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Russian Ballerinas, What You Need To Know (Introduction)

Written by Anna Armstrong

Last updated on April 16th, 2022

Table of contents:

Who Are The Best Contemporary Russian Ballerinas?
Why Are Russian Ballerinas The Most Popular? (Insights)
What Are The Most Famous Russian Ballets? (Globally)
What Are The Best Places To See A Ballet In Russia?

Russia is famous for many things, and one of them is ballet and beautiful ballerinas. Initially, ballet in Russia was introduced when Peter the Great in the 17th century wanted to challenge the west by proving that Russia could be competing with the ballets of France and Italy. Today over 300 years later, Russian ballet is known worldwide, and each year draws people from all over to the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. What is more, ballet in Russia is at the heart of Russian culture and is favored by most Russians who see it as an important part of their identity. Beautiful Russian ballerinas are followed on social media, and little girls in Russia dream about a career as a ballerina at one of the famous theaters. Ballets like Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, and The Sleeping Beauty are notable Russian ballets that play for full houses not just in Russia but all around the world. Even during Soviet times, the Russian ballet managed to survive when the communist party banned many other cultural institutions.

In contrast to western ballets, the ballets in Russia are seen as an amazing blend of classical ballet and Russian folk dance tradition, with roots back to the 17th century where Peter the Great wanted ballet to take over from Russian folk dance. Thus, by experts, ballets in Russia are perceived to have a deeper and more profound spirit than western ballets. It is said to bring the character of the Russian soul to the dance, making it more captivating to watch. At the core of it all, we find the beautiful Russian ballerinas who demonstrate perfection and skill with their amazingly flexible bodies. With over 200 dancers at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, where most are women, you find the biggest company of dancers anywhere in the world. And thus the biggest number of ballerinas, who have worked hard to get there. Most ballerinas in Russia started practicing from an early age, spending many years growing better and better, hoping to become the next prima ballerina.

However, for even ballerinas in Russia, life is not always a dance on roses. After its renovation and reopening in 2005, the Bolshoi theater was hit by a string of scandals that got worldwide attention. From corruption to sex scandals involving the theater’s ballerinas who accused the theater management of forcing them into prostitution, as they felt pressed to sleep with donors and other VIPs on behalf of the theater. Today the Bolshoi Theather has new management and is supposed to be run professionally by its ballet director Makhar Vaziev. Yet, Russian culture has always been prone to scandals and corruption, so time will tell if the work conditions for the Russian ballerinas have radically changed for the better. Besides, one could argue that ballet in Russia uniquely reflects the character of the Russian woman, the combination of hard work, pain, and beauty. If you would like to know more about the characteristics of Russian women, you should check out our article on the characteristics of Russian women, which you can find here.

Who Are The Best Contemporary Russian Ballerinas?

Having given you a short introduction to the dramatics of Russian ballet and its ballerinas, we now put our attention to some of the most prominent and beautiful ballerinas in Russia today. Let’s begin with Diana Vishneva, born in Leningrad (today St. Petersburg) during Soviet times in 1976. At the age of 9, she applied unsuccessfully to the Vaganova Ballet Academy in Leningrad. It wasn’t until the age of 11 the academy accepted her, and by the age of 17, she won the gold medal at the 1994 Prix de Lausanne international ballet competition. Today, she is famous worldwide for her sense of musicality, flamboyance, and technical brilliance, bringing modern physicality and energy to her extensive repertoire. You can see her at the Mariinsky opening gala in 2013, giving a legendary performance of Carmen in this link. Another great Russian ballerina is the today 80-year-old Natalia Romanovna Makarova, who was a prima ballerina and choreographer. Makarova was often described as one of the absolute best of her generation. Like Dianna Vishneva, Makarova also studied at the Vaganova Ballet Academy, where she was accepted at 13.

After an incredible career in Russia, Makarova, at the age of 29, managed to defect from the Soviet Union during a tour to London with the Kirov ballet in 1970. Soon after her defection from the Soviet Union, she started performing at the American Ballet Theatre in New York City and the Royal Ballet in London. In this video from 1988, you see Makarova reunited with the Kirov ballet 18 years later after her defection. Moving on to the beautiful Russian ballerina Alina Alekseevna Somova who today is a principal dancer with the Mariinsky Ballet of Saint Petersburg. Like Natalia Makarova and Diana Vishneva, Alina Somova also was a student at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St.Petersburg, from where she graduated in 2003. The same year she was admitted to the Mariinsky Ballet and one year later was promoted to soloist. Since 2008 Alina Somova has danced as a principal dancer, which is the highest rank in a professional ballet company. You can see a full Alina Somova performance in this video from 2012, where she dances Masha the Princess in the Nutcracker.

Evgenia Viktorovna Obraztsova is another Russian ballerina who deserves some attention. Obraztsova is a prima ballerina with the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow and with the Mariinsky Ballet in St. Petersburg. Furthermore, Obraztsova has starred in movies such as Les poupées russes or Russian Dolls in English. Obraztsova played Natasha in a role resembling her actual life, as Natasha was a young ballerina in the Mariinsky Theater. Like all of the above-mentioned Russian ballerinas, Obraztsova also studied at the Vaganova Ballet Academy, where she graduated in 2002. Today, Obraztsova has gained international recognition by dancing Cinderella at the Rome Opera and her title role in the ballet Ondine. Evgenia in 2007 received the Russian theatre award Golden Mask the most prestigious ballet award in Russia. You can watch a portrait of Obraztsova in this video here. Of other prominent Russian ballerinas, we can mention Ulyana Lopatkina (the Mariinsky Theatre), Svetlana Zakharova (the Bolshoy Theatre), Natalia Osipova (the Mikhaylovsky Theatre), and Ekaterina Kondaurova (the Mariinsky Theatre). They all have their individual dancing style and are amazing to watch in Russia’s great theaters.

Why Are Russian Ballerinas The Most Popular? (Insights)

For the past 300 years, ballerinas in Russia have been the center of attention and a part of Russia’s soul. They have been loved and hated, envied and admired, and the center of countless scandals, love affairs, and dramas. However, when Peter the Great in the 17th century decided to make Russia the most prominent ballet country in the world, ballerinas did not come from an aristocratic background as one might think – on the contrary, many of the ballerinas were found and trained in orphanages. Furthermore, in contrast to France and Italy, where ballet was exclusively enjoyed by the aristocrats and rich upper elites, ballet in Russia at the time was inexpensive to watch and enjoyed by the lower classes. That from the beginning gave ballet in Russia a much wider appeal than in Europe. Moreover, the perception was that anybody could become a Russian ballerina if they worked hard enough and had the talent. Something that aspiring young Russian ballerinas believe as well today.

Undoubtedly, the history of Russian ballet and its ballerinas plays a significant part in why Russian ballerinas by fans from any social class are considered stars. Likewise, professional ballet critics considered Russian ballerinas to be unique and encompass a blend of beauty, pain, and melancholy you don’t find in other ballerinas worldwide. Some argue that it might have something to do with more harch training regimens that aspiring ballerinas in Russia have to endure, compared to western dance academies. Another reason why Russian ballerinas are so popular has to do with their natural beauty. Women in Russia are considered to be some of the most beautiful women in the world by most standards. Their long-defined limbs and fair skin, together with a charismatic feel to the way they move on stage, provides the perfect combination that the audiences admire. Furthermore, when it comes to the talent of Russian ballerinas, they are said to provide a unique blend of individualism and trained perfection.

Furthermore, Russian ballerinas are known to be excellent drama divas for the press and tabloid media, getting them a lot of attention. In Russia, you often read about a scandal or love affair with some Russian oligarch and a beautiful ballerina that has gone wrong. Or rivalry between two prima ballerinas from different theaters who fight about who is best or most attractive. Thus, providing a sort of Hollywood drama to the lives of ballerinas in Russia. Likewise, on social media, Russian ballerinas post beautiful pictures of themselves to hundred of thousands of fans that follow them in whatever they do. Here are a few examples; Abashova Maria, who is a soloist at the Eifman ballet in St. Petersburg, Stanislava Postnove, who is 19, and a dancer at the Bolshoi in Moscow, Maria Khoreva, who is a ballerina with the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Ekaterina Borchenko who is a principal dancer with the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, and the list goes on.

What Are The Most Famous Russian Ballets? (Globally)

There is no doubt that the ballerinas in Russia are in their one league, living fascinating lives with its up and downs, hard work, disappointments, and great triumphs. In the section, we’ll go over some of the most famous and prominent Russian ballets where Russian ballerinas for centuries have given their blood to provide the audience with an extraordinary performance. Well, let’s begin with The Sleeping Beauty that originally was premiered on January 15 in 1890, at the Mariinsky Theatre in St.Petersburg and at the time was seen as a radical, innovative production by Marius Petipa, a 72-year-old chief choreographer of the Mariinsky Theatre. The music was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who finish the score in 1889, and is the second of his three ballets. With its prologue and apotheosis, this three-act ballet encompasses everything produced by the genre of classical ballet over the three hundred years it has existed. Today it is still one of the most popular ballets around, and every year a new adaption plays for full houses somewhere in the world.

The world-famous Swan Lake is another great ballet that ranks among Russia’s most famous productions of all time and again with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Initially, it was premiered at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in 1877, where it was performed 29 times before it was closed down and believed to be forever forgotten. Nevertheless, in 1894, the Mariinsky Theater, at a memorial event celebrating the composer, showed the swan scene from the ballet, with new choreography by Lev Ivanov. As a result, Swan Lake was reborn, and especially the circle dance, with its beautiful ballerinas representing swans, had made a great impression on the audience. Since then, Swan Lake has been interpreted and adapted countless times, not just in Russia but also in the rest of the world. For many, Swan Lake has become synonymous with the notion of true ballet; its great narrative, beauty, and ballerinas have made it immortal and a part of Russia’s soul. Here is a link if you want to see a full production of Swan Lake from the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

The final most famous Russian ballet we are going to mention here is The Nutcracker. The Nutcracker was originally choreographed by Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa and with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It was premiered on December 18 in 1892, at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg. Today The Nutcracker, to many, is associated with Christmas. However, the Nutcracker has only recently been connected with Christmas after the choreographer George Balanchine staged his version of the ballet for the New York City Ballet. In North America, The Nutcracker is so popular that it generates over 40% of the yearly income during the holiday season for major company houses. Thus, making it one of the most popular ballets ever produced. In Russia, during the holiday season, The Nutcracker pays for full houses both at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg. Here is a link if you want to see the full-length ballet from the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

What Are The Best Places To See A Ballet In Russia?

If you visit Russia and you want to have a truly unique and amazing experience, visiting one of Russia’s great theaters and its ballerinas is a brilliant idea. In this section, we’ll tell you what you need to know regarding what theaters to visit and where to buy your tickets online. Furthermore, we’ll try to describe some of the differences between the different theaters when it comes to style and concept. However, if you want to see a popular ballet in Russia, it is a good idea to buy or book your tickets well in advance before you arrive in Russia; often, tickets are sold out months in advance. Nonetheless, if you read the above sections, you most likely couldn’t help noticing that we, again and again, mentioned the two most prominent theaters in Russia, i.e., the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and The Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. Both theaters are world-famous for their architecture and their amazing ballerinas. In Moscow, the Bolshoi Theatre seeks to amaze with experimental performances, even though more classical ballets often are better received.

Thus, if you want to try something slightly different than true classical ballet, you can buy your tickets here. The Bolshoi Theatre has four stages; the New Stage, The Historic Stage, The Beethoven Hall, and the Boris Pokrovsky Chamber Stage. Normally two to three shows are available daily. Here is a video about the Bolshoi if you want to see what it looks like from the inside. When it comes to the Bolshoi Theater’s main competitor, the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, it is often referred to as the best ballet theater of Russia due to its more classical concept. Thus its repertoire is more conservative and less experimental. The Mariinsky Theatre offers three different stages: The Mariinsky Theatre, The Mariinsky II, and The Concert Hall. Hence, you can see three different shows daily, and if you want to buy tickets, you can do it here. Here is a video from behind the scene at the Mariinsky. For both the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky, ticket prices vary according to where you want to be seated, the day of the week, and what stage you are on (25 USD – 250 USD).

Apart from the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky theatres, you also find a few other excellent theatres worth checking out. The Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre offer various shows from classical ballets to concerts and more experimental concepts. It was initially an opera studio of the Bolshoi Theatre, but today it has its own life. You can buy tickets here. In St. Petersburg, you find the Mikhaylovsky Theatre of St. Petersburg, a beautiful theater that offers various interesting shows ranging from classical ballets to modern music and theatre concepts. Here is a little video to see what the theatre looks like from the inside, and here is where you buy tickets. Opera and ballet theatres in Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, and Perm can also be considered some of the best theatres for ballet in Russia. And if you are into more modern dance, the Theatre “Provintsialnye Tantsy” (“Provincial Dances”) in Yekaterinburg is also known to be one of the best in Russia. In conclusion: The two best places to see a ballet in Russia it the Bolshoi Theather in Moscow and the Mariinsky Theatre in St.Petersburg.