Natalya Osipova personal life. Ballerina Natalya Osipova: step into modern dance. Performance at Sadler's Wells

There are a lot of all sorts of “Emerald” on “Gossip Man”.) I wanted to make a post about a real ballerina.

I discovered this ballerina three years ago, at a concert for the opening of the renovated Bolshoi Theater. She danced simply gorgeous there, with such drive and such incredible technique! Then she took part in the First Channel project “Balero” with Roman Kostomarov, and took second place there. I think she has a great future. And by the way, her husband, Ivan Vasiliev, is also a great dancer.

Biography, photos and videos.

Natalya Petrovna Osipova- genus. May 18, 1986, Moscow. From the age of five she was involved in gymnastics, but in 1993 she was injured and had to stop playing sports. The coaches recommended that the parents send their daughter to ballet. She studied at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography (class of rector Marina Leonova). After graduating in 2004, she joined the Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe, making her debut on September 24, 2004. Since October 18, 2008 - leading soloist, since May 1, 2010 - prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater. She rehearsed under the guidance of People's Artist of the USSR Marina Kondratyeva.

In 2007, on tour of the Bolshoi Theater in London on the stage of the Covent Garden theater, the ballerina was warmly received by the British public and received the British National Dance Award, awarded by the Society of Critics ( Critics" Circle National Dance Awards) for 2007 - as the best ballerina in the “classical ballet” section.

In 2009, on the recommendation of Nina Ananiashvili, she became a guest ballerina at the American Ballet Theater (New York), performing on the stage of the New York Metropolitan Opera in the title roles of the ballets “Giselle” and “La Sylphide”; in 2010, she again took part in ABT performances on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in the roles of Kitri in the ballet Don Quixote, Juliet in the ballet Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev (choreography by K. MacMillan), Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovsky (production by K. McKenzie; partner David Hallberg).

In 2010, she made her debuts at the Grand Opera (Clara in The Nutcracker, Ballerina in Petrushka) and La Scala (Kitri in Don Quixote), and performed at the London Royal Opera (Medora in Le Corsair).

In 2011, she performed the role of Katarina in the ballet “The Taming of the Shrew” to the music of D. Scarlatti (choreography by J. Cranko) with the ballet of the Bavarian State Opera. Twice she took part in the Mariinsky International Ballet Festival, performing the roles of Kitri in the ballet Don Quixote and Giselle in the ballet of the same name.

Since December 2012, she has been a guest soloist with the London Royal Ballet, having danced in this capacity three Swan Lakes with Carlos Acosta. Also in October, she - the only guest ballerina among the full-time artists of the Royal Troupe - participated in a gala concert in honor of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

Currently together she is a prima ballerina of the American ballet theatre.

In April 2013, Natalya Osipova signed a permanent contract with the London Royal Ballet.

With her husband, Ivan Vasiliev.

Natalia Osipova and Sergei Polunin

Its radiance eclipsed the torches.

She's like bright beryl

There are arapkas in my ears, it’s too light

For a world of ugliness and evil.

Like a dove among a flock of crows,

I can immediately spot her in a crowd.

I'll get through to her and look at her point-blank.

Have I ever loved before?

Oh no, they were false goddesses.

I have not known true beauty until now...

He is the main ballet bully, she is the Russian superstar of the Royal Ballet.

Natalya Osipova and Sergei Polunin talk about fear, pain, and love that arose on stage.

“I heard about his reputation, everyone in our world has heard about it. They said that he was not very responsible, that he ran away. So at first I thought I would never dance with him." Natalya Osipova glances at Sergei Polunin, who, as if taking care of her, sits next to her, and the pale, reserved face of the ballerina lights up with a sudden smile: the dancer with whom she vowed not to appear on the same stage is now her life partner.
Few could have predicted their romance. Not only because each of the dancers was too famous for them to make a convincing pair together. But also because their careers developed in too different directions. Osipova, who left a distinguished career at the Bolshoi Theater with former partner Ivan Vasiliev, moved to London in 2013 and became a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet.

Polunin had left the theater 18 months earlier and, amid stories of cocaine abuse and deep professional dissatisfaction, had gone to Russia to clean up his astonishing resume as a ballet dancer, model and future film actor.

In 2015, Osipova was supposed to dance the main role in the ballet “Giselle” in Milan. For various reasons, she did not find a suitable partner. Her mother suggested contacting Polunin, who, despite all his eccentricities, still had incredible natural talent, clean classical lines and a soaring jump that could perfectly set off Osipova’s bright energy. The ballerina carefully sent Polunin an email. And when, to her surprise, he agreed to become her partner, she discovered that he was not at all the enfant terrible, as she had assumed. “He turned out to be very sincere. I felt that he was a kind person - someone I could trust."
It was during the rehearsals of Giselle, the most romantic ballet of the classical repertoire, that the dancers fell in love with each other. For Polunin, playing the role of Count Albert on the same stage with Giselle Osipova became more than a romantic epiphany. By that time, he was so disappointed in ballet that he was about to leave the stage, but then his opinion changed. “Dancing with Natalia was wonderful. I was 100 percent involved, everything was real and real for me, and now I would always want to dance with her.”

He is now living in London again, and although their work schedules are confusing, they are making plans that will allow them to work together as often and as closely as possible. Polunin intends to return to the Royal Ballet as a guest dancer (“I’d really like to discuss that”), but the couple also wants to do independent projects together. Osipova says quietly: “This is the peculiarity of our work. To see each other, to return to each other's homes, we must find an opportunity to work together."
Their first collaboration will be a new duet directed by Russell Maliphant. This will be part of the summer contemporary dance program prepared personally by Osipova. For her, this is a continuation of the project that began with “Solo for Two” - an evening of modern dance, presented together with Vasiliev in 2014. It was an experiment that both excited and frustrated her because there wasn't enough time to prepare it. Work on the new program, for which Arthur Pita, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Russell Maliphant created the numbers, is being conducted differently. Osipova intends to work as long as necessary to adapt her body, trained in classical ballet, to various styles. “I want to master the languages ​​of these choreographers. And I want to speak each of them very well, without an accent.”
Polunin dances in the works of Pete and Maliphant. The flowing movements creeping along the ground became a challenge for the dancer. “It always seemed to me that there was a wall between me and modern dance. I didn't know how to overcome it. And for me all this is quite difficult, especially when I have to get down on the floor. But I watch how Natalya makes this choreography her own, and I understand that I can also do it in my own way.”
Doing it your own way is a new experience for Polunin. In recent interviews, he spoke with anger and resentment about being forced into ballet, and about the difficulty of leaving his native Ukraine at age 13 and adapting to a foreign culture without knowing a word of English. Now, after meeting Osipova, it is easier for him to deal with his past.
He speaks slowly and carefully, still with a slight Ukrainian accent: “At the Royal Ballet school I was looked after very well, as if it were a family. The theater also gave me everything I could. But I felt unhappy and didn't know how to express it. At home, if you are angry, you can fight with someone. But no one fought at school - they would have simply been kicked out for that. I felt lost in the theater, I wanted to try something else - like being in a musical or a film - but I was afraid of ruining it. I lived in London, which became my home, but I still did not have citizen status. If the director got mad at me and kicked me out, where would I go? I think when I left the theater, I wanted to go through the things that were most terrible for me - so that I would no longer be afraid of them.”

Now that Polunin spends so much time with Osipova, he is also close to the Royal Ballet. “I think and talk about ballet more than ever. I changed". And although he wants to stay true to the classics, his main goal is to participate in a variety of projects. The “Take Me to Church” video, created with director David LaChapelle, has reached nearly 15 million views on YouTube. The dancer says that he would like to interest a young audience that does not have special interests. “I would like to participate in more projects that connect representatives of cinema, music and fashion. It fascinates me."

Osipova listens carefully. “Sergei’s ideas are wonderful. I think it’s very important that they come to life.” She herself is happy to remain a prima ballerina of the Royal Ballet, because she believes that the repertoire of this theater is an ideal combination of classics and new works. “Now that I’m a mature dancer, I want to seriously concentrate on some classical ballets - like Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty.” However, she believes that the ideal frame has yet to be found for her talent. “I think there is a choreographer who can help show me the best I can do. You just need to find him."

Balancing their personal and professional ambitions is not easy: it will be a delicate balance. However, the cheerful nonchalance with which the dancers giggle and the absolute seriousness with which they listen to each other shows how close they are. Osipova smiles tenderly when she remembers their first performance together: she was waiting to go on stage - the moment when Albert would knock on Giselle’s door. “For me this is a very emotional moment, very poetic and symbolic. I felt like I had been waiting for this knock all my life.”

As a child, they once tried to deceive me, take away a coin,and suggested, making a wish, to throw her down the stairs.

Since then I've been tossing coins my whole life.One day I, for example,wished to become the best dancer in the world.

About how his career began, about romanticism and endurance, the Bolshoi and Mikhailovsky theaters, the Ratman Theater and much more - in an exclusive interview recorded in the USA.

Natalya Osipova is the most unpredictable, most unusual ballerina of our time.

The ballet “Lost Illusions,” staged by choreographer Alexei Ratmansky to specially commissioned music by Leonid Desyatnikov, has been anticipated for a long time and with great trepidation. Desyatnikov’s reputation, like Ratmansky’s, is the most obvious: if not them, then who? Therefore, pre-premiere art preparation began long ago. Moreover, throughout the last season both the composer and the choreographer were consistent newsmakers. And not always of their own free will.

After graduating from the Moscow Choreographic School, she joined the Bolshoi Theater corps de ballet, but already in the first season she danced eight solo roles.

All of Moscow started talking about Osipova’s brilliant jumps and flights. Kitri, Giselle, Sylphide, Medora - the main roles followed one after another.

Her name became known to the ballet world in 2007, during the triumphant tour of the Bolshoi Theater in London. After Don Quixote, ballet critic Clive Barnes called her “a rare and wonderful talent,” and The Guardian newspaper advised ballet lovers to see Osipova at any cost: “Beg for tickets, steal, take away with a fight!”

New York, Paris, Milan, Berlin; American Ballet Theatre, Grand Opera, La Scala, Bavarian State Opera Ballet - in just a few years Osipova conquered all the ballet capitals of the world and performed with all the best ballet companies.

Her prizes and awards became a natural continuation of a dizzying career. Leonid Massine Prize, Golden Mask Jury Prize, Benois de la Dance Prize, Grand Prix of the International Ballet Prize Dance Open... Last fall, the whole world started talking about the ballerina again.

Osipova leaves the Bolshoi and on December 1, 2011 becomes a prima ballerina of the Mikhailovsky Theater.

I found Natasha in New York in the midst of rehearsals for “The Firebird” by I. Stravinsky. The world premiere of the ballet will take place at the end of March in California.

And before that, Natalya Osipova will perform for the first time in Chicago as part of the American Ballet Theater troupe. On March 24 she dances Giselle.

- Do you like to dance this part?
- This is one of my favorite games, if not the most favorite. Each of the great ballerinas of the past - Ulanova, Bessmertnova, Fracci, you can’t list them all - had her own Giselle.

“Giselle” is not a ballet in which you can amaze the audience with its technical techniques. I perceive it as a dramatic performance. The main thing in it is to be sincere, to find your Giselle, to imagine yourself in this image.

- Do you think you have found this image or are you still searching?
- Live and learn. I will always continue to search for my Giselle. I just found the thread for this image. I have my own idea of ​​what kind of Giselle she is. How well I reveal this image is not for me to judge. But in every performance I strive to discover something new.

When you just started rehearsing Giselle, people in the ballet world said: “This role is not for Osipova.” Have you heard such talk about yourself?
- Of course, I heard. Apart from my first role - Kitri in Don Quixote - each subsequent role (La Sylphide, Gamzatti, Aurora) caused bewilderment among those around me.

“How will she dance this performance when it’s not her thing at all?!” It was absolutely the same with Giselle. Nobody believed in me, and I myself, I can honestly say, approached this role with caution. Alexey gave it to me

I understand that my image probably lacks romance. That's why I pay more attention to realism.

I want viewers to see a story with real emotions and experiences, and not just a beautiful fairy tale.

- How do you like working with the American Ballet Theater troupe?
- I have been working with her for four years. At first, of course, it was difficult. ABT was the first foreign company I performed with. But then I got used to it, settled in.

I love dancing at ABT, I adore this company. Our legendary teacher Irina Aleksandrovna Kolpakova works here. I prepared all my American games with her. I have wonderful partners here!

After performing at the Bolshoi Theater, your partner David Hallberg became especially popular among Russian-speaking ballet lovers.
- David was my partner in the debut performance at ABT. It was just “Giselle”. The performance was wonderful, the impressions of it will remain with me for the rest of my life.

David is a wonderful person and a wonderful partner. I am very glad that I met him in my life and we danced more than one performance with him. We dance with him in Chicago.

It’s great that we’ll see you with him! Natasha, is it true that we should say thank you to Nina Ananiashvili for inviting ABT head Kevin McKenzie to take you to the theater?
- I know that this was Nina’s idea, for which I am incredibly grateful to her. She talked to Kevin about my coming to the theater.

“Natalya Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev are leaving the Bolshoi for the Mikhailovsky Theater.” “The star couple Osipova-Vasiliev are leaving the Bolshoi Theater.” “Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev have outgrown the Bolshoi.”

These and other headlines have recently filled the news feeds of newspapers and magazines. The news from Moscow surprised the entire ballet world. Leading soloists, premieres on the Moscow stage, the pride of the Bolshoi - and suddenly leaving the theater.

Of course, in a conversation with Natalya Osipova, I could not ignore the main ballet news of recent times.

At the Bolshoi Theater everything became very predictable. I understood that I had already danced everything interesting and the repertoire would not increase...

We love Big very much. I can’t say anything negative about the theater or its partners. We just wanted to change something in life. I don't want to stop. I want to move forward and develop!

- Were you persuaded to stay?
- Everyone was not very pleased that we did this, and it was very difficult for us ourselves...

Of course, they were offended at us. We understand this. But on the other hand, we did not want to offend anyone with this decision. The troupe at the Bolshoi Theater is wonderful, but, unfortunately, our paths diverge.

Are you leaving forever or do you not rule out the possibility of returning to the theater as a guest prima ballerina?
- The Bolshoi Theater is our home. We grew up there, achieved recognition, our teachers work there.

I worked with my teacher Marina Viktorovna Kondratieva for seven years, and having recently arrived in Moscow, I continued to rehearse with her.

She will remain my main teacher for the rest of my life. We would not like to break off relations with the Bolshoi Theater. Of course, I would like to appear in the theater as guest artists.

- You have worked at the Bolshoi Theater since 2004. What have these seven years been like for you?
- Very bright! Every year was busy, there was a lot of work, and I did quite a lot. I reached a certain stage, became a ballerina, danced almost the entire classical repertoire, modern ballets, toured a lot...

And now the period has come when, with the accumulated experience, I will improve further... Time will tell whether this is the right decision. I don't regret it at all yet.

Your departure from the Bolshoi Theater coincided with the opening of the historical stage after reconstruction. It is an accident?
- Certainly. At first we wanted to leave at the beginning of the year, but it didn’t work out. We had to leave at a time when the schedule for the next season was being drawn up.

In all European and American theaters this is done at the beginning of the season. If we had left in the winter, we would not have been able to build the next season the way we wanted. It just so happened.

- Why did you move from the Bolshoi Theater to the Mikhailovsky Theater?
- We really didn’t want to leave Russia. Vladimir Abramovich Kekhman ( General Director of the Mikhailovsky Theater. – Approx. author.) has long since approached me with an offer to join him in the theater.

At first we somehow didn’t take it seriously, but this season, when we decided to leave the Bolshoi, we started thinking about it. The St. Petersburg Mikhailovsky Theater is a progressive theater.

A wonderful choreographer, Nacho Duato, works there; there are performances that we are interested in dancing, for example, the ballet “Laurencia,” which is performed only at the Mikhailovsky Theater, plus the rest of the classical repertoire.

- How were you greeted at the theater?
- They created excellent conditions for us. Performances with our participation are staged at a time convenient for us, depending on our schedule. They promised that they would stage plays for us.

The troupe at Mikhailovsky is wonderful, and the theater is wonderful: cute, cozy, homely. We just wanted intimacy after the Bolshoi Theater and the huge number of people.

- It’s very nice that you joined the Mikhailovsky Theater troupe. He has always been in the shadow of the Mariinsky Theater...
- These are different theaters. Mikhailovsky was always full of life, there were innovators, new and interesting ballets were born. Now the theater has very good prospects, and it is becoming interesting to the general public.

But you can’t escape competition in the ballet world! How did ballerinas Ekaterina Borchenko, Oksana Shestakova, and other Mikhailovsky prima dancers greet you? They danced the main roles, and then you come, and all the best is already yours, and they fade into the shadows...
- I didn’t notice this. On the contrary, we were being introduced to a new performance, and everyone sincerely tried to help us.

We are absolutely not stellar people. We don't have such habits. In addition, we dance one or two performances a month. I don't think we take much away from others.

We are all quite different. I have my own performances, they have theirs. That's why we don't take anything from anyone. We came with respect for the troupe.

- Have you moved to St. Petersburg?
- No, my house and my parents remained in Moscow. We don’t have our own housing in St. Petersburg. We come there while we dance.

We also spend time in America. Unfortunately, I now understand that we will practically not be in Moscow this year. Four to five days a year, no more.

Do you feel the difference in the training of ballet dancers - graduates of the Vaganova and Moscow Choreographic Schools?
- We all represent one Russian ballet school, but we are different, just as Moscow and St. Petersburg are different. I have already danced so much in different troupes both in America and in Europe that I have absorbed a little from everyone.

I have a flexible nature, I adapt to any choreography. ( Laughs.) We are all different, but in general I think the Russian school is the best.

From the age of five, Natasha Osipova was engaged in artistic gymnastics. I came to ballet by chance, after a back injury. The coaches advised the parents to try ballet.

Natasha, if it weren’t for the injury, would you have continued doing gymnastics or were you still thinking about ballet?
- As a child, I didn’t have any thoughts about ballet, so I probably don’t rule out that if everything had worked out well for me, I would have continued to do gymnastics. My transition to ballet was truly an accident.

And if you were now told to rewind the “film of life” fifteen years ago, would you take the ballet path again?
- Yes, of course, and I would study even more persistently. On the one hand, it is difficult and difficult, on the other hand, it is very interesting. This is the meaning of life. Without ballet you can neither live nor breathe.

Already at the age of ten it is nice to realize that you have a profession, and at eighteen you are a ready-made professional and know what you are working for.

At the age of forty we finish our career, and we have half our life left to realize ourselves in something else.

- You still have everything ahead of you in ballet, so it’s too early to think about the second half of your life.
- Yes, I didn’t even work half of my term. ( Laughs.)

- Natasha, in 2007 in London you woke up famous. What is this test of glory?
- I don't know yet. You can’t even imagine what a colossal amount of work was done before I went on stage in London.

I was very young, and Alexei Ratmansky believed in me and let me dance Kitri in Don Quixote. I worked day and night preparing this performance.

I was so tired that I didn’t care anymore on stage. It was very difficult to withstand such tension, but in the end I received incredible pleasure from the performance.

There was a wonderful press, and now I remember it like a fairy tale. On the other hand, it seems to me that at that moment I deserved it.

- Did you think, starting at the Bolshoi Theater with the corps de ballet, that you would immediately take on the main roles?
- From the first month at the Bolshoi Theater they started giving me variations, and in the corps de ballet I danced practically nothing. She immediately began dancing the leading parts.

- They write about you that you are physically very resilient. How do you withstand such stress?
- Sports training from childhood plus my “physics”. I was born this way. Strong by nature. Strong.

- But at the same time, no one canceled the machine and you continue to rehearse like everyone else?
- Always different. It depends on what performances and what schedule. Sometimes we don’t do the whole class. But we rehearse every day.

- The most banal question - favorite ballet role?
- They are all favorites, but at different times I like different parts more. Today – Juliet in Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet. I don’t prepare for any game with such trepidation now. For me, Prokofiev’s music is space.

- This game is very romantic...
- Juliet is a very strong heroine. I can’t say that it is lyrical, it is rather lyrical-dramatic. She is real. She is a person.

- Do you have an idol in ballet?
- There are a lot of them, but I will name one - Rudolf Nureyev.

- Are there any parts that you haven’t danced yet, but that you dream about?
- I dream about many games. I always dream of dancing everything! In the near future I would like to dance Manon.

Soon I will dance Tatiana in the ballet “Eugene Onegin”. This year I will still have to dance “Swan Lake”, which I refused for so long.

Why? This is the pinnacle that no ballerina can do without! Not dancing “Swan...” is the same as a musician never performing Bach and Mozart.
- It's hard to say why. I didn’t feel, didn’t understand this part, didn’t believe in myself, didn’t know what I wanted to say in this ballet.

Everyone is used to seeing swans beautiful and tall. I am different. Not tall, I don’t have stunningly beautiful lines.

“Physics” alone won’t take you there. Therefore, we need to tell the audience something incredibly interesting in this performance. Just a year ago I thought that I would never dance “Swan...” in my life! There wasn't even a desire.

But now I’m starting to understand what I would like. I think I should try it. If it’s not mine and I can’t do it, I’ll understand myself and won’t do it again. But you should definitely try it!

Please tell us about your work with Alexei Ratmansky. What sets him apart from many other contemporary choreographers?
- In my opinion, he is either one of the best or the best choreographer of modern ballet. He is an incredibly musical person, which is very important in ballet.

He stages ballets in almost any genre, works with any form and any content. He has his own language and his own handwriting. It's universal.

Ratmansky's choreography and his style cannot be confused with any other. He incredibly attracts artists when he shows, explains...

Every meeting with him is an interesting labyrinth with an unknown ending. I danced in many of his performances, and they are all different.

“Flames of Paris”, avant-garde “Game of Cards”, “Russian Seasons”, “Middle Duet” - it is impossible to imagine that all these ballets were staged by one person! It is very diverse.

Your debut in Chicago is ahead. You don’t know the Chicago ballet crowd yet, but you are already familiar with the New York ballet crowd quite well. Is it different from the Russian one?
- Every audience in every country is very different from each other. But in America it's always nice to dance. The audience is lively, receptive, reacts very warmly to everything and does not skimp on applause. People empathize and are not shy about expressing their emotions.

- Where is it more difficult to dance: on tour or at home?
- It’s always more difficult to dance at home.

- What about the expression “houses and walls help”?
- They seem to help, but they also require a lot.

Questions asked by Sergey Elkin (Chicago)

Natalya Osipova - this name says a lot to ballet lovers. Some compare her to the Great Maya. This is very flattering for the dancer, but she rejects such compliments, believing that she still has a lot of work to do.

Ballerina standards

Her parameters are considered very suitable for ballet: height 167 cm, weight 46 kg. Natalya Osipova is very proportionate, and thanks to her natural abilities and, of course, talent, she received a lot of magnificent roles.

First steps

Natalya Petrovna Osipova was born on May 18, 1986 in Moscow. The parents took the five-year-old girl to gymnastics classes. But two years later she was injured. I had to leave gymnastics. The coaches gave recommendations to dejected parents: send their child to a ballet school. For ten years, Natasha Osipova mastered the technique and became imbued with the Russian approach to ballet parts at the choreography academy. Since that time, Natalya Osipova has not separated ballet from her life. Her debut took place in the Bolshoi Theater troupe in early autumn 2004. Four years later she was already dancing solo parts.

On the stage of the Bolshoi Theater

Balletomanes in Moscow immediately drew attention to the young dancer. She had amazing jumping-flights, virtuosic technique and lyrical performance. In her first season, Natasha Osipova received solo roles: Nancy in La Sylphide, a Spanish doll in The Nutcracker, and a Spanish bride in Swan Lake. She danced the entire classical repertoire at the Bolshoi.

Kitri's spectacular flight across half the stage, performed by Natalya Osipova, is vividly captured in the photograph. As the ballerina herself says, she was immediately carried onto the stage when she heard Minkus’ music. The fiery image of the bright Kitri will forever remain in the memory of many. Therefore, it is not surprising that in the new season of 2008, Natalya Osipova becomes the leading soloist of the Bolshoi. The ballerina learned all her parts under the guidance of the exceptional teacher M. V. Kondratieva. They created the images of Sylphide, Giselle, Medora, Swanilda, Nikiya, Esmeralda. Continuing to increase her skills, the dancer gradually deepened her images. They became more insightful. Natalya Osipova especially loved Giselle. The ballerina said in one of her interviews that this is her favorite role, which reveals not just a fairy tale, but a sad story about the fragility of love. It is natural that N. Osipova already became a prima ballerina in May 2010.

Foreign voyages

In 2007, the Bolshoi Theater toured London's Covent Garden. The British public and critics reacted kindly to the aspiring dancer. She received the National British Award from the critics' community as the best ballerina of "classical ballet". In 2009, Nina Ananiashvili recommended her to the American Ballet Theater of New York.

In "La Sylphide" and "Giselle" she soared above the stage because she always tried to achieve a level of performance that no one else performs at. In 2010, she was again invited to America, where she performed the roles of Kitri, Juliet, and Aurora. She was accompanied there by simply crazy success, but in 2011 Natalya Osipova chose the Mikhailovsky Theater in St. Petersburg.

On the banks of the Neva

Behind this is the desire to expand the repertoire. Will the choreographer be able to diversify the life of the artist and her constant partner Ivan Vasiliev? In any case, the Bolshoi is not canceling any plans related to these actors. The Mikhailovsky Theater did not give the actors any new dance experience, although the ballerina danced the most difficult part of Odette-Odile.

Immediately after her debut, the ballerina flew to America, where she had about 20 performances in 1.5 months: “Firebird”, “La Bayadère”, “Bright Stream”, “Romeo and Juliet”. There she is listed as a “guest star”.

In London

Already in 2012, Natalya Osipova accepted an offer from the London Royal Ballet. Since 2013, she has been assigned to permanent work in the troupe with an indefinite contract. In London she likes the discipline, the repertoire, the long schedule of preparing performances, when everything can be done to the smallest detail. She really appreciates the attention from the staff. Before the performance, the doctor always comes in several times and asks how you are feeling. Make-up artists will apply makeup, support staff will bring costumes and help you get dressed. This is not the case in Russia.

A little about personal

Natalya Osipova, whose personal life is always under close attention of the press, never ceases to amaze with her statements. She can say that she cannot imagine herself being lonely in old age. She needs a large circle of children and grandchildren. At the same time, she can say that her love lasts for two days, no more. Her affair with her partner Ivan Vasiliev was discussed for a long time. But he suddenly and quickly married ballerina Maria Vinogradova.

Sergei Polunin is now her permanent partner and companion. They do not hide their relationship and have officially confirmed that they are having an affair. Polunin declares that he only wants to dance, looking into his partner’s eyes, with Natasha. They also have joint work plans.

Creative activity in modern ballet

The play “A Streetcar Named Desire” with Osipova and the notorious Polunin is staged by famous choreographers. N. Osipova said that she wants to try herself in modern ballet while she is young. This was also facilitated by a dislocated hip, which does not yet allow me to dance classically.

In the meantime, the play Qutb has already been staged. From Arabic it is translated as “axis” or “rod”. The three dancers intertwine their bodies without a hint of eroticism, because the creation of the world is shown.

We hope that N. Osipova will return to classical ballet, for which she was created, and will delight her fans with both familiar, beloved images and new ones, revealing all facets of her unique talent.

Natalya Osipova is one of the five best ballerinas in the world who managed to conquer the famous European stages. The girl’s career developed rapidly; at the age of 24, Natasha was already a prima dancer at the Bolshoi Theater. Recently, the ballerina has been working in Europe and America, but in 2017 she decided to work in her homeland, and not just anywhere, but in provincial Perm. Her role called her there.

Childhood and youth

Natasha was born into a Muscovite family in 1986. When the girl was 5 years old, her parents took her to gymnastics, but her relationship with this area did not work out. A severe back injury put an end to his sports biography. The coaches advised me to try my hand at dancing, so Natasha ended up in ballet.

Osipova has the Moscow Academy of Choreography behind her. From the walls of the educational institution, the girl went straight to the troupe of the legendary Bolshoi Theater, where she first appeared on stage in the fall of 2004.

Ballet

The capital's public fell in love with the young ballerina. Ballet connoisseurs never ceased to admire the brilliant jumps and flights, the lyricism of the image and the perfect technique of performance. In the very first season, Natasha began to be trusted with solo parts. The actress lasted seven years at the Bolshoi.

In 2007, Natalya Osipova, as part of a grand tour, performed for the first time on the stage of the famous London Covent Garden. The audience warmly welcomed the ballerina, who also received the British National Award in the category “classical ballet”. A year later, her native theater awarded the talented girl the title of leading dancer.

Natasha tried on the images of Kitri in the production of Don Quixote, Sylphide in the ballet of the same name, and Medora in The Corsair. The role of Giselle caused a storm of admiration. However, the brilliant performance is understandable, because this is Osipova’s favorite character of all that she had the chance to embody. The girl admitted to journalists that every time she went on stage, she tried to convey the emotions and experiences of a fairy tale.

In the spring of 2010, the ballerina reached the pinnacle of her career at the Bolshoi Theater, becoming its prima. At the same time, the dancer received offers from the leaders of foreign temples of Melpomene. The American Ballet Theater turned out to be particularly persistent; at the invitation, Natalia shone several times at the New York Metropolitan Opera, dancing in Giselle and La Sylphide.

In 2011, Russian ballet fans were surprised by the news that Osipova and her partner had left the Bolshoi. The star couple went to St. Petersburg, where Natalya was appointed prima singer of the Mikhailovsky Theater.

Later, the actress told the press that in Moscow she was “kept in the youth,” her repertoire froze in one place - the girl did not want to remain the eternal Kitri. And in the St. Petersburg theater the field for unlocking potential turned out to be wider. The dancer transformed into Odette in Swan Lake, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, and the princess in Sleeping Beauty.

Every year Osipova's star burned brighter. Soon the girl was invited to the London Royal Ballet (Coven Garden), and in 2012 she already performed at a grand concert in honor of the 60th anniversary of the reign. The invited soloist managed to dance three “Swan Lakes”, and Carlos Acosta became her working partner. In the future, the theater signed a permanent contract with the artist.

In a short time, Natalya managed to become a world celebrity, performing with the best troupes on the planet on the stages of Milan, Berlin, Paris, and New York. She became the prima of the American ballet theater. Plus, Natalya Osipova is the winner of numerous awards. Her collection includes the Golden Mask, the Leonid Massine Prize, the Benois de la dance prize, and the Grand Prix of the International Ballet Award “Dance Open”.

There was a time when Natalya betrayed classical ballet. The girl tried her hand at modern dance.

Personal life

Ballet fans admired the beautiful romance that flared up between Natalya Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev almost from the moment they graduated from the choreographic academy. Fans were convinced that the couple would definitely go down the aisle, but they were overtaken by disappointment. The Bolshoi Theater prima and Vasiliev broke up. The reason was the young man’s love for the dancer Maria Vinogradova, who later became his wife.

At the Italian La Scala theater, during a rehearsal for the production of Giselle, Natalya met an already famous ballet actor. Before this, the man managed to appear at social events with his colleague Yulia Stolyarchuk, but one day fans suddenly noticed a tattoo of the inscription “Natalia” on the dancer’s hand. The couple later admitted at a London press conference that they were in love.

The ballet stars first appeared on stage together in 2016, performing the roles of Blanche and Stanley in the play A Streetcar Named Desire. In May 2017, rumors spread that the ballet actors had broken up; allegedly Natalya preferred an unknown conductor to Sergei, although the couple still published joint photos on Instagram.

In every interview, journalists do not forget to take an interest in the actress’s personal life, but Osipova is not verbose on this matter. In one of her last conversations with representatives of the press, she noted:

“We communicate very well, we still have a good and even wonderful relationship.”

Natalya Osipova now

In 2017, the happy news appeared on the official website of the Perm Opera House that Natalya was becoming its prima. It was Osipova's decision. The girl told media representatives that one evening she thought that she had not danced “Romeo and Juliet” for a long time, a performance in which the actress brings great pleasure to work. Having looked through all the world's theaters, I did not find the production anywhere, only in the Russian provinces. A call from a ballerina of such magnitude surprised and incredibly pleased Alexei Miroshnichenko, director of the Perm Ballet.

Osipova’s first performance as a prima singer was the play “The Nutcracker,” or rather, its original version. In a non-trivial production, the authors tried to convey the depth and tragedy of the music. The work is also notable for the fact that, unlike the original, it has a happy ending. On February 1, 2018, the premiere of “The Nutcracker” took place at the Moscow State Kremlin Palace. Natalya dances in a play with actor Nikita Chetverikov.

In the spring, the ballet star performed at the Mariinsky Theater in the role of Queen Mekhmene Banu in the play “The Legend of Love.” Together with choreographer Vladimir Varnava, he is preparing “Cinderella” for the August premiere in America, after which the production will come to Russia.

On May 26, Channel One screened a documentary about Sergei Polunin, “Dancer.” Director Stephen Cantor presented a study of the dancer’s life, combining family chronicles, archival materials and interviews with friends and relatives. Natalya Osipova also took part in the creation of the film.

Parties

• Spanish Bride, Swan Lake
• Marie, "The Nutcracker"
• Queen Mekhmene Banu, “The Legend of Love”
• Anna Anderson, "Anastasia"
• Giselle, "Giselle"
• La Sylphide, "La Sylphide"
• Medora, "Corsair"
• Esmeralda, "Esmeralda"
• Princess Aurora, Sleeping Beauty
• Juliet, "Romeo and Juliet"
• Laurencia, "Laurencia"
• Kitri, Don Quixote
• Aegina, Spartak
• Firebird, "Firebird"
• Carmen, "Carmen Suite"