Galina Olegovna Stepanenko (russian: Галина Олеговна Степаненко; born 12 June 1966) is a Russian ballet teacher. She is a former ''prima ballerina'' of the

Bolshoi Ballet The Bolshoi Ballet is an internationally renowned classical ballet company based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is among the world's oldest ballet companies. In the early 20th century, it came to internatio ...

, and since 2013 has been head of the Bolshoi's ballet troupe.

Biography

Born in Moscow on 12 June 1966, Stepanenko studied rhythmic gymnastics, studying to the first grade and receiving an invitation to the Olympic Reserve School. In 1976 she entered the Moscow Academic Choreographic School, studying under Professor Sofia Golovkina, and graduating with honours in 1984. During her studies she danced several main roles in the school's performances: as Swanhilda in '' Coppélia'', Lise in '' La fille mal gardée'', and the soloist in the ''Paquita grand pas classique''. Between 1984 and 1988 Stepanenko was a soloist of the ensemble, studying under . In 1988 Stepanenko joined the troupe of the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre, spending two years there under the tutelage of Nina Chkalova. In 1990 Stepanenko was accepted into the Bolshoi Ballet, where she was taught by, at first,

Marina Semyonova Marina Timofeyevna Semyonova (russian: Марина Тимофеевна Семёнова, – 9 June 2010) was the first Soviet-trained prima ballerina. She was born in Saint-Petersburg. She was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1975. E ...

, and later rehearsed with ,

Raisa Struchkova Raisa Stepanovna Struchkova (russian: Раиса Степановна Стручкова) (5 October 19252 May 2005) was a Russian dancer and People's Artist of the USSR. Biography Struchkova was born on 5 October 1925 in Moscow to a factory wo ...

, and Ekaterina Maximova. In 1992 Stepanenko graduated from the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts, having taken the course of Marina Semyonova, and received the specialty of a teacher-choreographer. In December 2012 Stepanenko retired from dancing and became a teacher-coach for the Bolshoi Ballet. On 22 January 2013 she became acting artistic director of the ballet troupe, and since autumn 2013 she has been head of the Bolshoi's ballet troupe.

Repertoire

With the Moscow Classical Ballet

*Natalie ('' Natalie, or the Swiss Milkmaid'') *Soloist (''

Theme and Variations In music, variation is a formal technique where material is repeated in an altered form. The changes may involve melody, rhythm, harmony, counterpoint, timbre, orchestration or any combination of these. Variation techniques Mozart's Twelve ...

'') *Devil (''

La création du monde ''La Création du monde'', Op. 81a, is a 15-minute-long ballet composed by Darius Milhaud in 1922–23 to a libretto by Blaise Cendrars, which outlines the creation of the world based on African folk mythology. The premiere took place on 25 Oc ...

'') *Soloist (''Bachiana'') 1987, choreographer Alberto Alonso

With the Stanislavski and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre

*Odette-Odile (''

Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...

'') *Kitri and the Queen of the Dryads ('' Don Quixote'') *Kupava (''The Snow Maiden'') *Medora ('' Le Corsaire'')

With the Bolshoi Ballet

*1991 - Odette-Odile in ''

'' by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, arranged by Yury Grigorovich *1991 - Giselle in ''

Giselle ''Giselle'' (; ), originally titled ''Giselle, ou les Wilis'' (, ''Giselle, or The Wilis''), is a romantic ballet (" ballet-pantomime") in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam. Considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon, ...

'' by Adolphe Adam, arranged by Yury Grigorovich *1991 - Nikiya in '' La Bayadère'' by Ludwig Minkus, arranged by Yury Grigorovich *1992 - Medora in '' Le Corsaire'' by Adolphe Adam, arranged by Konstantin Sergeyev *1992 - Bacchante in '' Walpurgis Night'' from the opera '' Faust'' by Charles Gounod, choreography by Leonid Lavrovsky *1993 - Raymonda in '' Raymonda'' by

Alexander Glazunov Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov; ger, Glasunow (, 10 August 1865 – 21 March 1936) was a Russian composer, music teacher, and conductor of the late Russian Romantic period. He was director of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory between 1905 ...

, arranged by Yury Grigorovich *1994 - Rita in ''

The Golden Age Golden Age refers to a mythological period of primeval human existence perceived as an ideal state when human beings were pure and free from suffering. Golden Age may also refer to: * Golden age (metaphor), the classical term used as a metaphor ...

'' by

Dmitri Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, , group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his Symphony No. 1 (Shostakovich), First Symphony in 1926 and was regarded throug ...

, choreography by Yury Grigorovich *1994 - Kitri in '' Don Quixote'' by Ludwig Minkus, arranged by Yury Grigorovich *1995 - La Sylphide in '' La Sylphide'' by Herman Løvenskiold, choreography by

August Bournonville August Bournonville (21 August 1805 – 30 November 1879) was a Danish ballet master and choreographer. He was the son of Antoine Bournonville, a dancer and choreographer trained under the French choreographer, Jean Georges Noverre, and the nep ...

, staging by E. M. von Rosen *1995 - Aegina in '' Spartacus'' by Aram Khachaturian, choreographer Yury Grigorovich *1995 - Juliet in ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

'' by Sergei Prokofiev, choreography by Leonid Lavrovsky *1996 - The Swan Princess in ''

'' by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, production by Vladimir Vasiliev *1996 - Anyuta in to music by Valery Gavrilin, choreographer Vladimir Vasiliev *1997 - Princess Aurora in ''The Sleeping Beauty'' by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, arranged by Yury Grigorovich *1998 - Gamzatti in '' La Bayadère'' by Ludwig Minkus, arranged by Yury Grigorovich *1999 - Soloist of the 4th movement in '' Symphony in C'' to music by

Georges Bizet Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, ''Carmen'', whi ...

, choreography by

George Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze; ka, გიორგი მელიტონის ძე ბალანჩივაძე; January 22, 1904 (O. S. January 9) – April 30, 1983) was ...

*1999 - Seventh Waltz and Prelude in '' Chopiniana'' to music by

Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...

, choreography by Michel Fokine *1999 - Popadya in ''Balda'' to music by

, choreographer Vladimir Vasiliev *2002 - Odette-Odile in ''

'' by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, arranged by Yury Grigorovich *2004 - Dancer in '' Tarantella'' to music by Louis Moreau Gottschalk, choreography by

*2004 - Classical dancer in ''

The Limpid Stream ''The Limpid Stream'' (russian: Светлый ручей, also translated as ''The Bright Stream'') is a ballet in 3 acts, 4 scenes, composed by Dmitri Shostakovich on the libretto by Adrian Piotrovsky and Fyodor Lopukhov, with choreography by Fy ...

'' to music by

, choreographer Alexei Ratmansky *2006 - Carmen in '' Carmen Suite'' by

Rodion Shchedrin Rodion Konstantinovich Shchedrin ( rus, Родион Константинович Щедрин, , rədʲɪˈon kənstɐnʲˈtʲinəvʲɪtɕ ɕːɪˈdrʲin; born 16 December 1932) is a Soviet and Russian composer and pianist, winner of USSR State ...

, choreographer Alberto Alonso *2009 - Paquita in ''Paquita grand pas classique'' by Ludwig Minkus, arranged by

Honours and awards

*1984 - Laureate of the All-Union Ballet Competition in Moscow (1st prize and Prize of the

Leningrad Choreographic School The Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet is a school of classical ballet in St Petersburg, Russia. Established in 1738 during the reign of Empress Anna, the academy was known as the Imperial Ballet School until the Soviet era, when, after a brie ...

, junior group) *1985 - Laureate of the (2nd prize, junior group) *1989 - Laureate of the International Ballet Competition in Moscow (1st prize, senior group) *1994 -

Honoured Artist of Russia Merited Artist of the Russian Federation (russian: link=no, Заслуженный артист Российской Федерации, ''Zasluzhenny artist Rossiyskoy Federatsii'') is an honorary title in the Russian Federation. The title is ...

*1995 - Prize of the International Association of Choreographers '' Prix Benois de la Danse'' for the performance of the part of Kitri in the ballet '' Don Quixote'' *1995 - Prize "Etoile" from the magazine "Danza & Danza" ( Bolzano, Italy) *1996 - People's Artist of the Russian Federation *2001 - Order of Honour *2004 - Prize of the magazine ''Ballet'', "Soul of the Dance", in the nomination "Queen of the Dance"

Notes

References

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