is only one of many directions. These are Ekaterina Kondaurova, Ekaterina Krysanova, Olesya Novikova, Natalya Osipova, Oksana Kardash, but more about them another time.

Ulyana Lopatkina

Today's media call Natalia Dudinskaya's student Ulyana Lopatkina (born in 1973) a “style icon” of Russian ballet. There is a grain of truth in this catchy definition. She is the ideal Odette-Odile, the true “two-faced” heroine of “Swan Lake” in the coldly refined Soviet version by Konstantin Sergeev, who also managed to develop and convincingly embody on stage another swan image in Mikhail Fokine’s decadent miniature “The Dying Swan” by Camille Saint-Saëns. From these two works of hers, recorded on video, Lopatkina is recognized on the street by thousands of fans all over the world, and hundreds of young ballet students are trying to master the craft and unravel the mystery of transformation. The refined and sensual Swan is Ulyana, and for a long time, even when the new generation of dancers eclipses the brilliant galaxy of ballerinas of the 1990–2000s, Odetta-Lopatkina will bewitch. She was also unattainable, technically precise and expressive in “Raymond” by Alexander Glazunov, “The Legend of Love” by Arif Melikov. She would not have been called a “style icon” without her contribution to the ballets of George Balanchine, whose American heritage, imbued with the culture of the Russian Imperial Ballet, was mastered by the Mariinsky Theater when Lopatkina was at the very peak of her career (1999–2010). Her best roles, namely roles, and not parts, since Lopatkina knows how to dramatically fill plotless compositions, solo works in “Diamonds”, “ Piano concert No. 2", "Theme and Variations" to the music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, "Waltz" by Maurice Ravel. The ballerina participated in all the avant-garde projects of the theater and, based on the results of collaboration with modern choreographers, will give a head start to many.

Ulyana Lopatkina in the choreographic miniature “The Dying Swan”

Documentary“Ulyana Lopatkina, or Dancing on Weekdays and on Holidays”

Diana Vishneva

Second by birth, only three years younger than Lopatkina, student of the legendary Lyudmila Kovaleva Diana Vishneva (born in 1976), in reality she never “came” second, but only first. It so happened that Lopatkina, Vishneva and Zakharova, separated from each other by three years, walked side by side at the Mariinsky Theater, full of healthy rivalry and at the same time admiration for each other’s enormous, but completely different capabilities. Where Lopatkina reigned as the languid, graceful Swan, and Zakharova formed a new - urban - image of the romantic Giselle, Vishneva performed the function of the goddess of the wind. Having not yet graduated from the Academy of Russian Ballet, she was already dancing on the stage of the Mariinsky Kitri - main character in Don Quixote, a few months later she showed her achievements in Moscow on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. And at the age of 20 she became a prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater, although many have to wait until they are 30 or more years old to be promoted to this status. At 18 (!), Vishneva tried on the role of Carmen in a number composed specially for her by Igor Belsky. In the late 90s, Vishneva was rightfully considered the best Juliet in Leonid Lavrovsky’s canonical version, and she also became the most graceful Manon Lescaut in Kenneth MacMillan’s ballet of the same name. Since the early 2000s, in parallel with St. Petersburg, where she participated in many productions of such choreographers as George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, William Forsythe, Alexei Ratmansky, Angelen Preljocaj, she began performing abroad as a guest etoile (“ballet star”). Now Vishneva often works in her own projects, commissioning ballets for herself from famous choreographers (John Neumeier, Alexei Ratmansky, Caroline Carlson, Moses Pendleton, Dwight Rhoden, Jean-Christophe Maillot). The ballerina regularly dances in premieres of Moscow theaters. Vishneva enjoyed enormous success in the Bolshoi Theater ballet choreographed by Mats Ek “The Apartment” (2013) and in John Neumeier’s play “Tatyana” based on “Eugene Onegin” by Alexander Pushkin at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Musical Theater in 2014. In 2013 she became one of the organizers of the November festival modern dance Context, which since 2016 has been taking place not only in Moscow, but also in St. Petersburg.

Documentary film “Always on the move. Diana Vishneva"

Svetlana Zakharova

The youngest of the three famous chicks of the A. Vaganova Academy from the 90s, Svetlana Zakharova (born in 1979) instantly caught up with her rivals and in some ways surpassed them, acting like the once great Leningrad ballerinas Marina Semyonova and Galina Ulanova, “to serve” at the Moscow Bolshoi Theater in 2003. She had behind her her studies with the excellent ARB teacher Elena Evteeva, experience working with Olga Moiseeva, the star of the Kirov Ballet of the 70s, and a gigantic track record. In any of the performances of the St. Petersburg period, Zakharova stood out clearly. Her strong point, on the one hand, was the interpretation of heroines in ancient ballets by Marius Petipa, restored by Sergei Vikharev, and soloists in avant-garde productions by leading choreographers, on the other. According to natural data and " technical specifications“Zakharova not only surpassed her colleagues at the Mariinsky Theater and then at the Bolshoi, she entered the cohort of the most sought-after ballerinas in the world who dance everywhere in guest status. And the most important ballet company in Italy - La Scala Ballet - offered her a permanent contract in 2008. Zakharova at some point admitted that she danced “Swan Lake”, “La Bayadère” and “The Sleeping Beauty” in all possible stage versions from Hamburg to Paris and Milan. At the Bolshoi Theater, shortly after Zakharova moved to Moscow, John Neumeier staged his program ballet “Dream in summer night“, and the ballerina shone in it in the double role of Hippolyta-Titania paired with Nikolai Tsiskaridze’s Oberon. She also took part in the production of “Lady with Camellias” by Neumeier at the Bolshoi. Zakharova successfully collaborates with Yuri Posokhov - she danced the premiere of his “Cinderella” at the Bolshoi Theater in 2006 and in 2015 she performed the role of Princess Mary in “A Hero of Our Time.”

Documentary film “Prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater Svetlana Zakharova. Revelation"

Maria Alexandrova

At the same time, when the triad of St. Petersburg dancers conquered Northern Palmyra, the star of Maria Alexandrova (born in 1978) rose in Moscow. Her career developed with a slight delay: when she came to the theater, ballerinas of the previous generation had finished their time dancing - Nina Ananiashvili, Nadezhda Gracheva, Galina Stepanenko. In the ballets with their participation, Alexandrova - bright, temperamental, even exotic - was in the supporting roles, but it was she who received all the experimental premieres of the theater. Not yet young ballerina critics saw Alexei Ratmansky’s ballet “Dreams of Japan”; soon she interpreted Catherine II in Boris Eifman’s ballet “Russian Hamlet” and others. And debuts in the main roles of such ballets as “Swan Lake”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “Raymonda” ", "The Legend of Love", she waited patiently for years.

The year 2003 became fateful when the choreographer chose Alexandrova as Juliet new wave Radu Poklitaru. It was an important performance that opened the way new choreography(without pointe shoes, without classical positions) at the Bolshoi Theater, and Alexandrova held the revolutionary banner. In 2014, she repeated her success in another Shakespearean ballet - The Taming of the Shrew, choreographed by Mayo. In 2015, Alexandrova began collaborating with choreographer Vyacheslav Samodurov. He staged a ballet about the theater behind the scenes - “Curtain” in Yekaterinburg, and in the summer of 2016 he chose her for the role of Ondine in the ballet of the same name at the Bolshoi Theater. The ballerina managed to use the forced waiting time to hone the dramatic side of the role. The secret source of her creative energy aimed at acting does not dry out, and Alexandrova is always on alert.

Documentary film “Monologues about myself. Maria Alexandrova"

Victoria Tereshkina

Like Alexandrova at the Bolshoi, Victoria Tereshkina (born 1983) was in the shadow of the aforementioned trio of ballerinas. But she did not wait for anyone to retire; she began to energetically capture parallel spaces: she experimented with novice choreographers, did not get lost in the difficult ballets of William Forsythe (Approximate Sonata, for example). She often did what others did not undertake, or attempted, but could not cope with, but Tereshkina succeeded and is succeeding in absolutely everything. Her main strength was impeccable mastery of technique, helped by endurance and the presence of a reliable teacher nearby - Lyubov Kunakova. It is curious that, unlike Alexandrova, who went into the true drama that is only possible on the ballet stage, Tereshkina “focused” on improving technique and erected a triumphant plotlessness into a cult. Her favorite plot, which she always plays on stage, grows out of a sense of form.

Documentary film “The Royal Box. Victoria Tereshkina"

Alexei Uchitel’s film “Matilda” is showing in Russian cinemas, and in the blogosphere they are furiously arguing about the romantic relationship between Nicholas II and Kshesinskaya. But in the history of ballet there were no less scandalous and colorful love affairs.

1. Marquise Teresa de Gorla Berthelot

It is known that classical ballet in the 17th century, they were invented by Pierre Beauchamp, Jean-Baptiste Moliere and Louis XIV. And Teresa de Gorla Berthelot was considered one of the most famous dance stars at that time. Teresa Duparc (that was her name after her marriage) became famous thanks to her dramatic talent, dancing, amazing beauty, love stories and piquant pirouettes, during which the viewer could observe her silk stockings.

Encyclopedias usually say that it was she who became the first performer of the roles of Donna Elvira in Molière’s “Don Juan” and Andromache in the play of the same name by Jean Racine, but contemporaries discussed her lovers no less heatedly. She was a rather flighty lady, if not a courtesan, she turned the heads of everything French high society, including the Sun King, but it was especially destructive to the flowering of French literature of that time.

It all started with Moliere, who left his first star and part-time wife, Madeleine Bejart, for her sake. Then there was an affair with the poet Pierre Corneille, who dedicated many poems to her. For some time, for the sake of the poet, Duparc even left Moliere's troupe. And then she found herself in the theater and the bed of Jean Racine, Moliere’s main rival at that time. Unfortunately, her story was interrupted too early. She died under very suspicious circumstances; for some time Racine was even accused of poisoning her.

2. Marie-Madeleine Guimard

This ballerina shone in Paris before the French Revolution. She shone not only on stage; her love affairs in the capital were discussed no less than her theatrical successes. It must be said right away that fame came to her primarily as an extraordinary dancer.

Having a bright appearance, she still did not fit into the standards of that time - Guimard was too thin. Because of this, Parisian wits called her “the skeleton of grace.” However, along with the title of prima, she also had quite influential lovers.

Unfortunately, Guimard left neither memoirs nor diaries. Many of her acquaintances either wisely died before 1789 or received the line “guillotined” in their biography. So most of the facts about her life cannot now be reliably restored. But what remains in the form of rumors and references in literature is impressive.

Among her lovers was a financier and businessman, one of richest people France Jean-Joseph de Laborde, his brother - composer Jean-Benjamin de Laborde. From the latter, Guimard probably gave birth to a daughter. But everyone was eclipsed by Charles de Rohan, Prince de Soubise.

Charles de Rohan was not only an aristocrat, gourmet and ladies' man, but also a Marshal of France, held ministerial positions, and was patronized by Madame Pompadour. Marie-Madeleine Guimard he took on full content and spent huge sums on her entertainment. It was rumored that the ballerina almost ruined him.

With his funds, Guimard built her famous luxury hotel on the outskirts of Paris. The Temple of Terpsichore, as it was also called, was famous for its evenings, during which they gave performances beyond the bounds of decency and invited the “most lascivious girls” of the city. Contemporaries repeatedly wrote that everything ended in orgies.

3. Giovanna Bassi

The 18th century is rich in drama and Detective stories, which have never been solved. Giovanna Bassi cannot be called outstanding ballerina, although she performed quite actively on the stage of the Swedish Opera, and the local audience received her with delight. But she went down in history not thanks to her steps, but because whirlwind romance with Count Adolf Frederic Munch - the “gray eminence” and favorite Swedish king Gustav III.

The acquaintance of the ballerina and the influential courtier began when the courtier’s career was at the very top. His rise was greatly helped by the fact that Munch was able to reconcile the king with his wife Sophia Magdalena of Denmark. Acting as a sexologist, he “established the production” of two heirs. Evil tongues, however, claimed that in the birth of the future Gustav IV Adolf they managed to do without a king altogether. The prince looked too much like Munch. Giovanna Bassi also gave birth, but a girl.

It is unknown whether Bassi was counting on a quiet family life with the Count, but Munch was put on trial. He was accused of having started counterfeiting Russian money on behalf of the king, and at the same time made some Swedish money. He would have been forgiven, but his patron, Gustav III, died at the hands of the conspirators. Death overtook the Swedish king at the opera during a masquerade. Munch was expelled from the country to Italy, the ballerina followed him. Bassi wanted him to marry her and recognize her daughter. The disgraced count refused her. Enraged, Bassi returned to her homeland. However, there is another version that in Italy the ballerina was carrying out a spy mission Privy Council Sweden.

4. Teresa Elsler

It may seem that the romantic relationship between a ballerina and an aristocrat must end in either an orgy or tragedy. This is not entirely true; there are plenty of examples in history when everything is fine in the end, that is, a happy bride is led down the aisle. For example, Teresa Elsler managed to become the wife of not even a count or baron, but a real prince, his younger brother Prussian king Frederick William III - Adalbert of Prussia.

More noticeable in the history of ballet younger sister Elsler - Francis, or Fanny. She was called one of the most famous ballerinas XIX century. Strauss's son even wrote an operetta about her life, "The Dancer Fanny Elsler." Teresa was considered too tall and not so expressive. Nevertheless, it was she who managed to captivate Adalbert, who was no longer an enthusiastic young man - by that time he was 38 years old, and the ballerina, by the way, was several years older than him. Surprisingly, King Frederick William IV agreed to this morganatic marriage.

The younger, and more famous, sister Fanny was also the object of attention of persons close to the throne. For example, initially the sisters’ career was helped by Fanny’s connection with the Sicilian prince Leopoldo, who arranged ballerinas for the Naples opera and did not particularly hide his tender attitude towards the younger Elsler. It is believed that the couple even had a son.

5. Anna Pavlova

In the 20s of the 20th century, a whole wave of “Pavlova mania” swept across Europe and the United States. Cakes, tulips and newborns were named after the Russian ballerina. She performed a lot, toured until she was completely exhausted and received huge fees for that time. And next to her was almost always Victor Dandre, who served as a manager, companion and secret husband to the ballerina.

When Pavlova just graduated from the Imperial Theater School, Victor Dandre seemed to her like a fairy-tale prince. A rich baron, a handsome man, an important official... Of course, Kshesinskaya actively set her up with Grand Duke Boris Vladimirovich, but the aspiring ballerina did not want to be just a kept woman. And next to Dandre, she hoped for an official marriage...

Alas, Victor quickly made it clear that he could not agree to such a misalliance. The aristocrat gave her leading roles, gave her jewelry and fully provided for her, but that’s all. In the end, a break followed and Pavlova left with Diaghilev for Paris, where she triumphantly participated in the Russian Seasons.

At that moment, Dandre's life changed dramatically: he went to prison on charges of embezzlement. He doesn't have the money to pay off the debt. Then Pavlova left Diaghilev and signed an enslaving, but financially very profitable contract. In addition, she was immediately paid a rather impressive advance, which she immediately gave to her abandoned lover so that he could pay bail and get out of prison. Dandre left Russia illegally, came to her in England and asked for her hand. She agreed, but demanded that their marriage remain a secret.

6. Tamara Karsavina

Not only ballet historians, but also literary scholars dedicate monographs to the phenomenon of Tamara Karsavina. Columbine Silver Age was the subject of worship for a whole generation of Russian poets, starting with Blok.

There is nothing strange about this. Ballet stars always attract the attention of not only the rich and aristocrats; among them you can always find creative people: writers, artists and musicians. Surprisingly different. Karsavina refused many celebrities, influential and noble admirers, and married a quiet and modest nobleman Vasily Mukhin.

After Diaghilev's seasons in Paris, Karsavina became a world celebrity, she was literally besieged by admirers, but for a long time this did not affect her marriage to Mukhin. The meeting in 1913 with Henry Bruce crossed everything out. English professional diplomat, Eton graduate, younger son A wealthy landowner saw her during a reception at the British Embassy and immediately fell in love. He quickly took her away from her husband, and after the revolution he took her away from Russia.

Unlike many similar stories, Henry Bruce did not demand that Karsavina leave ballet. Vice versa! He himself left the service, fulfilling, however, some assignments, and for a long time traveled with her around Europe. They first lived in France and moved to London in 1929, but Bruce returned to the Foreign Office only during the Second World War.