Maria Alexandrovna left the theater. Maria Alexandrova: “My biggest disappointment is the reconstruction of the Bolshoi Theater

Such an explanation did little to clarify this almost detective situation. And Alexandrova's fans organized the hashtag #returnMariaAleksandrova. Some theater colleagues also urged the actress to change her mind. But some of the dancers were silent...

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

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

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

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

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

After the premiere, Ogonyok's correspondent Iya Barateli spoke to the wonderful guest.

Having read on the Internet that Maya Plisetskaya called Alexandrova “the most intelligent ballerina of the Bolshoi Theatre”, I come to the theater dressing room, from the window of which I can see the Tbilisi courtyard located next door.

In February, Maria Alexandrova of her own free will.

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

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

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

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

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

- Maria, how is your career developing after leaving the Bolshoi Theatre?

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

Here's the premiere of "Laurencia" - it's very interesting. Then there will be other projects that will be created elsewhere. And with the theater, I remained in a relationship outside the system.

- Why "Laurencia" is "very interesting"?

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

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

Ballet is unique. He develops three centers in the artist at once: both the physical state, and the spiritual, and the intellectual. We are silent creatures, our life is movement. This is the first time I've spoken for such a long time.

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

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

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

In general, ballet is a very strange, conditional, synthetic art that requires attention from the viewer, it is a workflow. Ballet is different from dance, especially Russian, then Soviet. Not a single old ballet - neither Italian nor French - has been decomposed “scientifically”, in the way it was painted in our country. As it was done by Vaganova, then Tarasov and so on. And this is our property. Modern dance is a hobby, a pastime. Ballet is super art.

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

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

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

All the costumes in the performance are haute couture, and we don't just wear them, we actively dance - for an hour and a half we exist non-stop in this format. There is a beautiful light in the show, it is a very modern thing.

- It turns out that there is life after the Bolshoi?

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

Therefore, all this talk, “what after the Bolshoi?” ... Nothing. A huge number of people after the Bolshoi began to make a career for themselves. Although, perhaps, they did not touch something important or basic.

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

- Satisfied or disappointed?

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

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

I live for today. Now, at this moment, I'm happy with myself. I have a lot of plans, I don’t have any free time to lie on the couch. The test of freedom is generally a serious thing. You can live in the illusion that you are someone ...

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

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

Our problem, in ballet in general, is that we are tied to a place, tied to a troupe. The more you swing, the more you get out of shape. A ballet dancer is very specific, it is a philosophy. Before we go on stage, we can't say it in the room, we need a place to rehearse. This is a big problem.

Here in the opera you can recruit full-time or there is also the opera “stajoni”, when artists are hired for a season. With ballet, this will not work - you cannot recruit them for a month, and then dismiss them.

For ballet dancers, traveling is also a problem. Because before going on stage, we rehearse ten times more than we dance. And there should be a place where you rehearse, have a class, there should be time for this.

I now have a fairly normal situation - I'm at the Bolshoi Theater and rehearse, and take classes, and sometimes I go on stage. But at the same time, I am free to choose other things, I don’t waste time, I don’t expect anything, no one deceives me.

At the Bolshoi, you look forward to every performance, you can’t agree to go somewhere to dance ... And I repeat: the theater is people. Often you just don't want to waste time.

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

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

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

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

1997 - I prize at the International Ballet Competition in Moscow.
1999 - the prize of the magazine "Ballet" "The Soul of Dance" (nomination "Rising Star").
2004 - National Theater Award "Golden Mask" for the performance of the part of the Classical Dancer in the ballet "The Bright Stream" by D. Shostakovich directed by Alexei Ratmansky (season 2002/03).
2005 - the title of "Honored Artist of the Russian Federation".
2009 - the title of "People's Artist of the Russian Federation".
2018 - awarded the Leonid Myasin Prize (Positano) in the category "Dancer of the Year on the International Stage".

Biography

Was born in Moscow. While still a student at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography (class ) she took part in the International Ballet Competition in Moscow (1997), won the 1st prize and was accepted into the Bolshoi Theater troupe. She began to receive solo parts in the first season of work in the theater, which became her last, which she spent in the rank of a corps de ballet dancer. Maria Alexandrova was a teacher-tutor. Currently rehearsing under the direction of . Since 2017, she has been working in the theater under a contract.

Repertoire

1998
street dancer("Don Quixote")
Fairy of Courage(The Sleeping Beauty by P. Tchaikovsky, choreography by M. Petipa, revised version by Y. Grigorovich)
soloist(“Dreams of Japan” to music by L. Eto, N. Yamaguchi and A. Tosh, staged by A. Ratmansky)

1999
all variations in the painting "Shadows"(La Bayadère by L.Minkus, choreography by M.Petipa, revised version by Y.Grigorovich)
three dryads("Don Quixote")
soloist of the third part(“Symphony in C” to music by J. Bizet, choreography by J. Balanchine) — first performer at the Bolshoi Theater
mazurka(Chopiniana to music by F.Chopin, choreography by M.Fokine)
mares(The Little Humpbacked Horse by R. Shchedrin, staged by N. Androsov)

2000
empress(Russian Hamlet to music by L. van Beethoven and G. Mahler, staged by B. Eifman)
Kitri(Don Quixote, choreography by M. Petipa, A. Gorsky, revised version by A. Fadeechev)
Ramsey(first performer) Congo(The Pharaoh's Daughter by C. Pugni, staged by P. Lacotte after M. Petipa)
Gamzatti("La Bayadère")

2001
Eleventh waltz("Chopiniana")
peers of the prince, Spanish bride(“Swan Lake” by P. Tchaikovsky in the second version by Y. Grigorovich, fragments of the choreography by M. Petipa, L. Ivanov, A. Gorsky were used) - was among the first ballet performers in this edition

2002
aegina(Spartacus by A. Khachaturian, choreography by Y. Grigorovich)
sylph(La Sylphide by H. Levenshell, choreography by A. Bournonville, revised version by E. M. von Rosen)

2003
classical dancer("Light Stream" by D. Shostakovich, staged by A. Ratmansky) - first performer
Clemence(Raymonda by A. Glazunov, choreography by M. Petipa, revised version by Y. Grigorovich)
Esmeralda(Notre Dame Cathedral by M. Jarre, staged by R. Petit)
Mekhmene Banu(Legend of Love by A. Melikov, choreography by Y. Grigorovich)
Aspicia("Pharaoh's daughter")
Juliet(Romeo and Juliet by S. Prokofiev directed by D. Donnellan and R. Poklitaru) - first performer

2004
Lilac Fairy("Sleeping Beauty")
pas de de tchaikovsky(choreography by J. Balanchine)
Lea(“Lea” to music by L. Bernstein, staged by A. Ratmansky, second version)
Hermia("A Midsummer Night's Dream" to music by F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy and D. Ligeti, staged by J. Neumeier) - first performer at the Bolshoi Theater

2005
miller's wife(“Cocked Hat” by M. de Falla, chorography by L. Myasin) - first performer in Russia
Odette-Odile("Swan Lake")
soloist(“Playing cards” by I. Stravinsky, staged by A. Ratmansky) - participant in the premiere of this ballet
Raymond("Raymonda")

2006
Carmen(Carmen Suite by J. Bizet - R. Shchedrin, staged by A. Alonso)

2007
soloist(Misericordes to music by A. Pärt, staged by K. Wheeldon) - participant in the world premiere of this ballet
soloist(In the Upstairs Room by F. Glass, choreography by T. Tharp)
Medora(The Corsair by A. Adam, choreography by M. Petipa, production and new choreography by A. Ratmansky and Y. Burlaka)
soloist(Class Concert to music by A. Glazunov, A. Lyadov, A. Rubinstein, D. Shostakovich, choreography by A. Messerer)
Pupil(The Lesson by J. Delerue, staged by F. Flindt)

2008
Jeanne(The Flames of Paris by B. Asafiev, choreography by V. Vainonen, directed by A. Ratmansky) - first performer
variation (participant in the premiere of the ballet in this version), Paquita(Grand classical pas from the ballet "Paquita" by L. Minkus, choreography by M. Petipa, staging and new choreographic version by Y. Burlaka)

2009
Swanilda(Coppelia by L. Delibes, choreography by M. Petipa and E. Cecchetti, staging and new choreographic version by S. Vikharev) - first performer
Nikiya("La Bayadère") - debuted on tour of the Bolshoi Ballet in the USA
Esmeralda(Esmeralda by C. Pugni, choreography by M. Petipa, production and new choreography by Y. Burlaka, V. Medvedev) - first performer

2010
Countess(The Queen of Spades to music by P. Tchaikovsky, staged by R. Petit)
Princess Aurora("Sleeping Beauty")

2012
duet(“Dream of Dream” to music by S. Rachmaninov, staged by J. Elo)
Home washcloth("Moidodyr" by E. Podgayets, staged by Y. Smekalov) - first performer

2013
plate, waltz,vacuum cleanerwasps(“Apartment”, music by Fleshquartet, staged by M. Eka) - participant of the premiere at the Bolshoi Theater

2014
Katarina(The Taming of the Shrew to music by D. Shostakovich, choreography by J.-C. Maillot)

2015
leading couple(Classical Symphony to music by S. Prokofiev, staged by Y. Posokhov)
Giselle("Giselle" in the version of Y. Grigorovich)
Undine("G er oh our time» I. Demutsky , part "Taman",choreography by Y. Posokhov, director K. Serebrennikov)

2016
Undine(Ondine by H. V. Henze, choreography by V. Samodurov)
sylph("Sylphide" in the version of J. Kobborg)

2017
Margo(Nureyev by I. Demutsky, choreography by Y. Posokhov, director K. Serebrennikov) - first performer

She participated in the Bolshoi Theater's youth New Year's Premieres (1997-98), performing in the ballet Black Out directed by Stefan Fredenreich and performing solo parts in Jörg Mannes' ballets Four Kisses to music by J.S. Bach and "The vicissitudes of love" to the music of V.A. Mozart.

In 2001, she performed twice at the Bolshoi Theater in the ballet Don Quixote with ABT premier José Manuel Carreño.

In 2003, she participated in a gala concert of soloists from the Bolshoi Theater and the Royal Ballet (Covent Garden) at the Bolshoi Theatre. Performed pas de deux from the ballet Le Corsaire by A. Adam (choreography by M. Petipa), partner - Carlos Acosta.

She performed as Ramsay in three performances of The Pharaoh's Daughter, which were filmed at the Bolshoi Theater in 2003 by the French company Bel air Media for the subsequent release of the ballet on DVD.

Tour

In 1997, she performed in New York at the Lincoln Center stage in a gala concert of Russian ballet stars dedicated to Sergei Diaghilev, performing with Nikolai Tsiskaridze the Grand Classical Pas to music by D. Aubert (choreography by V. Gzovsky).
In 2000 she took part in a gala concert of ballet stars in Madrid (partner Igor Yebra).
In 2001, she danced with the soloist of the Bolshoi Theater Mark Peretokin the main roles in the ballet Don Quixote at the Bashkir Opera and Ballet Theater as part of International Ballet Festival named after R. Nureyev.
In the same year, she took part in the production of the Dance Theater of Alexei Fadeyechev, performing the part of the Soloist of the 1st part in the ballet Between Heaven and Earth (choreography by T. McIntyre) and became the first performer of the part of Kitri in the play Russian chamber ballet "Moscow"(edited by M. Lavrovsky).
In 2001-02 she performed the role of Mirta in a series of performances of the ballet Giselle with stellar casts (Yulia Makhalina, Diana Vishneva, Vladimir Malakhov, Igor Zelensky) on the stage of the Megaron Concert Hall in Athens.
In 2002, she took part in a gala concert that accompanied the opening ceremony of a new theater in the city of Apollo (USA). Partner - Nikolai Tsiskaridze.
In 2003, as part of an enterprise "Malakhov and Friends" she performed in gala concerts in Athens on the stage of the Megaron Hall and took part in the International Ballet Festival in Japan (in both cases, Sergey Filin was a partner). Then she took part in the Malakhov and Friends program more than once.
In 2007 she performed at VII International Ballet Festival "Mariinsky"- as Gamzatti in the ballet La Bayadere (choreography by M. Petipa, revised by V. Ponomarev and V. Chabukiani; Nikiya - Uliana Lopatkina, Solor - Nikolai Tsiskaridze); in the final gala concert she performed the pas de deux from the ballet "Swan Lake" (partner - soloist of the Mariinsky Theater Igor Kolb); participated in a gala concert in honor of Maya Plisetskaya at the Royal Theater / Teatro Real in Madrid.
2008 - danced the part of Odette-Odile in the ballet "Swan Lake" (choreography by M. Petipa, L. Ivanov, revised by K. Sergeev) as part of the VIII International Ballet Festival "Mariinsky" (partner - soloist of the Mariinsky Theater Danila Korsuntsev);
twice performed in gala concerts International Festival of Classical Ballet named after Rudolf Nureyev(Kazan), performing the Classical pas de deux to the music of D.F.E. Ober (partner - the premiere of the Bolshoi Ballet Dmitry Gudanov);
performed in performances as part of the First Siberian Ballet Festival Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, performing the part of Gamzatti (La Bayadère, edited by I. Zelensky; Solor - artistic director of the NSATOB ballet troupe Igor Zelensky, Nikiya - soloist of the NSATOB Anna Zharova; soloist of the Dresden Semper Opera Elena Vostrotina) and debuted as Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty in edited by K. Sergeev, staged by S. Vikharev, Prince Desire - soloist of the Zurich Opera Ballet Semyon Chudin);
performed in Paris as Raymonda in the ballet Raymonda (choreography by M. Petipa, revised version by R. Nureyev) with the ballet troupe Paris National Opera(Jean de Brienne - Premier of the Bolshoi Ballet Alexander Volchkov).
2009 - in Novosibirsk, with the NGATOB troupe, she performed in the performances Swan Lake (edited by K. Sergeev, V. Burmeister) and Don Quixote (staged by S. Vikharev), performing the part of Odette-Odile (Prince Siegfried - soloist of NGATOB Roman Polkovnikov) and Kitri (Basil - soloist of NGATOB Maxim Gishenkov).
In the same year, together with Dmitry Gudanov, she took part in organizing a concert of ballet stars "Grand Ballet Gala. Masterpieces», held on the stage of the Moscow Academic Musical Theater. K.S. Stanislavsky and Vl.I. Nemirovich-Danchenko.
As part of this concert, the premiere of Les deux genres (choreography by S. Zemlyansky) was performed by the heroes of the evening, Maria Alexandrova herself and Dmitry Gudanov, who performed that evening and in several other classical and modern numbers.
In 2010, she performed at the jubilee X International Ballet Festival "Mariinsky" - again as Gamzatti (Nikia - Victoria Tereshkina, Solor - Igor Zelensky).
Became a permanent member of the project "Russian seasons XXI century" initiated by the Charitable Foundation. Marisa Liepa, SAV Entertainment and the Kremlin Ballet Theatre. The new seasons are designed to revive the once-famous productions of the legendary enterprise of Sergei Diaghilev - "Russian Seasons" of the 20th century. Alexandrova became the first performer of the role of Armida in N. Tcherepnin's Pavilion of Armida (stage director A. Liepa, choreography by Y. Smoriginas), which premiered in 2009 on the stage of the State Kremlin Palace. In December 2010, the artist’s creative evening took place on the same stage: she performed in three newly recreated Diaghilev ballets, performing the title role in I. Stravinsky’s The Firebird (according to M. Fokin, resumed by A. Liepa), solo part in "Bolero" by M. Ravel (according to B. Nijinska, resumed with the participation of H. Mitchell) and became the first woman in the history of ballet to perform in the title role of "Petrushka" by I. Stravinsky (according to M. Fokin, resumed by A. Liepa) . As part of this project, she repeatedly took part in tours - in 2009 she performed in Riga on the stage of the Latvian National Opera and in a number of Russian cities (Yaroslavl, Ryazan, Ivanovo, Izhevsk, etc.), in 2010 - in Paris on the stage of the Theater Champs Elysees and in several cities of Russia (Yaroslavl, Nizhny Novgorod, Tula).

In 2014, within the framework of the VI International Ballet Festival "In honor of Ekaterina Maximova", she performed as Kitri in the ballet "Don Quixote" by L. Minkus (V. Kokorev's version, Basil - Vladislav Lantratov) with the ballet troupe Chelyabinsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. M.I. Glinka.
In 2015 she performed the part of the Ballerina in the ballet Curtain to music by O. Respighi directed by V. Samodurov with the company Yekaterinburg State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater (world premiere).
In 2017, she performed the title role in the ballet Laurencia by A. Crane (choreography by V. Chabukiani, version and production by N. Ananiashvili) with the ballet troupe Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre. Z.Paliashvili(Frondoso - Vladislav Lantratov);
part of Odette-Odile (Swan Lake, revised version by K. Sergeev) with the ballet troupe Yekaterinburg Opera and Ballet Theater(Prince Siegfried Ilya Borodulin).
2018 - performed as Kitri in the ballet Don Quixote (choreography by A. Gorsky) with the ballet troupe Mariinsky Theater(Basil - Vladislav Lantratov);
performed the title role in the ballet Giselle (staged by O. Korzenkov, E. Ivanova) with the ballet troupe Rostov State Musical Theater(Count Albert - Vladislav Lantratov).

Maria Taglioni is a great ballerina of the 19th century, a third-generation representative of the famous Italian ballet dynasty Taglioni, one of the central figures in the ballet of the Romantic era.

Maria was bornApril 23, 1804in the family of ballet master and choreographer Filippo Taglioni. The girl had neither a ballet figure nor a special appearance. Despite this, her father decided to make her a ballerina. Maria studied in Vienna, Stockholm, and then in Paris with François Coulomb. Later, the father studied with Maria himself, in 1822 he staged the ballet "Reception of a young nymph to the palace of Terpsichore", with which Maria made her debut in Vienna. The dancer abandoned the heavy outfits, wigs and makeup inherent in ballet at that time, going on stage only in a modest light dress.

Maria conquered the Parisian public in 1827 at the Venice Carnival, since then she has often danced at the Paris Grand Opera. She then danced in London. There, at the Covent Garden Theatre. In March 1832, the premiere of the ballet La Sylphide took place at the Paris Grand Opera, which marked the beginning of the era of ballet romanticism. It was then that she introduced the tutu into the ballet and at the same time she first demonstrated the dance on pointe-toes.

For the next fifteen years, Maria Taglioni toured all over Europe: from London to Berlin and from Milan to St. Petersburg. Her repertoire consisted mainly of her father's productions. According to eyewitnesses, Taglioni's dances were the embodiment of grace and grace. Her best roles were in ballets: "God and La Bayadère", "La Sylphide", "Zephyr and Flora".

Bouvier, Jules. Marie Taglioni. In the Dance of the Mazurka in the ballet, "La Gitana".

Before the Petersburg audienceTaglioni first appearedin 1837. It was not a success, but a triumph. Her name became so popular that the Taglioni caramel, the Return of Mary Taglioni waltz, and even Taglioni hats appeared. Karatygin wrote a vaudeville "Lodge of the 1st tier for Taglioni's last debut", in which the following verse was popular:

"Taglioni charm, surprise,

So genuinely good

What does she have in a simple movement

A wonderful soul...

Words can't tell about her

Do not discuss it with the mind;

What does she say with her feet

You can't say that with your tongue."

A cloud of gas. But in addition to ballet pointe shoes, Maria Taglioni presented art and the audience with another novelty, which also appeared for the first time in the ballet La Sylphide - a snow-white tutu, which soon became a symbol of romantic ballet. This "cloud of gas" was invented by the artist and fashion designer Eugene Lamy. The light, weightless tunic, shaped like a half-blown flower, not only helped the dancer perform weightless, but technically complex jumps, but seemed to radiate a special, unearthly light, so necessary for romantic ballet. True, the image that Taglioni embodied on stage, long before the premiere, was offered to Parisians by all fashion magazines. Open shoulders, flowing streams of light fabric, some detachment.
Parisian women of fashion borrowed from the ballet heroine her airy shawl: thrown over her shoulders and falling over her arms, she gave the lady's silhouette a melancholy look, as if a Sylph stopped in flight.

Famous ballerinas of the Royal Opera: Carlotta Grisi, Maria Taglioni, Lucille Grand, Fanny Cerrito in Pas de Quatre

" Sylphide" is the absolute symbol of romantic ballet. It was in "Sylphide" that the ballerina Maria Taglioni first went to the pointe shoes ("not for effect, but for figurative tasks"). Taglioni's heroine really seemed to be a supernatural being, not a woman, but a spirit that violates the laws of attraction when the dancer "slid" across the stage, almost without touching the floor, and froze for a moment in a flying arabesque, as if supported by a miraculous force on the tip of a arched foot. It was this "Sylph", staged for Mary by her father Filippo Taglioni, a hundred and fifty years later carefully revived by another French choreographer - Pierre Lacotte.

The plot of the ballet is based on the fantasy novel by the French writer Charles Nodier "Trilby" (1822). The premiere of the ballet to the music of the French composer Jean Schneitzhoffer took place in 1832 at the Grand Opera in Paris.

In 1832, Marie married the Comte de Voisin, but continued to bear her maiden name and did not give up the stage. Leaving the theater in 1847, she lived mainly in Italy, in her own villas. She gave ballet lessons. Once again, she appeared in Paris, but only to encourage her student Emma Levy, a rising star who revived the classical ballet traditions that had been forgotten for some time with the departure of Taglioni. For the same debutante, she wrote the libretto for the ballet "Butterfly" (together with A. de Saint-Georges).

Choreography by Maria Taglioni

Jacques Offenbach "Butterfly". Delivered in 1833

Irina Kolpakova and Sergey Berezhnoy

Ancient pas de deux choreographed by Maria Taglioni

Maria Taglioni died in Marseille in 1884 and was buried in the Père Lachaise cemetery. On the tombstone is the following epitaph: "Ô terre ne pèse pas trop sur elle, elle a si peu pesé sur toi" (Earth, do not press too hard on it, because it stepped on you so easily).

Maria Alexandrova is a famous Russian dancer of our time. She is the prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theatre. Played over 60 games. For merits in the field of culture, she was awarded the title of People's Artist. Has many prestigious awards.

Dancing in the life of a ballerina

Maria Alexandrova was born on July 20, 1978 in the Russian capital. From childhood, she felt a craving for dancing, which was realized in her participation in the activities of the Kalinka children's dance ensemble. The ensemble was very popular in Moscow and abroad.

But for a talented girl, this was not enough. She became interested in ballet, and in 1988 Masha entered the Moscow State Academy of Choreography (MGAH). In the lower grades, Lyudmila Kolenchenko was engaged in her training. Classical dance in the middle classes was taught by Dobzhan Larisa, in the senior classes - Golovkina Sophia, rector of the academy.

While studying at the Moscow State Academy of Arts, Maria participates in productions of The Nutcracker, Chopiniana, etc. By the way, very often her stage partner was the well-known dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze today.

While still a student at the academy, Alexandrova becomes a finalist in the Eurovision Song Contest for young dancers.

While completing her studies at the Alexandrov Academy, she participated in various international festivals, one of which was the Moscow Ballet Competition in 1997, which brought the aspiring ballerina a gold medal, first prize and, most importantly, an invitation to the Bolshoi Ballet Company (BT).

At the Bolshoi Theater

At the Bolshoi Theater, the young but talented dancer was immediately entrusted with the performance of solo parts.

Already in October 1997, Maria Alexandrova performed the solo part in Fantasies on a Theme of Casanova. The performance was highly appreciated by the audience, and soon the young ballerina was already on tour in New York as part of the BT troupe. It is interesting that at that time Alexandrova was listed in the theater as a corps de ballet dancer.

The beginning of the 1998/1999 season was marked for Maria by the first step on the career ladder: she was transferred from corps de ballet dancers to luminaries. It should be noted that this category of dancers is always in the foreground of the stage.

Alexandrova's performances in the new status were noticed by well-known critics. She is awarded the prize of the magazine "Ballet". The successful performances of the artist in several new ballet productions contributed to her official transfer to the soloists of the Bolshoi Theater. Tatyana Golikova becomes Alexandrova's tutor.

It is worth noting that the resulting tandem still works today.

Repertoire of the prima of the Bolshoi Theater

Alexandrova's repertoire includes more than sixty parts of productions, in particular:

• "Don Quixote" (International Ballet Festival named after R. Nureyev, 2001);
• "La Bayadère" (VII International Ballet Festival, 2007);
• "Esmeralda" (2009);
• "The Taming of the Shrew" (2014);
• "Giselle" (2015) and others.

Despite the fact that Alexandrova is the prima ballerina of BT, she does not refuse to perform in supporting roles. In her opinion, an artist should play whatever he likes.

Ballerina's personal life

Maria Alexandrova is an actress whose personal life has been in the background for a long time, and her career is in the foreground. In addition, the creative schedule did not leave her time for this, although a strong family was present in her dreams. However, the men who came across on the path of life did not meet the needs of the girl.

Maria tries not to advertise her personal life. However, something nevertheless became known, and above all - about her chosen one. The husband of Maria Alexandrova is an artist, his name is Sergey. This is a blue-eyed brunette, with whom they started a family in 2005. According to the ballerina herself, a complete idyll and mutual understanding reign in the family.

Awards and merit

For such a short period of stage activity, Maria Alexandrova was awarded a number of prestigious awards.

• In 1997, participation in the Moscow Ballet Competition brought the talented ballerina the first prize in the nomination "Best Soloist" and a gold medal.
• In 1999, Ballet magazine awarded the young ballerina the Soul of Dance prize in the Rising Star nomination.
• In 2004, Alexandrova received an award in the Golden Mask theater competition for her role in The Bright Stream.
• In 2005, the ballerina becomes the Federation, and in 2009 - People's Artist of Russia.

Alexandrova about ballet

Maria Alexandrova is a ballerina whose name is known not only in Russia. They like to go to it in America and Japan. Alexandrova is considered an intellectual and emotional ballerina, and her thoughts on ballet confirm this.

First of all, the famous artist believes that dance should serve as a tool for improving our world. And this should happen when humanity no longer has words. The language of dance is able to work miracles, to enrich a person spiritually.

And Alexandrova is proud of Russian ballet dancers, who, for all their complexities of character, can still use this instrument. She is absolutely sure of this.

As you know, Western choreographers are very fond of expressing protest phenomena in society in their productions, that is, they introduce political motives into them. Maria Alexandrova has a different opinion. Politics, according to the dancer, should not be present in the ballet. This art exists to create a vivid image of the human soul on stage, and not to tear it apart with political problems.