Why did Maria aleksandrovna ballerina leave the theater. The mysterious departure of the prima ballerina from the Bolshoi Theater. The early years, childhood and family of Maria Alexandrova

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Maria Alexandrova in the ballet Laurencia. Photo - Lado Vachnadze / Georgian Opera and Ballet Theater

Ballerina Maria Alexandrova on what it's like to work outside the system.

An event in Georgia: at the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theater “Laurencia” the legendary Vakhtang Chabukiani edited by Nino Ananiashvili was presented to the public by a brilliant couple - Maria Alexandrova and Vladislav Lantratov.

After the premiere, Ogonyok correspondent Iya Barateli spoke with the wonderful guest.

After reading on the Internet that Maya Plisetskaya called Alexandrova “the most intelligent ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater,” I come to the theatrical dressing room, from the window of which I can see the neighboring Tbilisi courtyard.

In February, Maria Alexandrova voluntarily.

And in the summer, a new "episode": together with Vladislav Lantratov, she was supposed to dance in the play "Nureyev", but just before the premiere, then, however, it turned out - ...

What is happening at the Bolshoi Theater with the ballet about Rudolf Nureyev, in which you play Margot Fontaine? Do you think there will be no more scandal or the performance will be cut?

And what is there to cut? The performance is about the loneliness of an artist, about the archetype of any artist, of any level. The essence of the artist is that he follows the role. Here the role is colossal - ten roles change ...

A performance with new music, new choreography, new direction. In fact, no one told the truth about this performance. Because, most likely, no one is interested in writing that this is just a good performance.

We are looking forward to this performance, we want to live this story. The premiere was announced in December.

- Maria, how is your career going after leaving the Bolshoi Theater?

I stayed at the Bolshoi on a contract, and indeed everywhere I stayed on a contract. Now I exist as a freelance artist, I dance and work where I am needed.

The premiere of Laurencia is very interesting. Then there will be other projects that will be created elsewhere. And with the theater, I remained in a relationship outside the system.

- Why is Laurencia “very interesting”?

This is the legacy of the Soviet era, there is a lot of drum ballet. Like “Cinderella” by Rostislav Zakharov, like “Romeo and Juliet” by Leonid Lavrovsky, these are characteristic performances with a pronounced style and choreographic message. It's not an easy job to put together a drum ballet.

And, of course, coming to Tbilisi, dancing Chabukiani's version is like touching the original source. How to read a book by a good author, which is not written now ...

The ballet is unique. It develops three centers in the artist at once: the physical state, and the spiritual, and the intellectual. We are silent creatures, our life is movement. This is the first time I have spoken for so long.

We rehearsed in the morning - six hours of hard work, all in silence. To make a performance, you must study the era, you cannot dance a baroque thing and at the same time be a man from the 21st century - you must be a man of the baroque era.

And so you read about it, listen to certain music, watch certain pictures, films, and so on. Only ballet does this. And this is a momentary art, not frozen like a sculpture.

The video recording conveys order, but not the emotional state between the viewer and the artist - it exists only for these two hours at the performance in the theater.

In general, ballet is a very strange, conventional, synthetic art that requires attention from the viewer, it is a work process. Ballet differs from dance, especially Russian, then Soviet. Not a single old ballet - neither Italian nor French - is decomposed "scientifically", as it was planned in our country. How it was done by Vaganova, then by Tarasov, and so on. And this is our property. Contemporary dance is a hobby, pastime. Ballet is a super art.

- But at the same time, you recently performed in New York in a glamorous project ...

This is a very beautiful thing at a very interesting juncture, called “Goddesses & Demonesses”, or “Goddesses and Demonesses”. There are only two of us dancers - me and the Frenchwoman Blanca Lee.

This is about the feminine essence in different reincarnations - from the beginning of time, when it is something indefinite, in the light of the dawn, either an animal or a woman, and ends with such a strong, very feminine dance.

All the costumes in the performance are haute couture, and we don't just wear them, we dance actively - we exist in this format for an hour and a half without stopping. The show has beautiful light, it's a very modern thing.

- So there is life after the Bolshoi?

You know, the Bolshoi Theater, on the one hand, sets a huge scale. On the other hand, a huge number of people who come there are not even able to understand or feel this scale. They just come to a loud place, get epaulettes, crowns, conjuncture and go somewhere further.

Therefore, all this talk, “what after the Big?” ... Nothing. A huge number of people after the Bolshoi began to make their own careers. Although, perhaps, they never touched something important or basic.

It all depends on the person - you can think that on the scale of space you are a grain of sand, but you can know that you are the whole space. These are all very personal things. Therefore, I don’t ask myself this question at all - I just love this place - the Bolshoi Theater. He made me who I am. And I know there are too many vultures around in this place. When I began to understand that it was difficult for me in such a situation, I left.

- Satisfied or disappointed?

There is no disappointment. There was a very tough choice. I realized that this should not be delayed, then the theater will eat up. And you need to feel this moment.

Theater is people. Sometimes it is very difficult with them. And you ask yourself the question: do you live to do something or to make people feel comfortable?

I live for today. Now, in this second I am myself - yes, I am happy. I have a lot of plans, I have no free time to lie on the couch. The test of freedom is generally a serious thing. You can be in the illusion that you are someone ...

- What kind of an illusion is it - to be the prima of the Bolshoi?

Just because you are the prima of the Bolshoi. But there is no Bolshoi? And then what?

Our problem, generally for ballet dancers, is that we are tied to a place, tied to the troupe. The more you swing, the more you get out of shape. A ballet artist is very specific, it is a philosophy. Before we go on stage, we cannot say it in the room, we need a place for rehearsals. This is a big problem.

Here in the opera, you can recruit a full-time one or there is also an opera "stagioni" when artists are hired for a season. This will not work with ballet - you cannot recruit them for a month and then dissolve them.

For ballet dancers, traveling is also a problem. Because before we go on stage, we rehearse ten times more than we dance. And there must be a place where you rehearse, do the class, there must be time.

Now I have a fairly normal situation - at the Bolshoi Theater I rehearse, study, and sometimes go on stage. But at the same time I am free in the choice of other things, I do not waste time, I do not expect anything, no one deceives me.

At the Bolshoi you wait for every performance, you cannot agree to go somewhere to dance ... And I repeat: theater is people. Often times, you just don't want to waste time.

- Sorry for the question, but in Tbilisi everyone is wondering: how much should a ballerina weigh?

For a ballerina, the main thing is not weight, but the ability to control her body. You need to be aware of what your legs are, the length of your arms, and learn to move. This is the trick, and not just weighing 50 kilograms with an increase of 180.

A ballerina must remain a healthy person. With a good, lively psyche to please others. To dance and not eat - so you can stretch your legs. I clearly know that in order to stand on my feet and work for seven hours, I do not need to have breakfast and lunch, but then I eat.

Today, after work at dinner in Tbilisi, I will want satsivi, which means I will eat satsivi ...

The incredible happened at the Bolshoi Theater: the famous prima ballerina, People's Artist of Russia Maria Alexandrova wrote a letter of resignation from the troupe. At the same time, there were no external reasons for voluntarily leaving the best ballet troupe in the world. At 38, Maria is at her peak. She also has no special health problems (a few years ago the ballerina received a complex injury, after which she had to learn to walk again, but Maria triumphantly returned to the stage). In addition, for several years now, her partner, both on stage and in life, has been the magnificent premier of the Bolshoi Vlad Lantratov. Finally, it is known from reliable sources that the ballerina is not pregnant at the moment.

Maria Alexandrova in the play "The Taming of the Shrew"

Therefore, the statement published by Maria in social networks became a bolt from the blue for ballet lovers: “Beloved, dear viewers and colleagues! I want to thank everyone and say a big Human THANKS for the path that we have done together within the walls of the Bolshoi Theater! But this glorious story is over. I made a decision for myself that I am turning this page. The place of the artist on the stage, everything else is lyrics, an illusion and an empty, soul-destroying hassle. THANKS! To my teachers N.L. Semizorova and V.S. Lagunov for attention, talent, experience, respect and love for the profession, which they taught me until the last minutes and the last note that sounded today !!! THANKS, to my beloved and unforgettable Tatyana Nikolaevna Golikova, a part of which is forever in me and with me! Life goes on, there will be many more interesting and important things! I wish you good luck and patience! always yours, Masha Alexandrova. "

The prima's act puzzled everyone. Reaching a certain age (with 20 years of dancing experience in ballet, they retire), the artists usually continue to work in their native walls - either move to small, simple parties, or become teachers-tutors. But Aleksandrova is in brilliant form and it is obvious that she is ready to dance the main parts in the future.

Photo: courtesy of the press service of M. Alexandrova

The theater, in which the prima worked for almost twenty years, explained the strange situation through its press service: “On January 19 of this year, the prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater, People's Artist of Russia, Maria Alexandrova, filed a letter of resignation of her own free will. This is a personal decision of the ballerina ... The management of the theater and the management of the ballet repeatedly met with her, offering to continue working in the theater ... Nevertheless, Maria Alexandrova did not reconsider her decision ... According to the existing legal norms, after two weeks her request was granted ... The management of the theater regrets the decision taken by the ballerina. "

Photo: courtesy of the press service of M. Alexandrova

This explanation did little to clarify this almost detective situation. And fans of Alexandrova organized the hashtag #vernitemariyualeksandrova. Some colleagues in the theater also called on the artist to change her mind. But some of the dancers remained silent ...

Aleksandrova began dancing in the Kalinka children's ensemble, then graduated from the Moscow Academy of Choreography. At the graduation concert, she danced with the artist of the Bolshoi Theater Nikolai Tsiskaridze, a partnership with whom she developed back in school (by the way, unlike Alexandrova, Tsiskaridze always said that he would never voluntarily leave the Bolshoi). In 1997, Alexandrova won the prestigious Moscow ballet competition (at the gala concert she again danced with Nikolai Tsiskaridze, who also won a gold medal). After that, she was admitted to the Bolshoi, where over time Maria took the highest step in the ballet hierarchy - she became a prima ballerina.

What Alexandrova will do after leaving the Bolshoi, she does not tell. By the way, recently Maria played Caesonia in the plastic play "Caligula" at the Provincial Theater. So, perhaps, the ballerina connects her future with the dramatic scene. In the meantime, Maria receives hundreds of touching messages with words of support from all over the world from her fans.

Fans and connoisseurs of ballet call the graceful and talented ballerina Maria Alexandrova the best dancer of our time. The prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater won fame and honor thanks to her incredible ability to work and, of course, undeniable talent.

Maria Alexandrovna Alexandrova is a native Muscovite. The girl was born in July 1978 into a family that has nothing to do with art. At first, Masha took up dancing in the Kalinka children's ensemble. But she soon began to show interest in ballet. At the age of 10, Masha entered the Moscow Academy of Choreography, where the mentors noted the success of the aspiring ballerina.

Maria Alexandrova received her diploma from the Academy in 1996. At that time, the young ballerina had already managed to prove herself from the best side.

Ballet

While studying at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography, the dancer managed to appear in several ballet performances - The Nutcracker, Coppelia and Chopiniana.

For a long time he was a partner of Maria Alexandrova on stage. Together, the dancers have performed at many international festivals.

The successful performance of the young ballerina at the Moscow ballet competition in 1997 brought Maria the main prize of the competition. The judges highly appreciated Aleksandrova's part of Gamzatti from La Bayadere. But the main victory of the ballerina was not an award, but an invitation to the troupe of the Bolshoi Theater.

The ballerina's debut on the Bolshoi stage took place in the 1997-1998 season. Then Maria Alexandrova performed the first solo parts, although she was still listed in the corps de ballet. Connoisseurs of this art form saw the talented dancer for the first time in the performances The Nutcracker, The Dream and The Legend of Love. Alexandrova's coach during this period was a ballerina and a talented mentor.

On October 19, 1997, the ballerina, whose height is 162 cm and weight - 45 kg, performed the role of the Queen in the play "Fantasies on the Theme of Casanova". The performance was so successful that a month later Alexandrova was accepted into the group, which went on tour to New York.

After the tour, at the beginning of the 1998-1999 season, the talented ballerina was transferred from the corps de ballet to the category of luminaries.

At the end of the season, the authoritative publication "Ballet" awarded Maria Alexandrovna Alexandrova a prestigious prize in the "Rising Star" nomination. In the same year, the ballerina, who performed a number of brilliant roles, was officially transferred to the soloist of the Bolshoi Theater.

In the new century, Maria Alexandrova was recognized as the prima ballerina of the Bolshoi. With the BT troupe, the artist has traveled half the world. Maria often received offers from ballets in New York, Paris and London. But Masha did not want to leave her homeland, where she managed to make such a brilliant career.

In 2004, the dancer was awarded the prestigious Golden Mask theater prize for her performance of the part in the production of The Bright Stream. A year later, Maria Alexandrova received the title of Honored Artist of the Russian Federation. 4 years later she became the People's Artist of Russia.

In November, Maria Alexandrova visited St. Petersburg, where she performed at the "Ballet Master" concert dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the choreographer Oleg Vinogradov. On the stage of the Oktyabrsky Big Concert Hall, in addition to the artists of the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky Theaters, stars of the foreign stage also performed - dancers from the USA, South Korea, Spain and Germany.

Now the artist is absorbed in the world premiere of Nureyev, which took place in early December on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. The image of the main character on the stage was embodied by the premier of the ballet troupe Vladislav Lantratov. Maria Aleksandrova in the production, which made a lot of noise even before the release, performed the role of Margot Fontaine, the collective image of Soviet dancers Alla Osipenko and embodied.

The music for the ballet, which is a fusion of classical dance, opera, choral, dramatic and cinematic art, was written by the composer Ilya Demutsky. He acted as a librettist, set designer and director of the action. The choreography was choreographed by Yuri Possokhov and conducted by Anton Grishanin.

The performance was sold out, the hall was full of a secular audience, including representatives of the political and business elite. It is assumed that the rights to the play will be sold to a European theatrical collective, but so far the next show is announced at the Bolshoi Theater at the end of June 2018.

2007 - Medora, "Le Corsaire" by A. Adam

2010 - Countess, "The Queen of Spades" to music by P. Tchaikovsky

2014 - Katarina, "The Taming of the Shrew" to music

For many people, the Bolshoi and I are practically synonyms. But my departure is an absolutely meaningful step. Yes, it was quick, unexpected and untimely. But it was the decision of an adult who went through certain stages in life, and understands that everything that happens is a pattern. It's like a house of cards has formed inside me.

Wool tuxedo and trousers, all Boss; viscose top, Alexander Wang