Ivan Vladimirovich Vasiliev (born 9 January 1989) is a Russian

ballet dancer A ballet dancer is a person who practices the Art (skill), art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. B ...

and choreographer. He graduated from the Bielorussian Ballet School in 2006. Early on, he won prizes that include First Prize and Best Dancer Prize at the Arabesque-96 Ballet Competition in Perm in 2005, First Prize at the Moscow International Ballet Competition in 2006, Special Distinction of the Varna International Ballet Competition in 2006, Rising Star of Soul of Dance Award in 2008, one of "25 to Watch" of ''Dance'' Magazine 2008, Benois Prix de la Danse in 2009, Virtuosity Prize of International Dance Open in Saint Peterburg in 2010, followed by the Grand Prix the following year, Best Dancer of 2011 UK Critic's Award. In 2014 he was granted the title of "Honoured Artist of Russia". In 2015, by public poll, he was awarded Discovery of the Year QG Prize, for his first ballet evening as choreographer.

Career

Vasiliev joined the Bolshoi Ballet in the end of 2006, as first soloist. When 2010 came to an end he had already performed the leading roles in ''

Le Corsaire ''Le Corsaire'' is a ballet typically presented in three acts, with a libretto originally created by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges loosely based on the poem '' The Corsair'' by Lord Byron. Originally choreographed by Joseph Mazilier to ...

'', '' Flames of Paris'', ''

Don Quixote , the full title being ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'', is a Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, the novel is considered a founding work of Western literature and is of ...

'', ''

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

'', ''La Fille Mal-Gardée'', ''Spartacus'', '' Petrouchka'', ''

The Nutcracker ''The Nutcracker'' (, ), Opus number, Op. 71, is an 1892 two-act classical ballet (conceived as a '; ) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, set on Christmas Eve at the foot of a Christmas tree in a child's imagination featuring a Nutcracker doll. Th ...

'', '' La Esmeralda'', ''

La Bayadère ''La Bayadère'' ("the temple dancer") ( ru. «Баядерка», ''Bayaderka'') is an 1877 ballet, originally staged in four acts and seven tableaux by the French choreographer Marius Petipa to music by Ludwig Minkus and libretto by . The ba ...

'' and been promoted to the rank of principal 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 company, ballet companies. In the early 20th century, it ca ...

; he was the last dancer to be coached by

Roland Petit Roland Petit (13 January 192410 July 2011) was a French ballet company director, choreographer and dancer. He trained at the Paris Opera Ballet school, and became well known for his creative ballets. Life and work The son of shoe designer Ro ...

in the role of Le Jeune Homme, and had joined The Kings of The Dance international group of male dancer stars. Vasiliev and Natalia Osipova, his then-fiancée, left the Bolshoi in the end of 2011, in the search for wider artistic horizons. They both became principals of the Mikhailovsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, with plenty of freedom to perform worldwide as guests. Vasiliev became a regular guest principal at the

American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant. Through 2019, it had an annual eight-week season at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center) in the spr ...

La Scala La Scala (, , ; officially , ) is a historic opera house in Milan, Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as (, which previously was Santa Maria della Scala, Milan, a church). The premiere performa ...

and the Bolshoi. He also performed leading roles in Mariinsky Theatre, Stanislavsky Theatre, Novosibirsk Theatre, English National Ballet, Bayrisches Staatsballet, and

the Australian Ballet The Australian Ballet (TAB) is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur a ...

. The Kings of The Dance initiative brought him through many countries during 5 years. In 2015 he became regular principal also in the Novosibirsk Theatre. Beginning in 2015, Vasiliev started to dedicate himself to choreography too. He staged an evening in the spring of 2015 with short pieces, an evening with three one-act ballets in the spring with 2016, and a full length Christmas ballet the following winter. In May 2016, one more one-act ballet was presented in the scope of Project for Young Choreographers in Bolshoi.

Repertoire

Full length ballets

- Marius Petipa, in the versions by Alexei Fadeyechev, Mikhail Messerer and Rudolph Nurejev Flames of Paris - Vasily Vainonen, in the versions by

Alexei Ratmansky Alexei Osipovich Ratmansky (, born August 27, 1968) is a Russian-Ukrainian-American choreographer and former ballet dancer. From 2004 to 2008 he was the director of the Moscow Bolshoi Ballet. He left Russia in 2008. In 2009 he was appointed the ar ...

and Mikhail Messerer

- Marius Petipa, in the versions of Alexey Ratmansky and Mikhail Messerer La Bayadére - Marius Petipa, in 3 versions of Vakhtang Chabukiani,

Natalia Makarova Natalia Romanovna Makarova (, born 21 November 1940) is a Russian prima ballerina and choreographer. ''The History of Dance'', published in 1981, notes that "her performances set standards of artistry and aristocracy of dance which mark her a ...

and Yuri Grigorovitch Spartacus - Yuri Grigorovitch Ivan The Terrible - Yuri Grigorovitch The Prodigal Son - Georges Balanchine The Sleeping Beauty - in the versions of Nacho Duato and Marius Petipa Giselle - Marius Petipa and in the versions of Yuri Grigorovitch, Vladimir Vasiliev The Nutcracker - Yuri Grigorovich Lost Illusions - Alexey Ratmansky La Fille Mal Gardé - Sir Frederick Ashton Romeo and Juliet - in 3 versions, of Sir

Kenneth MacMillan Sir Kenneth MacMillan (11 December 192929 October 1992) was a British ballet dancer and choreographer who was artistic director of the Royal Ballet in London between 1970 and 1977, and its principal choreographer from 1977 until his death. Ea ...

, Sir Frederick Ashton and Nacho Duato The Bright Stream - Alexey Ratmansky Coppelia - Marius Petipa, in 2 versions of Sergei Vikharev and Enrique Martinez The Swan Lake - Marius Petipa, in versions of Derek Lane (Siegfried), Mikhail Messerer (Evil Sorcerer), Kevin MacKenzie (Rothbarth) La Sylphide - James Bournounville Laurencia - Vakhtang Chabukiani, version by Mikhail Messerer Notre-Dame - Roland Petit Cippollino - Genrikh Mayorov A Christmas Carol - Ivan Vasiliev

One Act Ballets

Class Concert Halt de la Cavallerie L'Arlesiénne Le Jeune Homme et La Mort Labyrinth of Solitude Le Spectre de La Rose For 4 Jazzy Five Ko'D Mercy Passo Facada Mozart and Salieri Petroushka Sheherazade Shostakovitch Piano Concert Blind Affair Morphine Love is Everywhere Natasha's First Ball

Independent short Ballets

Rossini PDD Serenata PDD The Talisman PDD Underwood Kamarinskaya The Skydivers

References

External links

*https://web.archive.org/web/20110621234333/http://www.bolshoi.ru/en/theatre/ballet_troupe/soloists/index.php?act26=info&id26=842&id30=1584 *http://www.ardani.com/projects-vasiliev.php *https://web.archive.org/web/20080905175742/http://www.ballet.co.uk/magazines/yr_07/aug07/interview_ivan_vasiliev.htm *http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/dance/7838728/Ivan-Vasiliev-rocket-man.html *http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/reviews/first-night-the-bolshoi-ballet-royal-opera-house-2030487.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Vasiliev, Ivan Living people 1989 births Russian male ballet dancers People from Vladivostok Bolshoi Ballet principal dancers