Natalya Osipova ballerina performance. Famous Russian ballerina, world celebrity Natalya Osipova. Then there was "Firebird" at the Diaghilev Festival

In June, “Marguerite and Armand” was shown at the London Royal Opera House. This is a special production for the British, which premiered at Covent Garden more than half a century ago. For the first time in history, both roles were performed by Russians: prima ballerina of the Royal Opera House Natalya Osipova and premier of the Mariinsky Theater Vladimir Shklyarov. ZIMA attended the rehearsal. For Osipova this was the last production of the season, and we will soon see Shklyarov again in London with.

Almost an hour of rehearsal takes place in one breath. It’s scary to the last that the dancers will no longer have the strength to do the interview, but when they leave the hall and wipe off their sweat, they look quite cheerful. “Let’s have a snack and talk at the same time?” - Natalya suggests. Vladimir presses the elevator button: “We’re going to the buffet!” The voice recorder starts in the elevator:

– How long have you been in London?

Vladimir: A week.

- How do you like it here?

Q: London is wonderful. Although I don’t know what it would be like if I danced without Natasha.

Natalya: Say that you would be disgusted!

Q: I'll say anything for you!

They both laugh. We arrive at the buffet. Vladimir takes yoghurts, bananas and soda. We sit down at the table.

N: Sorry that we are constantly making fun of you. I haven’t danced with Russians for so long, and I’m so pleased. Volodya and I have a lot in common in terms of humor. There is a good emotional connection: we can joke, talk, discuss everything.

– Is it harder with foreigners?

N: I have to feel more physically partners who don’t speak Russian; we still have some kind of boundary. Although, for example, I have a wonderful American partner, David Hallberg - this is just my love. I feel him so much in my heart that I don’t even need to talk to him.

– Tomorrow is your first joint performance with Shklyarov?

N: We have already danced one performance, we had a premiere on June 5, tomorrow there will be a second one. This is the end of the season. Honestly, I'm very glad that this is the end. Although then I have a tour... A very busy season.

– How many performances did you have this season?

N: I don’t count how many performances, but over the last month I have had three new roles. It's very hard. Not so much physically, but psychologically - each role requires development...

Q: And Natasha is a very emotional person...

N: And Volodya is such a psychoanalyst!

-Have you known each other for a long time?

N: Yes, since childhood.

B: Well, no! Although it already seems so. We met at the age of 18 at the Mariinsky Theater.

N: We are of the same generation. This is very noticeable - both in work and in communication.

– Is working with Russian dancers very different from working with foreigners?

N: I would say that ballet schools are different from each other. But I have become so cosmopolitan that I would no longer call myself a Russian ballerina. I worked in almost all companies: both in England and in America. I study everywhere, master new techniques, this helps a lot.

– You have been living in London for four years. Are you used to it? Are you bored here?

N: No. I'm never bored. I am a person who lives for work. Our century is not that long. A career may well end at 40. Or an unexpected injury may occur and your career will be interrupted. Therefore, I seize every moment and try to use the talent that is given to me to the fullest.

– But do you rest sometimes? What do you do when you're not dancing?

N: Of course, I’m resting. I have wonderful friends with whom I can spend time. I love being alone. I really like to read. It is a great pleasure for me to sit on the balcony and read a book - honestly, one of the most pleasant moments. I'm currently reading Salman Rushdie's book The Ground Beneath Her Feet. I would like to use the plot of this book in my work, for a ballet performance. I also really love my area, Maida Vale. I spend almost all my free time there: in my favorite cafes, on ponds, in Regent’s Park. We also often gather with friends at someone's apartment. And recently Volodya and I watched a ballet on the embankment! Completely unexpected! We went to Trafalgar Bridge and there was a live broadcast from the Royal Opera House, the same ballet we were dancing. It was very funny. We caught familiar music, I thought: “God, and here it is!” It turned out it was a Live Cinema broadcast. The Royal Opera House set up screens in the streets and broadcast their best productions. We sat and looked from the side. It was great.

– Are your friends Russian? Are they from the ballet world?

N: Friends are mostly Russian. Of course they love ballet, but they are not from the ballet world. Among my close friends there are only a couple of dancers.

– Natasha, Vladimir, you are dancing “Margarita and Armand” - a very difficult plot. Is it easy for you to deal with it?

Q: This is a stylized performance in which Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn shone many years ago. It was staged at the Royal Opera especially for them, and then for a long time no one was allowed to touch this masterpiece. The first was Sylvie Guillem... But Natasha is a unique ballerina. You are the first Russian at the Royal Opera who was entrusted with this role?

N: Yes. It is so accepted that this is also an age group. When this ballet was staged, Margot Fonteyn was almost 20 years older than Nureyev. Probably not every ballerina will be able to convey all the feelings that the heroine experiences on stage. When girls are 17–18 years old, they cannot feel this range of emotions so deeply. It is believed that the older the ballerina, the better she does. And ballet girls always look good. Often at 40 they barely look 25. Such a nice trick! I am probably the first in the theater who is 30 years old and who was entrusted with this role. It was even scary to touch her. It was not clear how to do it, how I would succeed. In the end, I decided that I would act intuitively, and I think I did a decent job.

– Were you immediately paired with Vladimir?

N: No, I had to dance with another partner (Sergei Polunin. - ZIMA note). Unfortunately, due to certain circumstances it didn’t work out, and I urgently had to look for another partner. There was no one there because in England no one is allowed to dance this ballet anymore. It is still performed in Russia, but there are practically no good dancers who could dance it. Volodya was the only suitable candidate for this role, and also a brilliant dancer. First we waited for a visa. As a result, Volodya arrived five days before the performance. It was the premiere. The fact that we managed to prepare is still a shock to me. And they didn’t disgrace themselves on stage, which is an even greater achievement. This ballet is very special for the British. There is just ballet, and there is Marguerite and Armand. The two of us are also Russian, so it was especially scary.

Q: What was difficult was that acting is treated differently in Russia and England. We usually try to find individuality, and this is probably the exact opposite of the performances of Frederick Ashton (director of the play at ROH - ZIMA note). He does everything clearly, absolutely according to the rules, no acting liberties are allowed. This is how it should be done. If you clench your fists on the count of “six”, you should do it on “six”, not “five”. It is very difficult to put personal emotion into it so that it reaches the viewer.

N: And we only had five days. We learned the procedure in two days. Volodya had already danced this part, and I danced it for the first time. I was completely shocked. I decided that I had nothing to lose: I just had to go out in five days and dance the most special role for the British. We rehearsed for two days and went on stage to the audience. This was the first time in my life that this happened. I was terribly worried. But when we went on stage, it felt like we were completely ready.

– You have been performing in the leading theaters of the world for so many years! Doesn't the excitement go away with experience?

N: What are you talking about! Sometimes the anxiety becomes even greater. It comes with responsibility. Sometimes it is very difficult for me to work and perform here. When I was invited, I had to constantly prove that I was worthy of it. From the very beginning, I had to prepare each role like some kind of miracle. And I did it, and I got used to it.

Now tickets for my performances are sold out immediately, within two hours. You understand that people expect a miracle from your performance, and you have to keep the bar, and it’s hard.

– How do you recover?

B: A cigarette, a bottle of wine... (laughs)

N: Volodya! (Strictly.) Well, maybe in your case!..

- Natasha, is it true? Do you have a diet?

N: I don’t have a diet. We have such a crazy workload that I eat absolutely everything. I don’t know which ballet dancers are on a diet. With such hard work, dieting is very difficult.

– Today’s rehearsal lasted 45 minutes. Is this standard time? How long do rehearsals usually last?

N: It depends. Today it was 45 minutes. Sometimes an hour. We sometimes rehearse classical ballet for two hours. Sometimes we can come at ten in the morning and work until six in the evening, rehearsing without stopping. Depends on the repertoire. Most often I spend the whole day here. I also have to perform in other places, and I go there to rehearse. I don’t have a family yet, so I’m “dedicated to art.”

– There is no desire to relax and not dance?

N: Yes. I'll be on vacation now. I was recently so tired that I literally screamed: “Soon I won’t do anything for two months!” And I really hope I don't. I'll travel. Really want to. I want to go to South America: Peru, Brazil, to stay there. Well, I also want to be with my parents, I don’t see them very often.

– Do they come to London to see you?

N: Yes, mom comes quite often. Dad less often. They like it in London. But they still prefer Moscow.

– Vladimir, what do you prefer? Would you like to live in London?

Q: I love London. But... how to put it correctly... I am very worried about the events that are happening. Just the other day there was the Champions League final. We watched football in the pub. Natasha supported Real Madrid. It was near London Bridge station. When we went out and heard the news about the terrorist attack, it was out of the blue. There was a shock.

N: Well, this is happening not only in London now... Unfortunately.

– How do you both feel about risk? Your work is connected with him. They pulled a ligament, broke their leg - and it was the end of their career.

Q: You never need to think about this!

N: Firstly, you will never predict it. Injuries happen absolutely out of the blue, no matter what you do... You went and slipped and tore a ligament. He took care of his leg and then fell down the stairs.

Q: Personally, I attacked everywhere possible. Fear goes away when you crash for the first time. I remember we were rehearsing “Young Man and Death”, there were chairs and a table on the stage. Then I fell off everything at once: from tables and chairs. I don't know what's cooler.

N: It seems to me that I’m actually a record holder. Nobody fell more than me. At the Bolshoi Theater I danced the ballet “Bright Streams” and within 40 seconds I fell three times. There is a part where you have to jump high - and I love that. She jumped out so much that someone even later said to me with sarcasm: “Like Nijinsky flies.” Well, she fell. The pain is severe. But I got wound up: “How?! Did I fall?!” That means we need to jump even harder. I started the jump in this state and fell again. Then she finally jumped, got down on her knee, and fell off her knee again. In 40 seconds, can you imagine? Our choreographer later said to me: “Are you crazy? Are you really crazy?!” And I say: “Yes, I’m probably crazy.”

– Is it built into your character: I need to prove to everyone that I can?

N: Over time, I dealt with it. My energy used to be so crazy: I was so wound up that sometimes I couldn’t control my body. Now there is no such thing. But once even in Covent Garden the curtain was closed. I danced Don Quixote at the premiere and fell so hard that I couldn’t get up. People in the theater are now even asking me not to rehearse before premieres so that nothing happens to me.

– Today Russian teacher Alexander Agadzhanov taught you. Is he just preparing you for this performance?

N: He has been working at the Royal Opera as a teacher for 30 years. I work with him all the time, although there are some roles that I do not rehearse with him. He is my closest person in the theater. At first it was hard for me alone, and, of course, he was very supportive. He is an incredible professional, he taught me so much during this time: manners, culture. It's nice to be with him; he has such a confident energy. He inspires the desire to work and study.

– Is he different from foreign teachers?

N: All my teachers are people close to me. I can't say that the British are very different from the Russians. Maybe there are differences between working with a woman and a man. Sasha is a man: he’s tougher, he doesn’t react to my fatigue, doesn’t get into my soul, doesn’t tell me how a woman should feel. At the same time, he always controls my movements and sees me from a male point of view. He will always tell you what is wrong. Women are a little different: they all love you, adore you, they will cry with you, they will calm you down. It's nice to be with women, especially when they were also amazing ballerinas in the past. They can teach you not only technique, but also how to convey certain emotions.

– Is the language difference painful for you? How is your English now?

N: I understand everything in English, but my social circle is mostly Russian. I wouldn’t sit down to give an interview in English now without a translator. I'm just starting to speak English normally one on one. I tried to take lessons, but I realized that sometimes I just physically don’t have time, and sometimes I’m too tired. But I think I will definitely do this. I want to become a citizen, so I'll have to take exams.

– Do you want to stay and live in England?

N: I don’t know how fate will turn out. But now this is my hometown and my home theater.

Although it is unknown what will happen. And personal life - it also influences.

– I really want to ask about my personal life. And about Sergei Polunin.

N: Well, ask.

- Are you OK?

N: I wouldn’t like to go into details, but now I’m free. And I feel great. I'm going through a transition period. This is a good time when you can be alone with yourself and enjoy it.

It's great to be alone sometimes. When something ends, a new door always opens.

I'm generally an optimist. For me, everything bad that happens ultimately leads to something very good. I have a useful property - to learn from my mistakes and bad things.

- Oh, wow. Natasha, I wish you even greater success! Thank you very much for the honest interview and for the opportunity to see the rehearsal. Vladimir, thanks too. It was an incredible pleasure to see you today.

Q: Well, today at rehearsal Natasha was a “motor”. The material is about her, and I thought that two “engines” cannot fit in one issue.

– Where else can we see you?

Q: Next there will be two performances at the Mariinsky Theater with my participation, and then our theater will come on tour to Covent Garden, from July 24 to August 12. Be sure to come. We will try not to disappoint the London public.

PS. A couple of weeks after this interview, we learned that in support of the Gift of Life Foundation, Vladimir Shklyarov is providing two tickets to London performances with his participation, as well as a tour of the backstage of ROH, a book and a photo shoot. – on the foundation’s website.

In 2003 she won the Grand Prix of the International Ballet Competition “Prix of Luxembourg”.
In 2005, she won the 3rd prize at the International Competition of Ballet Dancers and Choreographers in Moscow (in the “Duets” category in the senior group).
In 2007, she was awarded the “Soul of Dance” prize from “Ballet” magazine (in the “Rising Star” category).
In 2008 she received the annual English award (National Dance Awards Critics' Circle) - the National Dance Critics' Circle Award (best ballerina in the "Classical Ballet" section) and the National Theater Award "Golden Mask" for her performance in the ballet "In the Room Above" F. Glass directed by Twyla Tharp (season 2006/07) and the Leonide Massine Prize, awarded annually in Positano (Italy), in the category “For the significance of talent.”
In 2009 (together with Vyacheslav Lopatin) she was awarded the Special Jury Prize "Golden Mask" - for the best duet in the ballet "La Sylphide" (season 2007/08) and the prize of the International Association of Choreographers "Benois de la Danse" for the performance of the parts of La Sylphide, Giselle, Medora in The Corsair and Joan in The Flames of Paris.
In 2010 she was awarded the International Ballet Dance Open Prize in the Miss Virtuosity category.
In 2011, she again received the annual English award (National Dance Awards Critics’ Circle) - the National Dance Critics’ Circle Award (best ballerina); was awarded the Grand Prix of the Dance Open Prize and the Leonid Massine Prize (Positano) in the category “Best Dancer of the Year”.
In 2015, she was again awarded the National Dance Critics Circle Award, and received the award in two categories at once (“Best Ballerina” and “Outstanding Performance” / for her performance of the role of Giselle in the Royal Ballet production).

Biography

Born in Moscow. In 2004 she graduated from the Moscow State Academy of Choreography (rector's class) and was accepted into the ballet troupe of the Bolshoi Theater. The debut took place on September 24, 2004. She began rehearsing under the direction of. Then her permanent teacher-tutor was.
She left the Bolshoi Theater in 2011. She performs with many of the world's leading ballet companies, including the American Ballet Theater (ABT), the Bavarian Ballet, and La Scala Ballet.
Since 2011 - prima ballerina of the Mikhailovsky Theater in St. Petersburg, since 2013 - of the Royal Ballet Covent Garden.

Repertoire

2004
Insert pas de deux
Nancy(“La Sylphide” by H. Levenschell, choreography by A. Bournonville, revised by E. M. von Rosen)
Eleventh Waltz(“Chopiniana” to music by F. Chopin, choreography by M. Fokine)
Spanish doll(“The Nutcracker” by P. Tchaikovsky, choreography by Yu. Grigorovich)
mustard seed(“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” to music by F. Mendelssohn-Barthold and D. Ligeti, staged by J. Neumeier) -

2005
Spanish bride(“Swan Lake” by P. Tchaikovsky in the second edition by Yu. Grigorovich, fragments of choreography by M. Petipa, L. Ivanov, A. Gorsky were used)
Part in the ballet “Passacaglia”, soloist in the ballet “Passacaglia”(to music by A. von Webern, choreography by R. Petit)
Typists(“Bolt” by D. Shostakovich, staged by A. Ratmansky) -
First variation in grand pas(Don Quixote by L. Minkus, choreography by M. Petipa, A. Gorsky, revised by A. Fadeechev)
Cinderella(“Sleeping Beauty” by P. Tchaikovsky, choreography by M. Petipa, revised by Yu. Grigorovich)
frivolity(“Omens” to music by P. Tchaikovsky, choreography by L. Massine)
Cancan soloist(“Parisian Fun” to music by J. Offenbach, arranged by M. Rosenthal, choreography by L. Massine) - first performer in Russia
Four Dryads, Kitri("Don Quixote")
Soloist of the III part(“Symphony in C major” to music by J. Bizet, choreography by J. Balanchine)
Second variation in the painting “Shadows”(“La Bayadère” by L. Minkus, choreography by M. Petipa, revised by Yu. Grigorovich)
Soloist(“Playing Cards” by I. Stravinsky, choreographed by A. Ratmansky) - was among the first performers of this ballet

2006
Waltz soloists(was among the first performers)
Autumn(“Cinderella” by S. Prokofiev, choreography by Y. Posokhov, director Y. Borisov)
Ramsey, Aspiccia(“The Pharaoh’s Daughter” by Ts. Puni, staged by P. Lacotte after M. Petipa)
Manka Fart(“Bolt” by D. Shostakovich, staged by A. Ratmansky)
Gamzatti(“La Bayadère”) - the debut took place on tour of the theater in Monte Carlo

2007
Soloist(“Serenade” to music by P. Tchaikovsky. choreography by J. Balanchine) -
Soloist(“In the Room Upstairs” by F. Glass, choreography by T. Tharp) - was among the first performers of this ballet at the Bolshoi Theater
Classical dancer(“Bright Stream” by D. Shostakovich, staged by A. Ratmansky)
Soloist(“Middle Duet” to music by Y. Khanon, choreography by A. Ratmansky)
Soloist(“Class-concert” to music by A. Glazunov, A. Lyadov, A. Rubinstein, D. Shostakovich, choreography by A. Messerer)
Third Odalisque(“Corsair” by A. Adam, choreography by M. Petipa, production and new choreography by A. Ratmansky and Y. Burlaki)
Giselle(“Giselle” by A. Adam, choreography by J. Coralli, J. Perrot, M. Petipa, revised by Y. Grigorovich)

2008
Sylphide(La Sylphide by H.S. Levenskold, choreography by A. Bournonville, revised by J. Kobborg) - first performer at the Bolshoi Theater
Medora("Corsair")
Zhanna(“Flames of Paris” by B. Asafiev, staged by A. Ratmansky using choreography by V. Vainonen)
Couple in red(“Russian Seasons” to music by L. Desyatnikov, staged by A. Ratmansky) - was among the first ballet performers at the Bolshoi Theater
Variation(Great classical pas from the ballet “Paquita” by L. Minkus, choreography by M. Petipa, production and new choreographic version by Y. Burlaki)

2009
Swanilda(“Coppelia” by L. Delibes, choreography by M. Petipa and E. Cecchetti, production and new choreographic version by S. Vikharev)
Nikiya("La Bayadère")
Esmeralda(“Esmeralda” by C. Pugni, choreography by M. Petipa, production and new choreography by Y. Burlaki, V. Medvedev)

2010
Main role in the ballet “Rubies” to music by I. Stravinsky (choreography by J. Balanchine) - participant in the premiere at the Bolshoi Theater
Pas de deux(Herman Schmerman by T. Willems, choreography by W. Forsyth)

2011
Coralie(“Lost Illusions” by L. Desyatnikov, staged by A. Ratmansky) - first performer

Participated in the Bolshoi Theater project
“Workshop of New Choreography” (2004), performing in the ballet “Bolero” to the music of M. Ravel (choreography by A. Ratmansky) In 2007, she performed in the ballet “Old Women Falling Out” to the music of L. Desyatnikov (choreography by A. Ratmansky) , shown first at the Territory festival, and then as part of the “Workshop of New Choreography” In 2011, she was a participant in the joint project of the Bolshoi Theater and the Californian Segerstrom Center for the Arts (“Remansos” to the music of E. Granados, staged by N. Duato; “Serenade” to music by A. Ciervo, staged by M. Bigonzetti; Pas de trois to music by M. Glinka, choreography by J. Balanchine; “Cinque” to music by A. Vivaldi, staged by M. Bigonzetti).

Tour

DURING WORK AT THE BOLSH THEATER

December 2005 - performed as Kitri in the ballet Don Quixote (choreography by M. Petipa, A. Gorsky, revised by S. Bobrov) at the Krasnoyarsk State Opera and Ballet Theater.

2006- participated in the XX International Ballet Festival in Havana, performing with Ivan Vasiliev (Bolshoi Ballet) a pas de deux from the ballet “The Flames of Paris” by B. Asafiev (choreography by V. Vainonen) and a pas de deux from the ballet “Don Quixote”.

2007- at the VII International Mariinsky Ballet Festival she performed the role of Kitri in the ballet Don Quixote (partner - soloist of the Mariinsky Theater Leonid Sarafanov) and the pas de deux from the ballet Corsair in the gala concert that concluded the festival (same partner);
- at the international festival “Dance Salad” (Wortham Theater Center, Houston, USA) she performed “Middle Duet” staged by A. Ratmansky with the leading soloist of the Bolshoi Ballet Andrei Merkuriev;
- at a gala concert in honor of Maya Plisetskaya, held on the stage of the Royal Theater of Madrid, she performed a pas de deux from the ballet “Don Quixote” (partner - Bolshoi Ballet premier Dmitry Belogolovtsev).

2008- with Ivan Vasiliev took part in the gala concert “Today’s Stars and Tomorrow’s Stars” (pas de deux from the ballet “Flames of Paris”), which concluded the IX International Competition for Ballet School Students of the Youth America Grand Prix, in 1999 founded by former Bolshoi Ballet dancers Gennady and Larisa Savelyev;
performed the title role in the ballet “Giselle” in Kazan with the ballet troupe of the Tatar Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after Musa Jalil as part of the International Festival of Classical Ballet named after Rudolf Nureyev (Count Albert - Andrey Merkuryev) and performed in the gala concerts that concluded this festival, performing pas de deux from the ballet “Flames of Paris” (partner - Bolshoi Ballet soloist Ivan Vasiliev);
as part of the First Siberian Ballet Festival, she performed in the performance of the Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater “Don Quixote”, performing the part of Kitri (Bazil - Ivan Vasiliev);
took part in the gala concert “An Tribute to Maya Plisetskaya”, held as part of the Cap Roig Gardens festival (Girona province, Spain), performing with Ivan Vasiliev a pas de deux from the ballet “Flames of Paris” and a pas de deux from the ballet “Corsair” ";
took part in a gala concert of ballet dancers, held on the stage of the Lyon Amphitheater (variations and coda from the ballet Don Quixote, pas de deux from the ballet Flames of Paris, partner Ivan Vasiliev).
performed in the title role of the ballet La Sylphide (choreography by A. Bournonville, revised by J. Kobborg) in Zurich with the ballet company of the Zurich Opera;
performed in the title role in the performance of the Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater “Giselle” (Count Albert Ivan Vasiliev);

2009- performed the part of Nikiya in the ballet “La Bayadère” (choreography by M. Petipa, revised by V. Ponomarev, V. Chabukiani, with separate dances by K. Sergeev, N. Zubkovsky; production by I. Zelensky) in Novosibirsk with the ballet troupe of the Novosibirsk State Academic Opera Theater and ballet (Solor - Ivan Vasiliev);
performed in the title role of the ballet “Giselle” (edited by N. Dolgushin) with the troupe of the Mikhailovsky Theater in St. Petersburg (partner Ivan Vasiliev).
As a guest soloist of the American Ballet Theater (ABT), she took part in the performances of this troupe on the stage of the New York Metropolitan Opera. Performed in the title role of the ballet "Giselle" (choreography by J. Coralli, J. Perrot, M. Petipa; Count Albert - David Hallberg) and the title role of the ballet "La Sylphide" (choreography by A. Bournonville, revised by E. Brun; James - Herman Cornejo );
performed the role of Ballerina in the ballet “Petrushka” by I. Stravinsky (choreography by M. Fokine) in a performance at the Paris National Opera.

2010- performed as Clara in the ballet “The Nutcracker” by P. Tchaikovsky (choreography by R. Nureyev) in a performance at the Paris National Opera (partner Matthias Eymann).
performed the role of Kitri in the ballet Don Quixote (version by R. Nureyev) at Milan's La Scala Theater (partner Leonid Sarafanov);
participated in the X International Ballet Festival "Mariinsky" - performed the title role in the ballet "Giselle" (Count Albert - Leonid Sarafanov);
again took part in ABT performances on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera: she performed the roles of Kitri in the ballet Don Quixote (choreography by M. Petpa, A. Gorsky, production by K. McKenzie and S. Jones; partner Jose Manuel Carreno), Juliet in the ballet “Romeo and Juliet” by S. Prokofiev (choreography by K. MacMillan; partner David Hallberg), Princess Aurora (“The Sleeping Beauty” by P. Tchaikovsky; choreography by M. Petipa, K. McKenzie, G. Kirkland, M. Chernov, production by K. McKenzie ; partner David Hallberg).

2011- performed the role of Katharina in the ballet “The Taming of the Shrew” to the music of D. Scarlatti (choreography by J. Cranko) in Munich with the ballet troupe of the Bavarian State Opera (Petruchio - Lukasz Slawicki);
participated in the ABT season on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera - performed the role of the Classical dancer in the ballet “Bright Stream” (choreography by A. Ratmansky, Classical dancer - Daniil Simkin), the role of Swanilda in the ballet “Coppelia” (edited by F. Franklin, Franz - Daniil Simkin ); performed the title role in the ballet “Romeo and Juliet” (choreography by F. Ashton, revival by P. Schaufus) in London (Coliseum Theater) with the English National Ballet (Romeo - Ivan Vasiliev).

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First, a few different photos of my beloved Polunin

Little is known about Sergei’s personal life. Sergei dedicated the tattoo “Sorry, Tiger Cub” to one of his beloved, because she abandoned him, and he hoped to get her back in this way;)

For two years he dated a British ballerina Helen Crawford(who is 9 years older than him), she was his first serious hobby, but after Helen expressed her desire to have children, Sergei decided that it would be easier and more honest if they separated.

A year ago, for some time, Polunin appeared in society with an aspiring ballerina Yulia Stolyarchuk.

And this summer Seryoga got another tattoo: “NATASHA” on the back of his hand.

The tattoo is dedicated to Polunin’s new girlfriend - Natalia Osipova.

I don’t know when they met, but they met at the beginning of 2015, when they were rehearsing “Giselle” at La Scala.

From Natalia's interview:

culture: Your duet with Polunin is something of a sensation. The favorites of the Moscow public have united. How did you meet?
Osipova: At La Scala, when they danced Giselle. The play was planned with David Hallberg, one of my favorite partners. But he has a serious injury, he is undergoing treatment for the second season and was unable to perform. I had to urgently look for a partner. Of course, I saw Seryozha on stage many times, I always admired him, and it was interesting to try to dance with him. Our duet has not yet formed, we are just starting to work together.

culture: You refuse to answer questions about your personal life, but Serezha has a new tattoo with your name...
Osipova: He did it after we met. At first it shocked me. I didn't expect this. But, of course, it's nice to know that you are important to the one you love.

culture: Do relationships in life help on stage?
Osipova: They help me - I absolutely trust Seryozha, I give him the palm. He is a man, he leads... We have been together for about six months, and it is a great pleasure for us to be around.

culture: With your temperament, it’s hard to imagine you being a follower...
Osipova: This is also a big and pleasant surprise for me. But in the current situation, nothing tugs at my ego; on the contrary, I submit to Seryozha with great pleasure - both at rehearsals and on stage. In our work, we always consult, talk a lot and decide everything together.

culture: Sergei Polunin told our readers that he dreams of combining ballet and cinema. Project Polunin is starting now. Are you taking part in it?
Osipova: No, the project is not connected with me. I have my own job, Seryozha has his own. But there is a desire to work together as often as possible. Serezha has a lot of great ideas, and I hope everything works out. If he needs my help, I'm always there.

For the first time, fans noticed them in June, when after the play “Giselle”, where Sergei danced together with Svetlana Zakharova, Natalya Osipova was waiting for him.

Since then, they began to appear together at social events and give joint interviews.

In November, the couple announced their relationship at a press conference:

The Royal Ballet principal dancer and ballet's "bad boy" put an end to dating rumors when they announced they would be joining the contemporary dance program at Sanders Wells next year.
Two ballet superstars Natalia Osipova and Sergei Polunin will dance together in a contemporary dance program in London, sparking further excitement after they admitted they are also a couple in real life.

The couple's relationship has been the subject of numerous rumors in the ballet world. On Thursday, they put an end to those rumors: yes, they are a couple and are passionate about dancing together as often as possible.

Polunin said: “ At the moment it’s quite difficult, for some reason the big theaters are trying to divide us. They do everything they can to prevent us from dancing together. We are fighting against this. It is very important for artists to experience real feelings for each other on stage“, he said and added that when he dances with another partner, he always imagines Osipova. " It's very difficult at the moment, but I hope that in the future we will dance together a lot more often».

Earlier this year, Osipova and Polunin danced Giselle together at La Scala in Milan, but since they became a couple they haven't danced it again, and it's obvious that Polunin is very upset about it.
« It's not just us, it's always a problem and I don't understand why when people want to dance together the directors do everything they can to separate them. I think it's just easier to control people this way.»

And as you know, Sergei is a fighter with any restrictions, and no one will be able to control him)))

Below are photos from social networks:

Sergei's birthdaySummer vacation on the HudsonWith fans:

With Sergei's mother:​

And a photo with Vadim Vernik, who filmed this program:

In the coming 2016, Osipova and Polunin plan to dance the main roles in London in a new ballet based on T. Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire.

She is one of the most famous and titled Russian dancers, prima ballerina of the Royal Ballet Natalya Osipova will perform on the stage of the Kremlin Palace in Moscow on February 1 in the ballet “The Nutcracker” of the Perm Opera and Ballet Theater. The ballerina spoke in an interview with RIA Novosti about this performance, shared her plans for the new year, reported on participation in the gala concert of the Bolshoi Theater dedicated to Petipa’s anniversary, about performances at the Mariinsky Theater, on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera and Covent Garden, about her beloved partner and her favorite ballet.

— You danced in the ballet “The Nutcracker” choreographed by Yuri Grigorovich on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater and in the play staged by Rudolf Nureyev at the Paris Opera. What is special about the Perm Theater’s “Nutcracker,” which you will present in Moscow?

“I haven’t started rehearsing the play yet, I’ve only seen video clips of the rehearsals. But we actively discussed the concept with the choreographer of the Perm Theater Alexei Miroshnichenko. He has a very interesting view of this work - he wants to express all the tragedy of Tchaikovsky's score, his "Nutcracker" is not only a fairy tale for children, but primarily for adults. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote music of amazing depth, and we will try to convey this.

The stage of the Kremlin Palace is not the easiest platform for dancers. But as far as I know, all the scenery will be brought in completely, and Muscovites will see the performance in its original form. And we, for our part, will try to give our best.

— Natalya, you are the prima ballerina of Covent Garden, and from this season you have also become the prima ballerina of the Perm Opera and Ballet Theater. How did this idea come about and how did it happen?

— Everything happened naturally. I came to Perm several times with my performances, I really like this place, this theater and the wonderful team that has now formed in this theater. And when they made me an offer, I agreed with great pleasure. Now we are preparing my first premiere - the ballet "The Nutcracker", and I really hope that this season in Perm there will also be "Don Quixote" with my participation. True, we will no longer bring this performance to Moscow.

— The Bolshoi Theater is always glad to see you and invites you, your many fans are waiting for you and want to see you on the main stage in Moscow. Are you still going to find an opportunity and perform at the Bolshoi Theater?

— Yes, indeed, we are constantly negotiating, but we can’t agree on dates due to my busy schedule. However, in the new year I still hope to appear on the Bolshoi stage in early June as part of a gala concert dedicated to Marius Petipa.

— I’d really like to know about your plans for next year. Where will you dance and in what ballets? Will there be performances in Russia?

— One of the most long-awaited events for me is the performance “The Legend of Love” choreographed by Yuri Grigorovich at the Mariinsky Theater, which will take place on February 16. I will also dance Giselle and Manon in Covent Garden. This will be my first time dancing with David Hallberg. This is my beloved partner, he was on sick leave for three years, I have been waiting for him for a very long time, and now, finally, my old dream will come true. In May I will perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. I worked there for five years, but then I moved to London and didn’t perform there for a long time. On my birthday, May 18, I will dance my beloved Giselle there. And, of course, my speech in Moscow on February 1 in the Kremlin. I haven’t performed in Moscow for a very long time, I miss this city and the audience. I am sure that the Kremlin will be full house.

— You are a world-famous ballerina, choreographers create their works especially for you. But didn’t you yourself have a desire to act as a director?

— I’m always interested in trying new things, I love classical ballet and modern dance in its various forms. And I’ve even already tried to stage several numbers. But still, I am first and foremost a dancer, an interpreter, and as long as I can dance, I will dance.

Illustration copyright Nikolai Gulakov Image caption Natalya Osipova presented a modern ballet performance at Sadler's Wells Theater in London

On the stage of London's Sadler's Wells Theater the world premiere of a performance of three one-act ballets took place, in which the famous Russian ballerina Natalya Osipova performed in the genre of modern dance.

Between classic and modern

Classical ballet dancers embark on the path of modern dance, as a rule, when their path in the academic theater comes to an end. Despite all the temptingness of solo enterprises with your name in large letters on the posters, such a step is still considered a kind of retreat, which the star takes only if, for one reason or another, it is impossible to successfully continue his classical career.

When applied to Natalya Osipova, all these considerations seem completely inappropriate. She just turned 30 - not a young age in ballet, but in no way presuming the end of her academic career. She constantly appears in leading roles on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, the Mikhailovsky Theater in St. Petersburg, the Grand Opera in Paris, and the American Ballet Theater in New York.

In 2012 she became a guest soloist with the London Royal Ballet (Covent Garden), and in 2013 she was accepted into the company as a prima ballerina. She danced "Swan Lake", her favorite "Giselle", Tatiana in "Onegin", Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet" and many other roles.

However, as Natalya Osipova admitted in a recent interview with the Sunday Times, the injuries that plagued her, including an extremely painful hip dislocation, led to the cancellation of many performances and a long break.

The turn to modern dance became a way to escape - albeit temporarily - from the rigid, sometimes merciless rehearsal routine of classical ballet.

This turn, however, is by no means sudden or unexpected. While still at the Bolshoi, she danced in the play “In the Room Upstairs” by contemporary American choreographer Twyla Tharp; at Covent Garden, leading British choreographers Christopher Wheeldon, Wayne McGregor and Alistair Marriott created parts especially for her.

Two years ago, three modern choreographers - the Belgian Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, the Israeli Ohad Naharin and the Portuguese Arthur Pita - created for her and for her then partner both on stage and in life Ivan Vasiliev a performance of three one-act ballets "Solo for Two", which premiered on stage at the London Coliseum Theater in August 2014.

Alliance with Polunin

The current performance, which Sadler's Wells Contemporary Dance Theater commissioned three choreographers specifically for the Russian ballerina, in no small sense follows the path trodden two years ago by Solo for Two. And not only because two of the three directors - Cherkaoui and Pita - working again with Osipova. In two of the three productions, she is again on stage only with her partner - both on stage and in life. This partner, however, is now different - Sergei Polunin.

The British press, not without reason, calls Polunin enfant terrible classical ballet. In 2003, a 13-year-old teenager, a native of Kherson, Ukraine, thanks to a scholarship from the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation, moved from the Kyiv Choreographic School to the Royal Ballet School. In June 2010, he became the youngest premier in the history of the London Royal Ballet.

However, already in 2012 he left the famous theater. He left in scandal, accompanied by rumors of cocaine abuse, complaining that ballet did not allow him to fully enjoy the freedom of his youth and declaring that in academic ballet “the artist inside me dies.”

The first thing he did after leaving was to open a tattoo parlor in London. Then, already as a freelancer, he disappeared a few days before the scheduled premiere of the play "Midnight Express", thus disrupting the premiere.

Since then, he has been migrating between Russian academic theaters - Stanislavsky and Nemerovich-Danchenko in Moscow and the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater and prestigious and commercially profitable engagements in the West - from La Scala to video clips shot by an American photographer and director of clips in the style of "surrealism" glamor" by David LaChapelle.

“When we teamed up, many people thought I was crazy,” admits Osipova. - They immediately began to give me a wide variety of advice. But I always did what I wanted. And if my heart tells me that this is what I should do, then that’s what I will do.”

Polunin reciprocates: “Dancing with Natalya is simply wonderful. I immerse myself in work, for me this is a new full-fledged reality, and I would like to dance with her always.”

Performance at Sadler's Wells

However, in the first of three productions of the new play, Osipov is on stage not with Polunin, but with two other dancers. The play is called Qutb: translated from Arabic, this word means “axis, rod.” But it is also a spiritual symbol, which in Sufism denotes the perfect, universal person.

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui was born in Antwerp. His mother is Belgian, but his father is an immigrant from Morocco. He studied at a madrasah and the culture of the East is as native to him as the culture of the West.

The bodies of the three dancers are woven into a single ball, in which you cannot understand where the men are, where the woman is, whose hand, leg or head is. In this interweaving of bodies, however, there is nothing erotic - according to the choreographer, Natalya Osipova personifies Venus, James O'Hara - Earth, and Jason Kittelberger - Mars. They rotate together and around each other, accompanied by Sufi music, personifying - with some, however, pretentiousness is neither more nor less than the process of the universe.

The second performance - "Silent Echo" staged by British choreographer Russell Maliphant - is the most abstract, the most avant-garde, and, paradoxically as it may sound, the most traditional. Osipova and Polunin emerge from complete darkness, one at a time, caught by the spotlight in the most unexpected places on the stage, now moving away, now approaching each other. They don't touch each other for most of the play. In this detachment, enhanced by the prickly, cold electronic music of the British musician Robin Rimbaud, known under the artistic name of Scanner, there is something otherworldly, as far removed as possible from classical ballet.

Mechanistic movements to mechanistic music evoked in me associations with the restrained expression of the classic of the choreographic avant-garde, Merce Cunningham, when suddenly, in its final part, after two solo numbers, the dance acquired an unexpected classicism.

The choreographer himself admits this: “I wanted to create a form close to the classic pas de deux - a duet, two solos, and a duet again.”

After the emotional avarice and restrained philosophical detachment of the first two parts of the performance, in the third this very emotionality goes over the edge. Even the title itself - “Run, Mary, Run!” - implies a story, a plot, which is not often found in modern dance. The characters even have names: Osipova - Mary, Polunin - Jimmy. Bright, colorful, even deliberately vulgar costumes; twist, rock and roll, sex and drugs; the nature of the dance and movements brought to mind the classic “West Side Story” by Leonard Bernstein and Jerome Robbins.

Even the music dates back to the same era - the early 60s. The girl group The Shangri-Las is almost forgotten today, but their emotional, often staged songs inspired Amy Winehouse, and, according to choreographer Arthur Pita, Osipova, in her appearance and movements, was designed to replicate the unbridled despair of the untimely departed singer. And the harsh instrumental sound of The Shangri-Las, invented by the author of the “wall of sound” concept, Phil Spector, gives the whole show a characteristic echo of “discs of death” - that’s what the band’s music was called.

Harsh verdict from the press

Such a motley, motley and devoid of a single stylistic core performance caused very unflattering assessments from British critics.

“Russian ballerina lost in space” is how a Guardian reviewer titled her article. While giving credit to Natalya Osipova's determination to move towards modern dance, the newspaper writes that this is a long and difficult path, and Osipova has not yet achieved the freedom and looseness that, unlike the strictly regulated academic ballet, this art requires.

The Financial Times, however, places the blame for the failure not so much on the dancers themselves, but on the theater and choreographers: “The artists were trapped by the terrible inadequacy and monstrous pretentiousness of Sadler's Wells. The performance distorts and does not allow their gift and their true face to appear.

The Daily Telegraph’s verdict in the title of the review sounds no less harsh: “Star couple Osipova and Polunin misfire in a non-erotic triptych.”

“Where is the fire, where is the passion?” the critic asks rhetorically. “The bar is set high, but overall the performance leaves the impression of wasted talent.” However, the reviewer does not believe that the dancers have no chance in this area: “Let’s hope that Osipova and Polunin “harness for a long time”, and the best is still ahead of them.”

The play has room for improvement: after a short premiere run, it will go to the Edinburgh Theater Festival in August, then return to Sadler's Wells in September, and will be shown at the New York City Center in November. There are no plans for a tour in Russia yet.