Natalia Matsak (, born 17 March 1982) is a Ukrainian

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 ...

prima ballerina A ballet dancer is a person who practices the 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. Ballet dancers ...

(since 2005) in the National Opera House of Ukraine, and an

Honored Artist of Ukraine Honored Artist of Ukraine (; also translated as Honored (Performing) Artist of Ukraine or Merited (Performing) Artist of Ukraine) is a state honorary title of decoration of the Ukrainian government. Originally awarded by the Ukrainian SSR, the ...

(since 2008).

Biography

Early life and education

Matsak started taking dance classes when she was 4 years old. After dancing with the children's dance company ''Dudarik'' she went on to study ballet. From 1992 to 2000 Matsak studied at the Kyiv State Ballet School. Her first significant performance on the stage of the National Opera House of Ukraine took place during her senior year. Along with her groupmate Andrey Gura she made a performance of

pas de deux In ballet, a ( French, literally "step of two") is a dance duet in which two dancers, typically a male and a female, perform ballet steps together. The ''pas de deux'' is characteristic of classical ballet and can be found in many well-known ...

from ''

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 ...

'' (to the music of

Ludwig Minkus Ludwig Minkus (), also known as Léon Fyodorovich Minkus (23 March 1826, Vienna – 7 December 1917, Vienna), was an Austrian composer of ballet music, a violinist and teacher of music. Minkus is noted for the music he composed during his caree ...

Getting started in the National Opera House of Ukraine

After graduating from the Kyiv State Ballet School, Matsak joined the ballet company of the National Opera House of Ukraine. At the same time the leadership of the ballet company was taken over by the

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 either gender. The position is similar to that of ''Soloist (ballet), solois ...

People's Artist of Ukraine People's Artist of Ukraine () is an honorary title awarded by the government of Ukraine. It is the highest title awarded to outstanding performing artists whose merits are exceptional in the sphere of the development of the performing arts, inc ...

Victor Yaremenko, who was interested in working with young artists, who were open to new ideas and plot concepts. The 18-year-old ballerina's professional debut was a ''

pas de trois In ballet, ''pas de trois'' is a French term usually referring to a dance between three people. Typically, a ''pas de trois'' in ballet consists of five parts: #Entrée (the opening number for the three dancers, usually preceded by a short in ...

'' in the Kingdom of the Shades in ''

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 ...

'' (to the music of Minkus) and the premiere of ''Viennese Waltz'' on the stage of the National Opera House of Ukraine in 2001 (to the music of

Johann Strauss Johann Baptist Strauss II (; ; 25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (), was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas as well as a violinist. He compose ...

, musical composition of A. Baklan, ballet master Aniko Rekhviashvili).

Principal dancer of the National Opera House of Ukraine

In 2001 Matsak a received the new official title —

of the National Opera House of Ukraine. This gave her access to the parts in the ballet of academic heritage such as ''

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 ...

'' (A. Adam), ''

'' ( L. Minkus), ''

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

'', ''

Sleeping Beauty "Sleeping Beauty" (, or ''The Beauty Sleeping in the Wood''; , or ''Little Briar Rose''), also titled in English as ''The Sleeping Beauty in the Woods'', is a fairy tale about a princess curse, cursed by an evil fairy to suspended animation in fi ...

'' ( P. Tchaikovsky), ''

Raymonda ''Raymonda'' () is a ballet, grand ballet in three acts, four scenes with an apotheosis, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa to the music of Alexander Glazunov (his Opus number, opus 57) and libretto by Lydia Pashkova. ''Raymonda'' was creat ...

'' (A. Glazunov) and others. In 2004 Matsak took part in the Fifth Serge Lifar International Ballet Competition in Kyiv, receiving the Diploma of Laureate (2nd place). Within the competition she performed ''pas de deux'' from the classical repertoire (''

'', ''

''), and a modern dance called ''Dream Dance'' with Maksim Motkov (to the music of Kitaro-Chernenko, ballet master Aniko Rekhviashvili). In 2005 she won 3rd place in the Tenth Moscow International Ballet Competition and Contest of Choreographers. Among many of her performances, there was a variation of Odette from ''

'', a variation of Kitri from the 1st act of ''

'', a variation of Gamzatti from ''

La Bayadere LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smit ...

'', a modern dance ''Say it Quieter, If You Can'' (ballet master Yevgeniy Chernov) and others. Matask's performance was recognised by Olga Lepeshinskaya,

Yury Grigorovich Yury Nikolayevich Grigorovich (; 2 January 1927 – 19 May 2025) was a Soviet and Russian ballet dancer, ballet master, choreographer, and pedagogue who dominated the Russian ballet for 30 years, especially as artistic director of the Bolshoi B ...

, Mikhail Lavrovskiy,

Natalia Bessmertnova Natalia Igorevna Bessmertnova () was a Soviet prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet and a People's Artist of the USSR (1976). Life Natalia Bessmertnova was born in Moscow in 1941 and trained at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography from 1 ...

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 others. This recognition led to the title in her home theater of

of the National Opera House of Ukraine. In 2006 Matsak won first place (Gold medal in the senior group) in the Sixth Serge Lifar International Ballet Competition in Kyiv. Of special interest to the audience and the award panel was the performance called "The Way", (to the music of J. Massenet, ballet master Dmitriy Klyavin). She won the highest prize. In the same year she received an invitation to play one of the main parts in the ballet ''Daniela'' (to the music of

Mykhaylo Chemberzhi Mykhaylo Ivanovych Chemberzhi (, 15 July 19445 March 2018) was a Ukrainian composer, teacher, scientist and politician. Director of . Biography He was born on July 15, 1944, in the city of Izmail, Odesa region. In 1967, he graduated from th ...

, ballet master Aniko Rekhviashvili).

National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus

From 2006 to 2008 Matsak was performing on the stage of the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of Belarus in Minsk, where she had been invited by the artistic director of the theater

Valentin Elizariev Valentin Nikolayevich Elizariev (born October 30, 1947) is a Belarusian Soviet balletmaster, choreographer, and pedagogue. He was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR in 1985. Life and career Born on 30 October 1947 in Baku, Azerba ...

. Her performances included ''

'' (2006), Gala concert dedicated to Elizariev's 60th anniversary (2007), and ''

'' (2008).

National Theater of Japan

In January 2009 "An Evening with Igor Kolb" the

of the

Mariinsky Theater The Mariinsky Theatre (, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic opera house in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th-century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces ...

took place in Tokyo. For this event Matsak performed ''Grand Pas Classique (to the music of

Daniel Auber Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (; 29 January 178212 May 1871) was a French composer and director of the Paris Conservatoire. Born into an artistic family, Auber was at first an amateur composer before he took up writing operas professionally whe ...

, choreography by V. Gzovskiy) in duet with Mikhail Kaniskin, the soloist of the ballet company of the

Berlin State Opera The Staatsoper Unter den Linden ( State Opera under the Lime Trees), also known as the Berlin State Opera (), is a listed building on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic center of Berlin, Germany. The opera house was built by order of P ...

Mikhailovsky Theater in Saint Petersburg

In April 2009 the Ukrainian ballerina performed on the stage of Mikhailovsky Theater in St. Petersburg, where she played the part of Medora in the version of ''

'' (A. Adam) revised by Farukh Ruzimatov. At the same time she took part in the concert dedicated to the achievements of Yelena Scheglova, the

Honored Artist of Russia Merited Artist of the Russian Federation (, ''Zasluzhenny artist Rossiyskoy Federatsii''), also known as Honored Artist of Russia, is an honorary title in the Russian Federation. The title is awarded to actors, directors, filmmakers, writers, d ...

and People's Artist of Tatarstan (Kazan, M. Dzhalil Tatar Academic State Opera and Ballet Theater).

Cooperation with Boris Eifman

In August 2010 the first-night of Boris Eifman's ''I am Don Quixote'' (to the music of L. Minkus) took place on the stage of

Alexandrinsky Theater The Alexandrinsky Theatre () or National Drama Theatre of Russia is a theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The Alexandrinsky Theatre was built for the Imperial troupe of Petersburg (Imperial troupe was founded in 1756). Since 1832, the theatre ...

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

. This was followed by 18 months of touring with the Eifman ballet across Europe and the US.

Dortmund Opera House

In 2011 in Dortmund Matsak worked with Raimondo Rebeck, a German ballet master (modern dance) and a graduate of the Berlin Ballet School. As a part of the ballet concert along with the ballet company of the Dortmund Opera House, she prepared a duet dance called ''Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow'' (to the music of Max Richter ''On the nature of the daylight'') with Howard Lopez.

Tours

During 2007-2011 Matsak was a regular guest at the International Festival of Classical Ballet named after

Rudolf Nureyev Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev (17 March 19386 January 1993) was a Soviet-born ballet dancer and choreographer. Nureyev is widely regarded as the preeminent male ballet dancer of his generation as well as one of the greatest ballet dancers of all ...

in Kazan (ХХ-XXIV). The parts performed by her at the festival were Odette-Odile from ''

'', Medora from ''

'', the Queen of the Dryads from ''

'', Gamzatti and Nikiya from ''

'', the Lilac Fairy from ''

''. At the same time the ballerina constantly toured with the ballet companies of the National Opera House of Ukraine and other international theaters, performing on stages in Italy, Spain,

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

, United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

Honored Artist of Ukraine

Matsak's work was closely intertwined with performances on the stage of the National Opera House of Ukraine. Since 2008 Matsak she has been awarded with the title ''

'' according to a Decree of the

President of Ukraine The president of Ukraine (, ) is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, conducts negotiations and concludes international treaties. ...

Victor Yushenko. In April 2010 there was ''An Evening with Natalia Matsak'' which was dedicated to the first 10 years of her ballet career. The performances chosen to be staged were '' Carmen Suite'' (to the music of G. Bizet and

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 St ...

, ballet master A. Alonso) and ''

Scheherazade Scheherazade () is a major character and the storyteller in the frame story, frame narrative of the Middle Eastern collection of tales known as the ''One Thousand and One Nights''. Name According to modern scholarship, the name ''Scheherazade ...

'' (to the music of N. Rimsky-Korsakov, choreography by M. Fokine, revised by V. Yaremenko). In winter 2014 Matsak took part in the project "Irina Kolesnikova invites...", held in the

Palais des congrès de Paris The Palais des congrès de Paris (; ) is a convention centre, concert venue, and shopping mall at the Porte Maillot in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, France. The venue was built by French architect Guillaume Gillet, and was inaugurated in 197 ...

, where she performed as Nikiya in "

" and Odile-Odette in "

" with

Vadim Muntagirov Vadim Muntagirov is a Russian ballet dancer. He is currently a principal dancer at The Royal Ballet in London and previously a lead principal dancer at the English National Ballet. Early life Muntagirov, was born in Chelyabinsk, Russia. His pa ...

with the Royal Ballet in London. In summer 2015 an "Irina Kolesnikova season" took place in the

London Coliseum The London Coliseum (also known as the Coliseum Theatre) is a theatre in St Martin's Lane, City of Westminster, Westminster, built as one of London's largest and most luxurious "family" variety theatres. Opened on 24 December 1904 as the Lond ...

, where she performed as Odile-Odette in "

" with Kimin Kim, principal dancer with the

, and as Gamzatti in "

" with Denis Rodkin,

of the Bolshoi Ballet Company. In December 2015 within the tour ''Ave Maya!'' in memory of

Maya Plisetskaya Maya Mikhailovna Plisetskaya (; 20 November 1925 – 2 May 2015) was a Soviet and Russian ballet dancer, choreographer, ballet director, and actress. In post-Soviet times, she held both Lithuanian and Spanish citizenship.

she performed on the stages of

Dnipropetrovsk Dnipro is Ukraine's fourth-largest city, with about one million inhabitants. It is located in the eastern part of Ukraine, southeast of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on the Dnieper River, Dnipro River, from which it takes its name. Dnipro is t ...

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

Odesa Odesa, also spelled Odessa, is the third most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern ...

and Chisinau (

Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...

). 2016 started with performances in "

" and "

Nutcracker A nutcracker is a tool designed to open nuts by cracking their shells. There are many designs, including levers, screws, and ratchets. The lever version is also used for cracking lobster and crab shells. A decorative version, a nutcracker doll ...

" in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

(the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

) and

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

(

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

), and also in "

" in

Riga Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...

(

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

Cooperation with Denys Nedak

Matsak has performed in duet with

, leading soloist of the National Opera House of Ukraine, Denys Nedak. One of their first performance took place in April 2008 within the Ninth ''Serge Lifar de la Danse'' International Festival, where they presented ''adagio'' from the ballet ''Suite in White'' (to the music of E. Lalo, ballet master S. Lifar). In 2012 both artists received the exclusive right to perform a choreographic passage from

Boris Eifman Boris Eifman (Борис Яковлевич Эйфман; born 22 July 1946) is a Russian choreographer and artistic director. He has done more than fifty ballet productions. Biography Eifman was born in Rubtsovsk, Siberia, where his engineer ...

's "Red Giselle" ballet, describing the tragic fate of a famous Russian ballerina

Olga Spessivtseva Olga Alexandrovna Spessivtseva (; 16 September 1991) was a Russian ballerina whose stage career spanned from 1913 to 1939. She was one of the finest prima ballerinas of the twentieth century. She had the excellent classical technique, immaculate ...

(to the music of

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular ...

Schnittke Alfred Garrievich Schnittke (24 November 1934 – 3 August 1998) was a Russian composer. Among the most performed and recorded composers of late 20th-century classical music, he is described by musicologist Ivan Moody as a "composer who was conc ...

, and

Bizet Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the 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'', which has become ...

). The duet of Matsak and Denys took part in the Fifteenth (June 2009) and Eighteenth (June 2012) International Festivals of Classical Ballet named after Rudolf Nureyev in Ufa. Along with other leading soloists from all over the world, Nedak and Matsak participated in a tour called ''World Ballet Stars'' which included over 20 Russian cities (Ruslan Nurtdinov's project, November 2012).

Repertoire

* ''

'' — ''Princess Aurora'' * ''

'' — ''Odette'', ''Odile'' * ''

'' — ''Nikiya'' (the version of M.Petipa and N. Makarova) * ''

'' — ''Masha'' * ''

La Sylphide ''La Sylphide'' (; ) is a romantic ballet in two acts. There were two versions of the ballet; the original choreographed by Filippo Taglioni in 1832, and a second version choreographed by August Bournonville in 1836. Bournonville's is the only ve ...

'' — ''Sylphide'' * ''

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 ...

'' — ''Giselle'' * ''

'' — ''Raymonda'' * ''

'' — ''Kitri''(the version of M.Petipa and B. Eifman) * ''

'' — ''Medora'' * ''

Spartacus Spartacus (; ) was a Thracians, Thracian gladiator (Thraex) who was one of the Slavery in ancient Rome, escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major Slave rebellion, slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Historical accounts o ...

'' — ''Aegina'' * ''

'' — ''Scheherazade'' * '' Carmen Suite'' — ''Carmen'' * ''

Viennese Waltz Viennese waltz () is a genre of ballroom dance. At least four different meanings are recognized. In the historically first sense, the name may refer to several versions of the waltz, including the earliest waltzes done in ballroom dancing, dance ...

'' — ''Karla''

Other works

* '' Legend Of Love'' — ''Mehmene Banu'' * ''

Laurencia ''Laurencia'' is a genus of red algae that grow in temperate and tropical shore areas, in Littoral zone, littoral to Littoral zone#Sublittoral zone, sublittoral habitats, at depths up to . Description ''Laurencia'' species have a thallus that ...

'' — ''Laurencia'' (the version of V.Chabukiani, edited by M. Messerer) * '' Red Giselle'' (duet) B. Eifman * '' Grand Pas Classique'' (Ober) * '' Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow'' "Heute ist das Gestern von morgen" - Choreographie: Raimondo Rebeck

Awards

* 2004 — The Diploma of Laureate in the Fifth Serge Lifar International Ballet Competition in Kyiv, receiving (2nd place) * 2005 — 3rd place in the Tenth Moscow International Ballet Competition and Contest of Choreographers * 2006 — 1st place (Gold medal in the senior group) in the Sixth Serge Lifar International Ballet Competition in Kyiv * 2008 —

References

External links

''The Way'' (to the music of J. Massenet, ballet master Dmitriy Klyavin)

As Carmen in "Carmen Suite", with Denys Nadak as Jose

Adagio from "Carmen Suite"

Pas de deux Habanera from "Carmen Suite"

Grand Pas Classique (to the music of Daniel Auber, choreography by V. Gzovskiy) in duet with Mikhail Kaniskin

P. Tchaikovskiy, "Swan Lake" Act 3 Coda, with Sergey Sidorskiy as Siegfried

P. Tchaikovskiy, "Swan Lake" Act 2 Variation and Coda

"Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow" (to the music of Max Richter)

"Irina Kolesnikova invites..."

As Gamazatti in "La Bayadere", with Irina Kolesnikova as Nikiya

Interview of Natalia Matsak to GolosUA dedicated to the 125th performance of "Viennese Waltz"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Matsak, Natalia Ukrainian ballerinas Living people 1982 births Dancers from Kyiv