Svetlana Yuryevna Zakharova (russian: Светлана Юрьевна Захарова, uk, Світлана Юріївна Захарова; born 10 June 1979) is a Russian

prima ballerina A ballet dancer ( it, ballerina fem.; ''ballerino'' masc.) is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet; however, dancers have a strict hierarchy and strict gender roles. They rely on yea ...

with 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 an étoile of the

La Scala Theatre Ballet The La Scala Theatre Ballet ( it, Corpo di ballo del Teatro alla Scala) is the resident classical ballet company at La Scala in Milan, Italy. One of the oldest and most renowned ballet companies in the world, the company pre-dates the theatre, bu ...

Early life

Svetlana Zakharova was born in

Lutsk Lutsk ( uk, Луцьк, translit=Lutsk}, ; pl, Łuck ; yi, לוצק, Lutzk) is a city on the Styr River in northwestern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Volyn Oblast (province) and the administrative center of the surrounding Luts ...

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

, on . At the age of six, she was taken by her mother to learn folk dancing at a local studio, and by the age of 10, she had auditioned and was accepted into the Kyiv Choreography School. Valeria Sulegina was one of her teachers.A Young Ballerina Learns to Walk Through Open Doors
biography of Svetlana Zakharova by Gia Kourlas,

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

, 21 July 2005. In 1995, after six years at the Kyiv School, Zakharova entered the Young Dancers' Competition (Vaganova-Prix) in St. Petersburg. The youngest contestant, she took second prize and was invited to continue her training in the graduating course of St Petersburg's Vaganova Academy. It was the first time in the school's history to allow a student to skip two grades. After attending the pre-eminent Russian ballet school for one year, Zakharova then joined the

Mariinsky ballet The Mariinsky Ballet (russian: Балет Мариинского театра) is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russ ...

in 1996.

Mariinsky Ballet

Zakharova debuted with the

Mariinsky Ballet The Mariinsky Ballet (russian: Балет Мариинского театра) is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russ ...

in 1996, appearing as Maria with Ruben Bobovnikov, in

Rostislav Zakharov Rostislav Vladimirovich Zakharov (russian: Ростислав Владимирович Захаров; September 7, 1907 – January 15, 1984) was a Soviet and Russian choreographer, ballet dancer and opera director. He was a professor at the Russia ...

's ''The Fountain of Bakhchisarai.'' In 1997, after her first year with the Mariinsky, at 18, Zakharova was promoted to

principal dancer A principal dancer (often shortened to principal) is a dancer at the highest rank within a professional dance company, particularly a ballet company. A principal may be male or female. The position is similar to that of '' soloist''; however, p ...

. Her first partner was principal Igor Zelensky.Svetlana Zakharova's page
at the Bolchoi Theatre Olga Moiseyeva was her coach.

Bolshoi Ballet

By 2003, Zakharova "was getting itchy feet" at the Mariinsky, and moved to the

. The offer from the Bolshoi company was longstanding, and the departure from the Mariinsky was reportedly due to discontent with that company, as well as personal invitation from the legendary Vladimir Vasiliev. Zakharova is coached by Lyudmila Semenyaka.

Rise to fame

From 1999 on, Zakharova regularly performed as a guest soloist at the Paris Opera where she worked with French choreographer

Pierre Lacotte Pierre Lacotte (born 4 April 1932) is a French ballet dancer and choreographer who specialised in the reconstruction of lost choreographies of romantic ballets. His mother was an affirmed musician and he manifested very early his interest for da ...

. Lacotte is viewed as a leading authority on classical ballet contributing to the career of

Evgenia Obraztsova Evgenia Viktorovna Obraztsova (russian: Евге́ния Ви́кторовна Образцо́ва; born 18 January 1984) is a Russian ballerina. She is a prima ballerina with the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, and with the Mariinsky Ballet. Early ...

and

Hannah O'Neill Hannah O'Neill (born January 8, 1993) is a New Zealand ballet dancer who is an '' étoile'' with the Paris Opera Ballet. Early life O'Neill was born in Japan to a Japanese mother, Sumie, and a New Zealand father, Chris, a professional rugby pl ...

. Svetlana Zakharova was the first Russian principal dancer performing in Paris and became a world star as of 2000. Successful assignments followed, ranging from great classical roles like Giselle, Odette-Odile in "Swan Lake", Aurora in "Sleeping Beauty", and Nikiya in "La Bayadère," to such modern works as Balanchine's "Serenade", "Symphony in C" and "Apollo" as well as McMillan's "Manon" and Neumeier's "Now and Then"The embodiment of joy and beauty
article by Elena Fyodorenko, Russia Now, 11 June 2009. At

in Italy, Zakharova danced with partner

Roberto Bolle Roberto Bolle (born March 26, 1975 in Casale Monferrato) is an Italian danseur. He is currently a ''principal dancer'' with the American Ballet Theatre and a principal dancer ''étoile'' at La Scala Theatre Ballet. Bolle also dances regularly ...

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 ...

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, ...

, The Sleeping Beauty, and

La Bayadère ''La Bayadère'' ("the temple dancer") ( ru. «Баядерка», ''Bayaderka'') is a ballet, originally staged in four acts and seven tableaux by French choreographer Marius Petipa to the music of Ludwig Minkus. The ballet was staged especiall ...

. Other notable appearances: Zakharova was one of the dancers featured in the 2006 documentary ''

Ballerina A ballet dancer ( it, ballerina fem.; ''ballerino'' masc.) is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet; however, dancers have a strict hierarchy and strict gender roles. They rely on yea ...

''. She has presented her own TV programme (Svetlana) on Russian television, a festival of children's dance running from 2015 to 2018. As of July 2020, she is also presenting "Bolshoi Ballet", a ballet competition for professional ballet dancers. She has performed in her own solo programme, sold out across Europe, "Modanse", a more modern ballet, and "Coco", an homage to

Coco Chanel Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel ( , ; 19 August 1883 – 10 January 1971) was a French fashion designer and businesswoman. The founder and namesake of the Chanel brand, she was credited in the post-World War I era with popularizing a sporty, c ...

featuring costumes from the eponymous design house.

Awards

* 1997 : Vaganova-Prix Young Dancers Competition, Sankt-Peterburg (2nd prize) * 1999 : Golden Mask for Serenade * 2000 : Golden Mask for The Sleeping Beauty * 2005 :

Prix Benois de la Danse The Benois de la Danse is a ballet competition held annually in Moscow. Founded by the International Dance Association in 1991, it takes place each year on or around April 29 and it's judged by a jury. The members of this jury change every year and ...

for Hippolita (Titania) in

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...

* 2006 : State Prize of the Russian Federation * 2008 People's artist of Russia * 2008 Elected State Duma deputy ( Russian parliament) * 2015 : Prix Benois de la Danse for Marguerite Gautier in "The Lady of the Camellias" by

John Neumeier John Neumeier (born February 24, 1939) is an American ballet dancer, choreographer, and director. He has been the director and chief choreographer of Hamburg Ballet since 1973. Five years later he founded the Hamburg Ballet School, which also in ...

and Mekhmene-Banu in "Légende d'amour" by

Yury Grigorovich Yury Nikolayevich Grigorovich (russian: Ю́рий Никола́евич Григоро́вич; born 2 January 1927 in Leningrad) is a Soviet and Russian dancer and choreographer Vadim Repin Vadim Viktorovich Repin (russian: Вадим Викторович Репин, ; born 31 August 1971) is a Russian and Belgian violinist who lives in Vienna.

, and they have one child, daughter Anna (b. 2011). She had withdrawn from the Bolshoi Ballet tour to London in the summer of 2010 citing a hip injury; she was pregnant at the time. Zakharova returned to dancing, and performed in London on , in a gala performance celebrating Soviet ballerina

Galina Ulanova Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova (russian: Галина Сергеевна Уланова, ; 21 March 1998) was a Russian ballet dancer. She is frequently cited as being one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century. Biography Ulanova was born ...

. She named the Italian dancer

as one of her favorite partners. A member of

United Russia United Russia ( rus, Единая Россия, Yedinaya Rossiya, (j)ɪˈdʲinəjə rɐˈsʲijə) is a Conservatism in Russia, Russian conservative List of political parties in Russia, political party. As the largest party in Russia, it hold ...

party, Zakharova was a supporter of Russian President

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...

and the

annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation In February and March 2014, Russia invaded and subsequently annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. This event took place in the aftermath of the Revolution of Dignity and is part of the wider Russo-Ukrainian War. The events in Kyiv th ...

during the

Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War; uk, російсько-українська війна, rosiisko-ukrainska viina. has been ongoing between Russia (alongside Russian separatist forces in Donbas, Russian separatists in Ukraine) and Ukraine since Feb ...

, which led to a break in her relationship with the Kyiv Choreographic School in particular. File:Svetlana Zakharova in Kitri Variation with the Bolshoi Ballet.jpg File:Zakharova and Uvarov in Swan Lake, Bolshoi Theatre 2011-10-28.jpg File:Svetlana Zakharova 02.png File:Svetlana Zakharova & Andrei Merkuriev.jpg

References

External links

Svetlana Zakharova's page
at the Bolchoi Theatre * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Zakharova, Svetlana 1979 births Living people People from Lutsk La Scala Theatre Ballet dancers Prima ballerinas Russian ballerinas State Prize of the Russian Federation laureates Bolshoi Ballet principal dancers 21st-century Russian ballet dancers Fifth convocation members of the State Duma (Russian Federation) Pro-Russian people of the 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine