The most famous ballet dancers in the world. World famous ballet dancers from Russia. Vasiliev Vladimir Viktorovich

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

Anna Pavlova

Outstanding ballerina Anna Pavlova was born into a family far from art. The desire to dance appeared at the age of 8 after the girl saw the ballet performance "Sleeping Beauty". At the age of 10, Anna Pavlova was admitted to the Imperial Theater School, and after graduation - into the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater.

Curiously, the aspiring ballerina was not put in the corps de ballet, but immediately began to give her responsible roles in the productions. Anna Pavlova danced under the guidance of several choreographers, but the most successful and fruitful tandem, which had a fundamental influence on her style of performance, turned out to be with Mikhail Fokin.

Anna Pavlova supported the choreographer's bold ideas and readily agreed to experiments. The Dying Swan miniature, which later became the hallmark of Russian ballet, was almost impromptu. In this production, Fokine gave the ballerina more freedom, allowed her to independently feel the mood of The Swan and improvise. In one of the first reviews, the critic admired what he saw: "If it is possible for a ballerina on stage to imitate the movements of the noblest of birds, then this has been achieved:"

Galina Ulanova

The fate of Galina Ulanova was predetermined from the very beginning. The girl's mother worked as a ballet teacher, so Galina, even if she really wanted to, could not pass the ballet barre. Years of grueling training led to the fact that Galina Ulanova became the most titled artist of the Soviet Union.

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

Galina Ulanova reached. She was imitated, the teachers of the leading ballet schools in the world demanded that students do the pas "like Ulanova." The famous ballerina is the only one in the world to whom monuments were erected during her lifetime.

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

Olga Lepeshinskaya

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

Olga Lepeshinskaya easily coped with both the classics of ballet (Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty) and with modern productions (Red Poppy, The Flame of Paris.) During the Great Patriotic War, Lepeshinskaya fearlessly performed at the front, raising the battle the spirit of the soldiers.

Title = "(! LANG: Olga Lepeshinskaya -
a ballerina with a passionate temperament. | Photo: www.etoretro.ru." border="0" vspace="5">!}

Olga Lepeshinskaya -
a ballerina with a passionate temperament. | Photo: www.etoretro.ru.

Despite the fact that the ballerina was Stalin's favorite and had many awards, she was very demanding of herself. Already in old age, Olga Lepeshinskaya said that her choreography could not be called outstanding, but "natural technique and fiery temperament" made her inimitable.

Maya Plisetskaya

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

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

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

After the ballerina was fired from the Bolshoi Theater in 1990, she did not despair and continued to give solo performances. The overflowing energy allowed Plisetskaya to make her debut in the production of Ave Maya on the day of her 70th birthday.

Lyudmila Semenyaka

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

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

In the late 1990s, Lyudmila Semenyaka announced her retirement as a ballerina, but continued her activities as a teacher. Since 2002, Lyudmila Ivanovna has been a teacher-tutor at the Bolshoi Theater.

But he just mastered the skill of ballet in Russia, and most of his life he performed in the United States.

On March 17, the great Russian dancer Rudolf Nuriyev would have turned 78 years old. Ballet classic Roland Petit called Nureyev dangerous, the press a frantic Tatar, rock stars and royalty confessed his love to him.

VACLAV NIZHINSKY

Sarah Bernhardt considered Nijinsky the greatest actor in the world, the press - no less than the eighth wonder of the world. A native of Kiev, a dancer at the Mariinsky Theater, Nijinsky took place in Paris, where he impressed the audience and critics with his phenomenal technique, plasticity and taste. And the most striking thing is that his career as a dancer lasted only ten years. In 1917, he took the stage for the last time, and until his death in 1950, he struggled with schizophrenia, moving through psychiatric clinics. It is difficult to overestimate Nijinsky's influence on world ballet, and his diaries are still deciphered and interpreted by specialists in different ways.

RUDOLF NURIEV

One of the main stars of Russian ballet in the world, Nuriev was a real pop star, bright and scandalous. A heavy, quarrelsome character, arrogance, a stormy personal life and a tendency to outrageous did not overshadow the main thing - the incredible talent of Nureyev, who managed to combine ballet traditions and current, as they say now, trends. A native of Ufa, a long-awaited son who did not live up to the hopes of his military father, who contemptuously called Rudolph "ballerina", made his most famous leap not on stage, but in the control zone of the Paris airport. In 1961, the Soviet dancer Nuriev unexpectedly gave a fight with 30 francs in his pocket, asking for political asylum. This is how Nureyev's ascent to the world ballet Olympus began. Fame, money, luxury, parties at Studio 54, gold, brocade, rumors of romance with Freddie Mercury, Yves Saint Laurent, Elton John - and the best roles in the Royal Ballet in London, directorship of the ballet group of the Parisian Grand Opera. The completely ill Nuriev spent the last hundred days of his life in his beloved Paris. There he is buried.

MIKHAIL BARYSHNIKOV

Another famous representative of the ballet, who can be safely called a pop star, Mikhail Baryshnikov is in many ways similar to Nuriev: childhood in the Soviet province (if we count Riga as a province, it’s still not Moscow or Leningrad), complete misunderstanding on the part of his father and a real artistic takeoff outside the USSR. Remaining in the West in 1974, Baryshnikov quickly established himself at the top: first he headed the legendary New York City Ballet, then for nine years, from 1980 to 1989, he headed the equally famous American Ballet Theater. Also actively and quite successfully, albeit unevenly, he acted in films, became a socialite, met with Hollywood beauties - Jessica Lange and Liza Minnelli. And to the new public, far from ballet (and, by the way, from Joseph Brodsky, with whom Baryshnikov had a real friendship), this incredible man became known thanks to a small but noticeable role in the TV series "Sex and the City". Sarah Jessica Parker, his big fan. called Mikhail Baryshnikov tough boy - "tough guy". Who would argue.

VLADIMIR VASILIEV

Vladimir Vasiliev is a symbol of the Bolshoi Theater and the entire Russian ballet of the second half of the 20th century. Due to the fact that Vasiliev lived in the Soviet Union, his popularity in the West is much inferior to the glory of the same Baryshnikov, although art connoisseurs, of course, know and appreciate him. Vasiliev worked mainly in Europe, gradually changing his profession to a choreographer-director. Kazan and Paris, Rome and Perm, Vilnius and Rio - the geography of Vasiliev's creative movements asserts and confirms his cosmopolitanism.

ALEXANDER GODUNOV

The blonde giant, the star of the Bolshoi, Godunov in August 1979, while on tour in the States, decided not to return home. A terrible drama ensued, in which not only the artist himself and his wife, ballerina Lyudmila Vlasova were involved, but also Joseph Brodsky, the FBI, and even the leaders of the United States and the Soviet Union. Remaining in the States, Godunov became a member of the famous American Ballet Theater, which he eventually left after a quarrel with his best friend Mikhail Baryshnikov. Then there was work within the framework of his own project "Godunov and Friends", success, an affair with actress Jacqueline Bisset and a sharp retirement from the profession. Bisset persuaded Alexander to start a career in cinema, and he partly succeeded: "The Witness" with Harrison Ford and especially "Die Hard" made yesterday's ballet dancer five minutes less a Hollywood star. However, Godunov himself did not like to be on the sidelines, although those who were not even interested in ballet before learned about "this Russian".

If there is an art capable of conquering everyone's heart without exception, penetrating the soul, filling it with joy, empathy, making it rejoice or cry, while capturing the entire auditorium, then this is the art of ballet.
Classical Russian ballet is not only famous ballerinas and dancers, but also composers who wrote specifically for Russian ballet. To this day, all over the world, Russian ballerinas are considered the best, most slender, hardy, efficient.

Ulyana Lopatkina is a famous prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater. Inspired by the work of G. Ulanova and M. Plisetskaya, she forever linked her life with ballet and entered the choreographic school. However, upon admission she was given a very modest grade. She fully revealed herself in the pre-release class. Everyone saw in her dance not only impeccable technical mastery of the dance, but also character, grace, zest. Talent or the fruits of great work? Later, in one of her interviews, she admits: "Stars are not born!", Which means that, after all, hard work and will determine success. It really is. Ulyana Lopatkina is a very hardworking student, only this ability allowed her to become a real virtuoso in ballet.

Ulyana Lopatkina is a stately ballerina with an individual style of performance and a certain attitude towards the hero, the audience, and herself. Perhaps that is why she now has a medallion of Maria Taglioni, which was kept by the great Galina Ulanova and given to Ulyana Lopatkina, according to her will.

Much has been said and written about the beauty and grace of Maya Plisetskaya.

Maya Plisetskaya is admired by the whole world. Often the movements of her flexible arms and body are compared to the flutter of the wings of a swimming swan, the transformation of a girl into a bird. Odette performed by Maya Plisetskaya eventually became a world legend. A critic of the Parisian newspaper Le Figaro insisted that her hands in Swan Lake were moving “unhumanly” and that “when Plisetskaya begins to wave-like movements of her hands, you no longer know whether these are hands or wings, or her hands pass into the movement of the waves along which the swan swims away. "

Vladimir Vasiliev can rightfully be considered a legend of the Russian Ballet. The only ballet dancer who was awarded the title of "Best dancer in the world" by the Paris Academy of Dance and who was declared by critics "god of dance", "miracle of art", "perfection". He once introduced a new technique, which, in combination with his characteristic deep artistry of its performance, is still considered the standard of male dance.

Ekaterina Maksimova is a renowned Soviet ballerina, whose work has taken its rightful place among the masterpieces of this art. Her images had an amazing quality: they combined a child's inspiration, purity and the actions of an adult. This feature was achieved by the extraordinary lightness and grace of Maksimova's choreography, whose drawing was inherent in tones of light and joy. Each appearance of the dancer on the stage was an ode to lyrics and youth. Thanks to the teacher of the choreographic school, E.P. Gerdt, Ekaterina Maksimova focused not only on the impeccable performance of the dance, but also on the transmission of the entire gamut of feelings that excite her heroine. The inner world of the created images was conveyed by a special facial expression, a special acting talent.

Natalia Bessmertnova is the most romantic ballerina of the 20th century.
Master of lyricism, captivated not by the technical "collapse" of thirty-two fouettés, but by the atmosphere (now they will say - the aura) of the dance. Her art is the strongest impression for a lifetime. The ability to take the viewer into a world where there is nothing perishable for several hours, it was for this that her fans and admirers adored her.

The dancing abilities and artistry of Lyudmila Semenyaka first appeared in the choreographic circle of the Zhdanov Palace of Pioneers.

At the age of 10 she entered the Leningrad Academic Choreographic School. Vaganova, at 12 - made her debut at the Kirov Theater of Opera and Ballet in the solo role of little Marie in the ballet The Nutcracker.
In 1969, at the First International Ballet Competition in Moscow, she was awarded the 3rd prize.
From 1970 to 1972 she worked at the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theater. She continued to study under the guidance of Irina Kolpakova.
In 1972, Yuri Grigorovich invited her to the Bolshoi Theater. In the same year, the artist made her successful debut in the Bolshoi Theater production "Swan Lake".
In 1976 she won the 1st prize and the gold medal at the 1st International Ballet Competition in Tokyo, and in Paris Serge Lifar presents her with the Anna Pavlova Prize of the Paris Academy of Dance.

Svetlana Zakharova was born in Lutsk on June 10, 1979. In 1989 she entered the Kiev Choreographic School. After studying there for six years, she took part in the Vaganova-Prix competition for young dancers in St. Petersburg. She received the second prize and an offer to go to the graduation course at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. In 1996, Zakharova graduated from the Academy, being among the first graduates of Elena Evteeva, a former famous ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater. In the same year she was admitted to the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater and the following season took the position of a soloist.

In April 2008, Svetlana Zakharova was recognized as the star of the famous Milanese Teatro alla Scala.
Has performed in Moscow, St. Petersburg, London, Berlin, Paris, Vienna, Milan, Madrid, Tokyo, Baku, New York, Amsterdam, etc.

About M. V. Kondratyeva

“If Terpsichore existed in reality, Marina Kondratyeva would be its embodiment. You do not know and you cannot catch when it sinks to the ground. You see only one of her eyes, then light graceful legs, then only one expressive hands. Together, they tell wonderful stories in convincing language. But here is a barely noticeable turn of the shoulder - and she is not ... and it seems that she did not exist at all. She, like an early pink cloud, appears, then melts before our eyes.

Kasyan Goleizovsky, ballet dancer, outstanding Russian choreographer

"Her dance evoked in me associations with Japanese painting, the subtlest and such expressive strokes, with transparent strokes of watercolor paints."

Lyudmila Semenyaka, People's Artist of the USSR

“The highest professionalism of Kondratyeva delights not only in her solo performances, but also in duets and in ensembles with other soloists. Being a reliable partner is also an art. And how to achieve it remains a secret for many. "

Maris Liepa, People's Artist of the USSR

“Purity and lightness were inherent not only in her dance, but also in her soul. Of course, this was a real Muse.

Yaroslav Sekh, dancer of the Bolshoi Theater

There are special, "star" people in art, endowed, in addition to talent, diligence, charm and creative power, with some kind of light, flightiness. About Marisa Liepa: he is in flight, in jumps, long, as if protracted, across the entire space of the stage. Like a straightened spring. On the day of the performance, in the morning, it was compressed like a spring, and it was important not to lose this state, the spring worked when the curtain rose.

Thirteen-year-old serious Riga boy: first participation in a competition in Moscow. The first pas de deux from The Nutcracker. First success. Only from that moment did he decide that ballet was his destiny.
He was passionate, passionate in any form. ... Liepa skips to class to the students, light, indistinguishable from them, young, in the crowd. And he also teaches lightly and passionately, falling to his knees, igniting himself and praising, praising unrestrainedly, because he knows: ballet is a gigantic work.
He lived his life like a torch or a star - flared up and went out. He would probably not have been able to live out, fade away. He knew how and only wanted to - to live. "I feel like a race car driver, I keep flying and flying and I can't stop." "When I leave the Bolshoi, I will die." The Bolshoi was his only theater. He was a maximalist, a romantic. And ballet was his only destiny.

Of course, these are far from all the stars of Russian ballet who have shone and are shining now on many stages of the world. But it is not possible to tell about all at once in one message. Thank you for attention.

The word "ballet" sounds magical. Closing your eyes, you immediately imagine burning lights, sounding music, the rustle of packs and a light tap of pointe shoes on the parquet. This spectacle is inimitably beautiful, it can be safely called a great human achievement in striving for beauty.

The audience freezes, staring at the stage. Ballet divas amaze with their lightness and plasticity, apparently performing complex "pas" with ease.

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

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

Anna Pavlova (1881-1931). Anna was born in St. Petersburg, her father was a railway contractor, and her mother worked as a simple laundress. However, the girl was able to enter the theater school. After graduating from it, she entered the Mariinsky Theater in 1899. There she received roles in classical productions - La Bayadere, Giselle, The Nutcracker. Pavlova had excellent natural abilities, and she was constantly honing her skills. In 1906 she was already the leading ballerina of the theater, but real fame came to Anna in 1907, when she shone in the miniature "The Dying Swan". Pavlova was supposed to perform at a charity concert, but her partner fell ill. Literally overnight, choreographer Mikhail Fokin staged a new miniature to the music of San Saens for the ballerina. Since 1910, Pavlova began touring. The ballerina gains worldwide fame after participating in the Russian Seasons in Paris. In 1913 she performed for the last time at the Mariinsky Theater. Pavlova gathers her own troupe and moves to London. Together with her wards, Anna toured the world with the classical ballets of Glazunov and Tchaikovsky. The dancer became a legend during her lifetime, dying on tour in The Hague.

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

Agrippina Vaganova (1879-1951). Agrippina's father was a theater conductor at the Mariinsky. However, in a ballet school, he was able to identify only the youngest of his three daughters. Soon, Yakov Vaganov died, the family had only hope for the future dancer. At school, Agrippina proved to be a mischievous person, constantly receiving poor marks for behavior. After graduating from Vaganova's training, she began her career as a ballerina. She was given a lot of third-rate roles in the theater, but they did not satisfy her. Solo parties bypassed the ballerina, and her appearance was not particularly attractive. Critics wrote that they simply do not see her in the roles of fragile beauties. Make-up didn't help either. The ballerina herself suffered greatly about this. But with hard work Vaganova achieved supporting roles, they began to write about her in newspapers from time to time. Then Agrippina turned her fate abruptly. She got married, gave birth. Returning to the ballet, she seemed to rise in the eyes of her superiors. Although Vaganova continued to perform the second parts, she achieved mastery in these variations. The ballerina was able to re-discover the images that seemed to have been worn out by generations of previous dancers. Only in 1911 did Vaganova receive her first solo role. At 36, the ballerina was retired. She never became famous, but she achieved a lot with her data. In 1921, a choreography school was opened in Leningrad, where she was invited as one of Vaganov's teachers. The profession of a choreographer became her main profession until the end of her life. In 1934, Vaganova published the book "Fundamentals of Classical Dance". The ballerina devoted the second half of her life to the choreographic school. Nowadays it is the Academy of Dance, named after her. Agrippina Vaganova did not become a great ballerina, but her name will forever go down in the history of this art.

Ivet Shovire (born 1917). This ballerina is the most refined Parisian. From the age of 10, she began to seriously study dancing at the Grand Opera. Ivet's talent and efficiency were noted by the directors. In 1941, she already became the prima ballerina of the Opéra Garnier. Debut performances brought her truly worldwide fame. After that, Shovire began to receive invitations to perform in various theaters, including the Italian La Scala. The ballerina was glorified by her role of the Shadow in the allegory of Henri Sauguet, she performed many parts staged by Serge Lifar. Of the classical performances, the role in "Giselle" stands out, which is considered the main one for Chauvira. Yvette on stage showed true drama, without losing all the girlish tenderness. The ballerina literally lived the life of each of her heroines, expressing all the emotions on stage. At the same time, Shovira was very attentive to every little thing, rehearsing and rehearsing again. In the 1960s, the ballerina headed the school, in which she herself once studied. And the last appearance on the stage of Yvette took place in 1972. At the same time, an award was established in her name. The ballerina has repeatedly been on tour in the USSR, where she fell in love with the audience. Rudolf Nureyev himself has repeatedly been her partner after his flight from our country. The ballerina's services to the country were rewarded with the Order of the Legion of Honor.

Galina Ulanova (1910-1998). This ballerina was also born in St. Petersburg. At the age of 9, she became a student of the choreographic school, which she graduated in 1928. Immediately after the graduation performance, Ulanova joined the troupe of the Opera and Ballet Theater in Leningrad. The very first performances of the young ballerina attracted the attention of connoisseurs of this art to her. Already at the age of 19, Ulanova is dancing the leading role in Swan Lake. Until 1944, the ballerina dances at the Kirov Theater. Here she was glorified by her roles in "Giselle", "The Nutcracker", "Bakhchisarai Fountain". But the most famous was her part in "Romeo and Juliet". From 1944 to 1960, Ulanova was the leading ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater. It is believed that the pinnacle of her work was the scene of madness in Giselle. Ulanova visited the Bolshoi in 1956 in London. They said that there had not been such success since the time of Anna Pavlova. Ulanova's stage activity officially ended in 1962. But for the rest of her life, Galina worked as a choreographer at the Bolshoi Theater. For her work, she received many awards - she became the People's Artist of the USSR, received the Lenin and Stalin Prizes, became twice a Hero of Socialist Labor and a laureate of numerous prizes. The great ballerina died in Moscow, she was buried at the Novodevichy cemetery. her apartment became a museum, and a monument was erected in her native St. Petersburg Ulanova.

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

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

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

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

The art of dance is a unique form of expression that uses a universal body language that everyone can understand. From ballet to modern dance, from hip hop to salsa and from oriental dance to flamenco, dance has recently become a delight that is a kind of renaissance.

But if we talk about individual dancers, which of them has the best movements? The best posture, strength and refinement? Below are ten of the greatest dancers of the twentieth century - selected for their fame, popularity and influence on the world's dance art.

10. Vaclav Nijinsky

Vaclav Nijinsky was one of the most talented ballet dancers in history, maybe even the greatest. Unfortunately, there is no clear-cut footage of his incredible talent for movement, which is the main reason he is only ranked tenth on this list.

Nijinsky was well known for his amazing ability to defy gravity with his magnificent leaps, as well as his ability to fully fit into the role he played. He is also known for dancing in pointe shoes, a skill not often found in dancers. Nijinsky danced in the lead roles with the legendary ballerina Anna Pavlova. Then his partner was Tamara Karsavina, the founder of the London's Royal Academy of Dancing. They and Karsavina were described as "the most exemplary artists of the time."

Nijinsky left the stage in 1919, at the relatively young age of twenty-nine. His retirement is believed to have been due to a nervous breakdown and was also diagnosed with schizophrenia. Nijinsky spent the last years of his life in psychiatric hospitals and orphanages. The last time he danced in public was in the final days of World War II, impressing a group of Russian soldiers with his intricate dance moves. Nijinsky died in London on April 8, 1950.

9. Martha Graham


Martha Graham is considered the mother of modern dance. She created the only fully codified technique of contemporary dance, during her life as a choreographer she has staged more than one hundred and fifty works, and has had a tremendous influence on all areas of modern dance.

The deviation of her technique from classical ballet, and the use of certain body movements such as squeeze, release and spirals, have had a profound impact on the world of dance. Graham even went so far as to create a "language" of movement based on the expressive capabilities of the human body.

She has danced and choreographed for over seventy years. During this time, she became the first dancer to perform at the White House; the first dancer to travel overseas as a cultural ambassador and the first dancer to receive the highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. As the mother of modern dance, she will be immortalized in the memory of people for her incredibly emotional performances, her unique choreography, and especially for her home-grown dance technique.

8. Josephine Baker


Although the name of Josephine Baker is associated primarily with the age of jazz, her fiery dances still have an impact on the dance world, almost one hundred and ten years after her birth, as it was before.

Many decades before Madonna, Beyoncé, Janet Jackson, Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez, there was Josephine Baker, one of the world's first celebrities of African descent. Josephine traveled to Paris in 1925 to dance at La Revue Nègre. She made a lasting impression on the French audience with her perfect blend of exotic charm and talent.

The following year, she performed at the Folies Bergère, and this was the true start of her career. She appeared in a banana skirt and wowed the crowd with her dancing style. She later added singing to her performances and remained popular in France for many years. Josephine Baker responded to the adoration of the French people by becoming a French citizen herself in 1937.

In France, she did not feel the same level of racial prejudice that was present in the United States at the time. Towards the end of her life, Josephine Baker hoped to create a "world village" on her estate in France, but these plans collapsed due to financial difficulties. To raise funds, she returned to the stage. Her comeback was short, but it was a triumph on Broadway in the 1970s, and in 1975 she opened a flashback show in Paris. She died the same year of a cerebral hemorrhage, a week after the show opened.

7. Gene Kelly


Gene Kelly was one of the biggest stars and greatest innovators during the golden age of musicals in Hollywood. Kelly considered his own style to be something of a hybrid of different approaches to dance; he took his movements from modern dance, ballet, and tap dance.

Kelly brought dance to theaters, using every inch of his set, every surface, and every wide camera angle to break out of the two-dimensional constraints of film. And in doing so, he changed the way filmmakers look at their cameras. Thanks to Kelly, the camera became a living instrument, and even the dancer of which she filmed.

Kelly's legacy permeates the music video industries. Photographer Mike Salisbury photographed Michael Jackson for the cover of "Off The Wall" wearing "Gene Kelly's white socks and lightweight leather moccasin shoes" - which became the trademark of the movie star. It was this image that after some time became the singer's own recognizable brands.

Paula Abdul, originally known for her dancing and choreography, made reference to Kelly's famous dance with Jerry the Mouse in her vulgar video for the song Opposites Attract, which ends with a tap. Usher was another top-selling artist who paid tribute to Kelly's legacy. There will never be another dancer like Kelly, and his influence continues to resonate from generation to generation of American dancers.

6. Sylvie Guillem


At forty-eight, Sylvie Guillem continues to defy the laws of ballet and gravity. Guillem has transformed the face of ballet with her supernatural talents, which she has always used with intelligence, integrity and sensitivity. Her natural curiosity and courage directed her on the most daring paths, beyond the usual framework of classical ballet.

Rather than spending her entire career on 'safe' performances, she made bold decisions, equally capable of playing the role of 'Raymonda' at the Paris Opera, or being part of a groundbreaking dance in a performance based on the work of Forsythe. " In The Middle Somewhat Elevated. " Almost no other dancer has such a scale, so it is not at all surprising that she has become the benchmark for most dancers around the world. Like Maria Callas in the opera world, Guillem was able to change the popular image of the ballerina.

5. Michael Jackson


Michael Jackson was the one who was able to make music videos a trend and he is without a doubt the one who made dancing an important element of modern pop music. Jackson's moves have already become standard vocabulary in pop and hip-hop dance. Most contemporary pop icons such as Justin Bieber, Asher, Justin Timberlake admit that Michael Jackson's style had a strong influence on them.

His contributions to dance were original and unusual. Jackson was an innovator who was primarily self-taught, designing new dance moves without the frequent formal learning effects that limit the flight of fantasy. His natural grace, flexibility and amazing rhythm contributed to the creation of the "Jackson style". His employees called him a "sponge." This nickname was given to him for his ability to absorb ideas and techniques wherever he finds them.

Jackson was most inspired by James Brown, Marcel Marceau, Gene Kelly, and perhaps it will surprise many people - various classical ballet dancers. Unbeknownst to many of his fans, he initially tried “pirouettes like Baryshnikov” and “tap-dancing like Fred Astaire,” but failed miserably. However, his dedication to his own unique style earned him the fame he sought, and today his name stands alongside other popular music giants such as Elvis and The Beatles, and is considered one of the greatest pop icons of all time.

4. Joaquín Cortés


Joaquin Cortez is the youngest dancer on this list, but despite the fact that he is still in the process of forming his legacy, he is one of the few dancers in history who have managed to become phenomenal sex symbols, loved by both women and and men. Elle Macpherson described it as "walking sex"; Madonna and Jennifer Lopez have publicly expressed their adoration for him, while Naomi Campbell and Mira Sorvino are among the women whose hearts he is rumored to have broken.

It is safe to say that Cortez is not only one of the greatest flamenco dancers in history, but the one who cemented flamenco's place in popular culture. His male admirers include Tarantino, Armani, Bertolucci, Al Pacino, Antonio Banderas, and Sting. Many of his fans call him the God of Flamenco or simply the God of Sex and if you get the chance to watch one of his shows, you will understand why. However, at the age of forty-four, Cortez remains a bachelor, declaring that "dance is my wife, my only woman."

3. Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers


Astaire and Rogers were, of course, a unique pair of dancers. They say that "he gave her charm, and she gave him sex appeal." They made dancing much more attractive to the masses at a rather prim time. This was partly due to the fact that Rogers used her acting skills in dancing, and gave the impression that dancing with Asta was the happiest moments of her life.

The era also contributed to the rise of their popularity, during the Great Depression, many Americans tried to make ends meet - and these two dancers gave people a chance to forget about the depressing reality for a while and have fun.

2. Mikhail Baryshnikov


Mikhail Baryshnikov is one of the greatest ballet dancers of all time, considered by many critics to be the greatest. Born in Latvia, Baryshnikov studied ballet at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in St. Petersburg (then still called Leningrad) before he began performing at the Mariinsky Theater in 1967. Since then, he has starred in dozens of ballets. He played a pivotal role in bringing ballet to popular culture in the late 1970s and early 80s, and has also been the face of art for over two decades. Baryshnikov is perhaps the most influential dancer of our time.

1. Rudolf Nureyev


Baryshnikov won the hearts of critics and fellow dancers, and Rudolf Nureyev was able to charm millions of ordinary people around the world. The Russian-born dancer became a soloist with the Mariinsky Theater at the age of 20. In 1961, when his personal life made him the subject of close scrutiny by the Soviet authorities, he applied for political asylum in Paris and then toured with the Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas.

In the 1970s, he burst into the film industry. Most critics argue that technically he was not as good as Baryshnikov, but Nureyev still managed to charm the crowds with his amazing charisma and emotional performance. The ballet of the couple Nureyev and Fonteyn (Romeo and Juliet) remains to this day one of the most powerful and emotional performances in a duet in the history of ballet.

Unfortunately, Nuriev was one of the first victims of HIV infection, and died of AIDS in 1993. Twenty years later, we can still observe the incredible legacy he left behind.

+
Donnie Burns


Donnie Burns is a Scottish professional ballroom dancer who specializes in Latin dance. He and his former dance partner Gaynor Fairweather were World Professional Latin Dance Champions a record sixteen times. He is currently the President of the World Dance Council, and also appeared in the twelfth season of Dancing with the Stars.

He is considered the greatest ballroom dancer of all time, and his dancing with a partner in championships is now considered a classic. But things didn't always go well for Burns. During an interview with the Daily Sun, he confessed: “I never thought that a little boy from Hamilton would be able to experience even a fraction of what I have experienced in my life. I was teased relentlessly at school, and I often got into fights because I wanted to prove that I was not a "dancing queen."

We can say with confidence that today he would not mind such an epithet, since Donnie Burns is currently considered the "King of Dances".