Semenyaka ballerina personal life. A brilliant career and a broken heart. The life story of Lyudmila Semenyaka. The best performance

Soviet and Russian ballerina, People's Artist of the USSR Lyudmila Ivanovna Semenyaka in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg).

Her dancing abilities and artistry first appeared in the choreographic circle of the Zhdanov Palace of Pioneers. At the age of 10, she entered the Leningrad Choreographic School named after Agrippina Vaganova (now the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet), and already at the age of 12 she made her debut on the stage of the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theater (now the Mariinsky Theater) in the solo role of little Marie in ballet "The Nutcracker".

In 1969, Lyudmila Semenyaka became a laureate of the 1st International Ballet Competition in Moscow, where she was noticed by Galina Ulanova and Yuri Grigorovich.

In 1970, she graduated from college in the class of Nina Belikova, a student of Agrippina Vaganova, and was invited to the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theater, where she performed the solo roles of Columbine in The Bronze Horseman, Cupid in Don Quixote, and Princess Florina in The Sleeping Beauty ", pas de trois in "Swan Lake".

In 1972, after the All-Union Competition of Choreographers and Ballet Artists in Moscow, where Semenyaka became a silver medalist, Yuri Grigorovich invited her to the Bolshoi Theater. There she immediately became a prima singer: she was entrusted with the central roles and the entire classical repertoire.

Among her roles are Odette-Odile ("Swan Lake"), Giselle ("Giselle"), Aurora and Princess Florine ("Sleeping Beauty"), Kitri ("Don Quixote"), Nikia ("La Bayadère"), Raymonda, La Sylphide ("Chopiniana"), Ballerina ("Petrushka"), Katerina ("Stone Flower"), Shirin ("Legend of Love"), Marie ("The Nutcracker"), Phrygia ("Spartacus"), Juliet ("Romeo and Juliet" "), Anastasia ("Ivan the Terrible"), Rita ("The Golden Age"), Shakespearean images of Lady Macbeth ("Macbeth"), Hero and Beatrice ("Love for Love").

Lyudmila Semenyaka's mentor was the legendary Galina Ulanova, who had a significant influence on the ballerina's work.

Lyudmila Semenyaka’s style was called bel canto ballet: she performed the most virtuosic choreographic passages easily and clearly, as if they were staged especially for her. Admiring the ballerina's impeccable physique, critics especially appreciated the naturalness of manners in her dance, the freedom with which she used her natural abilities and technique in dance, as well as the organic combination of impeccable St. Petersburg academicism with the bright emotional manner of Moscow performance.

With the Bolshoi Theater, and also as a guest soloist, the ballerina toured in many countries in Europe, South America, the USA, and Japan. She has danced with New York's American Ballet Theater (ABT), the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Argentine Teatro Colon, the English National Ballet, the Scottish National Ballet and other companies.
Among Lyudmila Semenyaka's partners were outstanding world ballet masters: Vladimir Vasiliev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Nikolai Fadeechev, Maris Liepa, Mikhail Lavrovsky, Alexander Godunov, Yuri Solovyov, Irek Muhammedov, Farukh Ruzimatov, Laurent Hilaire, Fernando Bujones, Julio Bocca, Per Arthur Segerström.

The English critic Clement Crisp (Semenyaka was especially popular in England and Argentina) wrote about her: “This is classical dance in all its grandeur and purity, combining refined technique with extraordinary expressiveness. Her art has an impeccable pedigree, being part of a living tradition that began with famous St. Petersburg ballerinas of the 19th century."
Lyudmila Semenyaka completed her career as a ballerina in 1997.

In 1999, she made her debut as a choreographer, preparing for her solo performance at the P.I. Concert Hall. Tchaikovsky choreographic number "From role to role" to the music of Mozart.

She staged the plays “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai” (she was also the author of the original choreography and costume design), “Giselle” (she was also the author of the costume design), “Swan Lake” (she was the author of the new version of the script and original choreography).
Since 2002, Lyudmila Semenyaka has been working at the Bolshoi Theater as a teacher-tutor. Svetlana Zakharova, Elena Andrienko, Anastasia Goryacheva, Anastasia Meskova, Victoria Osipova and other artists rehearse under her leadership.

Lyudmila Semenyaka also proved herself as a dramatic actress. At the Moscow theater "School of Modern Play" Semenyaka played the role of Polina Andreevna in "The Seagull" by Anton Chekhov and the role of Lera in the play "A Wonderful Cure for Melancholy" based on the play by Semyon Zlotnikov (both performances were staged by the artistic director of the theater Joseph Raikhelgauz, the second - especially for her) .

With her participation, the film-ballets “Lyudmila Semenyaka Dancing”, “The Bolshoi ballerina”, “Monologue of the Ballerina”, “Lyudmila Semenyaka Invites”, “Raymonda”, “Spartacus”, “Stone Flower”, “The Nutcracker”, “The World of Ulanova” were shot " and others.

Lyudmila Semenyaka People's Artist of the USSR, laureate of the USSR State Prize for the role of Valentina in "Angara" by Andrei Eshpai (based on the play "The Irkutsk Story" by Alexander Arbuzov). Her awards include the 1st prize and gold medal at the 1st International Ballet Competition in Tokyo, and the Anna Pavlova Prize at the Paris Academy of Dance.

Lyudmila Semenyaka was married to Mikhail Lavrovsky, ballet dancer, People's Artist of the USSR, and has a son, Ivan.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources.

She is a People's Artist of the USSR, but you rarely see her on TV. She is talented and at the same time very modest.

Born on January 16, 1952 in Leningrad. Father - Semenyaka Ivan Yakovlevich, worked as an engraver at the Pravda publishing house. Mother - Semenyaka Maria Mitrofanovna, operator of a chemical laboratory. The son, Ivan, was a student at the Natalia Nesterova Academy.

Lyudmila's dancing abilities and artistry first appeared in the choreographic circle of the Zhdanov Palace of Pioneers. At the age of 10, she entered the Leningrad Choreographic School named after Agrippina Vaganova and already at the age of 12 she made her debut on the stage of the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theater (now the Mariinsky Theater) in the solo role of little Marie in the ballet The Nutcracker (staged by Vasily Vainonen).

In 1969, Lyudmila Semenyaka became a laureate of the 1st International Ballet Competition in Moscow, where she was noticed by Galina Ulanova and Yuri Grigorovich.

In 1970, she graduated from college in the class of Nina Belikova, a student of Agrippina Vaganova, and was invited to the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theater, where she performed the solo roles of Columbine in The Bronze Horseman, Cupid in Don Quixote, and Princess Florina in The Sleeping Beauty ", pas de trois in "Swan Lake" and studied under the guidance of Irina Kolpakova.

With Galina Ulanova

In 1972, after the All-Union Competition of Choreographers and Ballet Dancers in Moscow, where Lyudmila became a silver medalist, Yuri Grigorovich invited her to the Bolshoi Theater. In 1972, the artist successfully debuted in the Bolshoi Theater play "Swan Lake" on the stage of the Kremlin Palace of Congresses in the role of Odette - Odile. Her mentor was the legendary Galina Ulanova, who had the most significant influence on the ballerina’s work.

Semenyaka's artistic rise is rapid and successful. Yuri Grigorovich entrusted her with the entire classical repertoire and central roles in all his ballets. Among her roles are Odette - Odile ("Swan Lake"), Giselle ("Giselle"), Aurora and Princess Florine ("Sleeping Beauty"), Kitri ("Don Quixote"), Nikia ("La Bayadère"), Raymonda, La Sylphide ("Chopiniana"), Ballerina ("Petrushka"), Katerina ("Stone Flower"), Shirin ("Legend of Love"), Marie ("The Nutcracker"), Phrygia ("Spartacus"), Juliet ("Romeo and Juliet" "), Anastasia ("Ivan the Terrible"), Rita ("The Golden Age"), Shakespearean images of Lady Macbeth ("Macbeth" by Vladimir Vasiliev), Hero and Beatrice ("Love for Love" by Vera Boccadoro based on the comedy "Much Ado About Nothing "). For the role of contemporary Valentina in “The Hangar” by A. Eshpai (based on the play “The Irkutsk Story” by Alexander Arbuzov), L. Semenyaka was awarded the USSR State Prize (1976).

The ballerina successfully tours on the best stages of the world. Her performances become events in Paris, London, Stockholm, Tokyo, New York, Prague, Budapest and many other cities. In the same 1976, she won 1st prize and a gold medal at the 1st International Ballet Competition in Tokyo, and in Paris, Serge Lifar presented her with the Anna Pavlova Prize of the Paris Academy of Dance

At the same time, Semenyaka actively participates in artistic life in her homeland. In 1975, she was awarded the Lenin Komsomol Prize, which recognizes the best achievements of young people. The ballerina becomes a welcome guest and participant in ceremonial creative reports, patronage concerts, and public events. She became a member of the Peace Committee, she was invited to the National Academy of Creativity and, as a promoter of the art of Russian ballet, she was sent on tours around the country. The ballerina is gaining popularity among spectators from Petrozavodsk to Krasnoyarsk. In 1986, she was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR. In the same year, Lyudmila Semenyaka received the prestigious English Evening Standard award in London for the best achievements in the field of choreographic art.

Fate brings her together with outstanding ballet masters Marina Semenova, Asaf Messerer, Alicia Markova. Among Lyudmila Semenyaka's partners there were about 100 dancers, including outstanding masters of world ballet: Vladimir Vasiliev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Nikolai Fadeechev, Maris Liepa, Mikhail Lavrovsky, Alexander Godunov, Yuri Solovyov, Irek Muhammedov, Farukh Ruzimatov, Laurent Hilaire, Fernando Bujones, Julio Bocca, Per Artur Segerström. Lyudmila Semenyaka is the first performer of the role of Roxanne in Roland Petit's ballet "Cyrano de Bergerac" to the music of M. Constant, transferred to the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in 1989, as well as the role of Sonya Marmeladova in the ballet "Crime and Punishment" to the music of Aarvo Pärt, staged for ballerinas by choreographer Mai Murdmaa in 1990 at the Estonia Theater (Tallinn).

Her name is among the premieres of world ballet and is synonymous with the concept of “Russian school of classical dance.” Dozens of articles by the world's leading ballet critics and dance historians Mary Clark, Clive Barnes, Anna Kisselgoff and others are devoted to the ballerina's interpretations. The famous English critic Clement Crisp wrote about Semenyaka: “This is classical dance in its grandeur and purity, exquisite technique combined with extraordinary expressiveness. Her art has an impeccable pedigree, is part of a living tradition, directly connected with the famous St. Petersburg ballerinas of the 19th century. Lyudmila Semenyaka with honorably continues this tradition with the manner of her dance, with the aristocracy that permeates her every gesture.”

In the 1970s, in an era of strict differentiation of roles, Semenyaka turned out to be one of the first ballerinas performing diverse roles. When, in the early 1990s, it became a habit among artists to take on any role and their performing manners were leveled off, she, again one of the first, took up stylization. The ballerina finds ways to create an ancient style image without abandoning modern dance technique and aesthetics.

The period of creative maturity of the ballerina occurred during the era of Mikhail Gorbachev, who gave Semenyaka the right to perform as a ballet symbol of perestroika: in 1987, on the stage of the Washington Kennedy Center, she performed in a gala concert that preceded the historic meeting of the General Secretary of the CPSU with US President Ronald Reagan.

In 1999, Lyudmila Semenyaka made her debut as a choreographer, preparing for her solo performance the number “From Role to Role” to Mozart’s music.

An important place in the life of the great ballerina is occupied by communication with nature, in which she finds the source of many artistic ideas.

More recently, she was the prima of the Bolshoi Theater and performed such fouettés that it took the audience’s breath away. The whole world applauded her. By the ballerina’s own admission, fate generously gifted her with something her in the first half of life. She studied first with the best masters of the Mariinsky Theater, then with Semenova and Ulanova at the Bolshoi. She was married to Lavrovsky and Liepa Jr.

Lyudmila and her first husband Mikhail Lavrovsky

But life with Liepa did not work out.

According to the memoirs of Lyudmila Georgievna herself:

"Andris was an ideal dancer. Isn't that so? And God bless him. What I regret most is the lost time, because I could have married a good man, created a normal family. As a woman, I lost.

In the end, God rewarded me too. I met a wonderful man, with whom I gave birth to a son, Vanya, at thirty-six. I found out that I was expecting a child in Greece, where the Bolshoi Theater was touring. I will forever remember how I walked along the alley and the sun splashed on me through the leaves with dazzling splashes. My soul froze in anticipation of happiness: I will have a baby! My child's father and I couldn't live together, but that didn't mean anything. My grandmother was thirty-six when my grandfather went to war and died, leaving her with four children. Can't I handle one?

People often tell me that my son looks like me, and I smile in response. Because when little Vanechka laughed for the first time, my mother and I were dumbfounded from surprise: he exactly repeated the intonations and manner of his dad, whom, in fact, he had not seen. Of course, Vanya knows who his father is. He always helps us. He just lives far away.

I believe that the child is my best performance. I even came up with a small role in the composition for my ten-year-old son, who studied at a choreographic school: I leave the stage, and he, personifying youth, comes. I dreamed that Vanya would make an artistic career. At first he didn’t mind, although as a child he was interested in everything: rock climbing, archery... After choreography school, he became a student at the Natalia Nesterova Academy, and studied at Elena Tsyplakova’s acting and directing course. My son had the opportunity to enter the theater “School of Modern Play” by Joseph Raikhelgauz. Everything was fine until recently there was a sharp turn. Vanya said: directing, acting are not his, he wants... to fly. And he entered flight attendant school. I tried to object, but he insisted.

With the advent of my son, my life became more joyful and brighter. I opened the doors of the house so that Vanya’s friends could come. To this day I myself lead a rather secluded lifestyle. There are two or three people I can call to my place. Among them is Mikhail Leonidovich Lavrovsky, who became Vanin’s godfather.”

Someone will ask the question: “How could you make a godfather of a person who broke your fate?” But Misha has always been a shrine to me. In the movie Gladiator, Russell Crowe's character arranges little figures to pray to. If a person does not have such figures, it means that he has not gained anything in life. If I were an ordinary woman, not soaring between heaven and earth, then she would have condemned Misha, thrown it away and forgotten. But I took our relationship to another dimension. And the decision to ask Misha to become Vanya’s godfather was dictated by the desire to connect the past and present, which are inseparable in my heart. It was important for my son to choose someone who feels me well and knows me well. Doesn't the person who rejected you feel you? An invisible connection remains between people who were close. I believe that Misha was also worried."

Lyudmila lives and works in Moscow and teaches ballet art to young students.

“Semenyaka is a wonderful classical ballerina. But it's not only that. her special, unique charm lies in her talent and ability to create on stage the image of a living person in all the diversity of his mental movements, impulses, passions. This quality is quite rare and precious.”
Director and critic Boris Lvov-Anokhin

She was born on January 16, 1952 in Leningrad and graduated from the choreographic school there (now the St. Petersburg Academy of Russian Ballet named after A. Ya. Vaganova). In 1970, she was accepted into the ballet troupe of the Leningrad State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after S. M. Kirov (now the Mariinsky), where she rehearsed under the direction of Irina Kolpakova and rapidly made progress.

Career at the Bolshoi Theater.

Semenyaka showed a wonderful example of how a native of the St. Petersburg school of ballet can “adapt” to the Moscow school, combining in her dance the “penmanship” of the first and the bravura of the second.
Her real career took shape at the Bolshoi, where she moved in 1972. The great Semenyaka became a teacher-tutor. Subsequently, she also rehearsed under the direction of,.
In her repertoire, one after another, central roles began to appear in all classical ballets and all Grigorovich’s ballets, which were performed at the theater at that time:

Odette-Odile(“Swan Lake” by P. Tchaikovsky, choreography by A. Gorsky, M. Petipa, L. Ivanov, A. Messerer, 1972)
Marie(“The Nutcracker” by P. Tchaikovsky, choreography by Yu. Grigorovich, 1972)
Princess Aurora(“Sleeping Beauty” by P. Tchaikovsky, choreography by M. Petipa, revised by Yu. Grigorovich, 1973)
Giselle(“Giselle” by A. Adam, choreography by J. Coralli, J. Perrot, M. Petipa, revised by L. Lavrovsky, 1974, and then in the play revised by Y. Grigorovich)
Odette-Odile, Hungarian Bride(“Swan Lake”, edited by Yu. Grigorovich, 1976)
Kitri(“Don Quixote” by L. Minkus, choreography by A. Gorsky, 1977)
Nikia(picture “Shadows”, “La Bayadère” by L. Minkus, choreography by M. Petipa, 1977)
Princess Florina("Sleeping Beauty", 1981)
soloist(“Chopiniana” to music by F. Chopin, choreography by M. Fokine, 1982)
Raymonda(“Raymonda” by A. Glazunov, choreography by M. Petipa, revised by Yu. Grigorovich, 1984)
Ballerina(“Petrushka” by I. Stravinsky, choreography by M. Fokine, 1984)
Shirin(“The Legend of Love” by A. Melikov, 1974)
Phrygia(“Spartak” by A. Khachaturyan, 1975)
Valentina(“Angara” by A. Eshpai, based on the play “Irkutsk History” by A. Arbuzov, 1976)
Anastasia(“Ivan the Terrible” to music by S. Prokofiev, 1977)
Katerina(“Stone Flower” by S. Prokofiev, 1979)
Juliet(“Romeo and Juliet” by S. Prokofiev, 1984)
Rita(“The Golden Age” by D. Shostakovich, 1987)
(all choreographed by Yu. Grigorovich)

And also the main roles in ballets:
Lady Macbeth(“Macbeth” by K. Molchanov, choreography by V. Vasiliev, 1981)
Gero(“Love for Love” by T. Khrennikov, choreography by V. Boccadoro, based on the comedy “Much Ado About Nothing”, 1978)
Roxana(“Cyrano de Bergerac” by M. Constant, choreography by R. Petit, 1988) - first performer at the Bolshoi Theater
Beatrice(“Love for love”, 1985)
Fanny Cerito(“Pas de quadre” to music by C. Pugni, choreography by J. Perrot, revised by A. Dolin, 1993)
Lady of the heart(“Fantasy on a Theme of Casanova” to music by W. A. ​​Mozart, staged by M. Lavrovsky, 1994)

In 2008, she became the first performer of the role of Marie Antoinette in the ballet “The Flames of Paris” by B. Asafiev, staged by A. Ratmansky (using choreography by V. Vainonen).

Outside the Bolshoi Theater, the role of Sonya Marmeladova was created for her in the ballet “Crime and Punishment” to the music of A. Pärt, staged by Mai Murdmaa in 1990 at the Estonia Theater (Tallinn).

She has repeatedly performed with the St. Petersburg State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after M. P. Mussorgsky, where her repertoire included the title role in the ballet La Sylphide by H. Levenschell (choreography by A. Bournonville, revised by E.-M. von Rosen) .

She danced on almost all ballet stages of the former Soviet Union and performed a lot abroad - with the Bolshoi Theater; as a guest soloist; as a member of the troupe. She has danced with the New York American Ballet Theater (ABT), the Paris Opera (on the Grand Opera stage), the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Argentine Teatro Colon, the English National Ballet, the Scottish National Ballet and other companies.

The famous English critic Clement Crisp (Semenyaka was especially popular in England and Argentina) wrote about her: “This is classical dance in all its grandeur and purity, combining refined technique with extraordinary expressiveness. Her art has an impeccable pedigree, being part of a living tradition, which was started by the famous St. Petersburg ballerinas of the 19th century.”

Over the years, Semenyaka’s repertoire also included other ballets and miniatures, including:
"Vision of a Rose" to music by K. M. von Webern (choreography by M. Fokine)
"Serenade" And "Theme with Variations" to music by P. Tchaikovsky (choreography by J. Balanchine)
"The Dying Swan" to music by C. Saint-Saens (choreography by M. Fokine)

In 1997, she ended her career as a ballerina.

In 2002, she continued her collaboration with the Bolshoi Theater as a teacher-tutor. Svetlana Zakharova, Daria Khokhlova, Anastasia Meskova, Victoria Yakusheva and other artists rehearse under her leadership.

At the Moscow theater “School of Modern Play” she played the role of Polina Andreevna in “The Seagull” by A. Chekhov and the role of Lera in the play “A Wonderful Cure for Melancholy” based on the play by S. Zlotnikov (both performances were staged by the artistic director of the theater Joseph Raikhelgauz, the second especially for her) .

She repeatedly gave master classes, took part in the work of the jury of international ballet competitions: in Ljubljana (1998), in Crimea (“Fouette Artek” named after Grigorovich, 1998, 1999), named after Serge Lifar (Kiev, 1999 .), in Nagoya (Japan, annually since 2000), the international program “Benois de la danse” (Stuttgart, 2000), the International Competition of Ballet Dancers and Choreographers in Moscow (2005, 2009), the International Competition of Artists ballet in Astana (Kazakhstan, 2010).

In 1999 she made her debut as a choreographer, preparing for her solo performance at the Concert Hall. P.I. Tchaikovsky choreographic number “From role to role” to music by V.A. Mozart.

She staged the following performances: “The Bakhchisarai Fountain” by B. Asafiev (2008, Astrakhan State Musical Theatre, own choreography; she was also the author of the original choreography and costume design), “Giselle” (2009, Yekaterinburg Opera and Ballet Theater, edition by L. M. Lavrovsky; was also the author of costume design), “Swan Lake” (2010, was the author of a new version of the script and original choreography; using choreographic fragments by L. Ivanov, M. Petipa, A. Gorsky), “Giselle” ( 2015, Teatro San Carlo, Naples, own edition).

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