02/02/2022
The last winter month is overwhelmingly rich in notable ballet dates: such bright ballet dancers as Anna Pavlova, Ekaterina Maksimova, Sylvie Guillem were all born in February. What else is special about this month?
On February 1, 1939, People's Artist of the USSR Ekaterina Maximova was born. For thirty years, she was the leading soloist with the Bolshoi Theater. The duet of Ekaterina Maximova and her husband Vladimir Vasiliev is recognized worldwide as a model one.
On February 1, 1837, Gustav Legat, a Russian dancer, choreographer and teacher, was born. He was a soloist with the Mariinsky Theater and Bolshoi Theater and also taught at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography.
On February 1, 1934, People's Artist of the USSR Marina Kondratieva, an artist with the Bolshoi Ballet Company and, nowadays, a ballet master and tutor with the Bolshoi Theater, was born.
February 1, 1965 is the birthday of Vadim Pisarev, a ballet dancer, choreographer and the Artistic Director of the Donbass Opera and Ballet Theater.
On February 2, 1871, Olga Preobrazhenskaya, a famous Russian ballerina, teacher, prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater, was born.
On February 3, 1895, Margarita Kandaurova, a Russian and Soviet ballerina, prima ballerina with the Bolshoi Theater, was born.
On February 5, 1970, George Balanchine's one-act ballet Who Cares? featuring music by George Gershwin premiered in New York.
On February 6, 1921, Yuri Kondratov, a ballet dancer and People's Artist of the RSFSR, was born. At the Bolshoi Theater, he was a partner dancer of Galina Ulanova, Olga Lepeshinskaya, Maya Plisetskaya.
February 6 is the birthday of Vitaly Biktimirov, the first soloist of the Bolshoi Theater.
February 8, 1673 is considered to be the birthday of Russian ballet. The first ballet performance was given at the court of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich on that date.
On February 8, 1931, Vladimir Vasilyov, a choreographer and People's Artist of the Russian Federation, was born. Until his death in 2017, he headed the State Academic Classical Ballet Theater.
On February 12, 1881, Anna Pavlova, one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century, was born. She became a symbol of Russian ballet; her dancing is still admired and serves as a standard of the highest art.
On February 13, 1929, Ninel Kurgapkina, a Soviet ballerina who danced on the stage of the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theater in Leningrad, was born. She was the first partner of Nureyev and Baryshnikov. She devoted to teaching over 40 years of her life.
February 13, 1944 is the birthday of Sergei Radchenko, an Honored Artist of the RSFSR, soloist with the Bolshoi Theater and Artistic Director of Sergei Radchenko's Russian National Ballet.
On February 13, 1995, Jacopo Tissi, a principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet Company, was born.
On February 15, 1962, Sergei Vikharevn, a Soviet and Russian ballet dancer, choreographer, ballet master with the Mariinsky Opera and Ballet Theater and Honored Artist of Russia, was born.
On February 15, 1945, ‘Leningrad Symphony’, a one-act ballet, featuring music by Dmitry Shostakovich premiered in New York.
February 16, 1943 is the birthday of Sir Anthony Dowell, an English ballet dancer, choreographer, one of the most outstanding dancers of the 20th century.
On February 18, 1947, Dmitry Bryantsev, a ballet dancer, choreographer with the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theater in Leningrad, chief choreographer of Moscow’s Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theater, was born.
On February 18, 1949, Marina Leonova, a ballet dancer, soloist with the Bolshoi Theater, ballet teacher, People's Artist of the Russian Federation, was born.
On February 20, 1975, the ballet Ivan the Terrible featuring music by Sergei Prokofiev staged by Yuri Grigorovich premiered at the Bolshoi Theater.
On February 22, 1932, People's Artist of the RSFSR Boris Khokhlov was born. From 1951 to 1972, he was an artist with the Bolshoi Ballet Company.
On February 23, 1910, Alexei Ermolaev, a ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher, People's Artist of the USSR, was born. He was with the Bolshoi Theatre from 1930 onward.
On February 23, 1979, Denis Matvienko, an Associate Professor of the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, principal dancer with the Mariinsky Theater and Honored Artist of Ukraine, was born.
On February 23, 1980, Irina Perren, a prima ballerina with the St. Petersburg Mikhailovsky Theatre, laureate of the Golden Soffit Award and Honored Artist of Russia, was born.
February 24 is the birthday of John Neumeier, an outstanding choreographer. Neumeier’s ballet company has performed on the stages in Moscow and St. Petersburg many times.
February 25, 1910 is the birthday of Tatiana Vecheslova, a prima ballerina of the Kirov Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater and an outstanding teacher.
On February 25, 1947, Jorge Donn, a soloist and, later, Artistic Director of the Ballet of the 20th Century, was born. He is said to be Maurice Bejart's favorite ballet dancer.
On February 25, 1965, Sylvie Guillem, a French ballerina and one of the greatest dancers in the world, was born. She is the youngest prima ballerina in the entire history of the Grand Opera.
On February 26, 1919, Alla Shelest, a prima ballerina with the Kirov Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater, was born. From 1970 to 1973, she was the chief choreographer of the Kuibyshev Theater.
On February 26, 1961, Gediminas Taranda, a soloist of the Bolshoi Ballet, actor and Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, was born.
February 27, 1984 is the birthday of Denis Savin, a principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet and Honored Artist of Russia.
On February 28, 1959, Alla Sigalova, a ballet dancer, choreographer, TV presenter, professor, laureate of numerous awards and Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, was born.
On February 29, 1920, a new production of Swan Lake by Alexander Gorsky was staged at the Bolshoi Theater. For the first time ever, the Odette-Odile part was shared by two ballerinas and got a happy ending.
