Tatiana Stepanova, also Tetyana Stepanova, (; , ''Tatiana Stepanova'') (born,

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 ...

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

then

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

) is a

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 dancer ...

and

choreographer Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A chor ...

. She is now the artistic director of Stepanova Ballet Academy and Toronto International Ballet Theatre. As

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 ...

of the Odesa State Ballet Company, she was awarded the honorary title of

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 ...

for her excellence in the art of ballet. Stepanova is married to Ukrainian footballer Vasyl Ishchak.

Biography

Tatiana Stepanova auditioned for and was accepted by the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

at the age of eleven and went on to study there full-time for six years. Upon completion of her training, she returned to her native home in Odesa, where she was invited to perform as Principal Dancer for the Odesa State Ballet Company. It was here that Stepanova was given the opportunity to dance the Principal Roles in an extensive classical, contemporary, and modern repertoire. She was honored with the status of

, and awarded as a

. Stepanova has worked with Natalia Krassovska,

George Zoritch George Zoritch (born Yuri Zorich; Russian language, Russian: Юрий Зорич; 6 June 1917 – 1 November 2009), was a Russian-born American ballet dancer who starred in performances by Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo, Ballet Russe companies on ...

, and

Irina Baronova Irina Mikhailovna Baronova FRAD (; 13 March 1919 – 28 June 2008) was a Russian ballerina and actress who was one of the Baby Ballerinas of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, discovered by George Balanchine in Paris in the 1930s. She created ...

. Stepanova's international travels involved performing in many countries throughout the world including, Japan, Italy, Malta, Finland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Taiwan, Romania, and many cities across North America. Stepanova was inspired by such great artists as

Galina Ulanova Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova (, ; 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 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Both parents were the so ...

Marina Semyonova Marina Timofeyevna Semyonova (, , Saint Petersburg – 9 June 2010, Moscow) was the first Soviet-trained prima ballerina. She was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1975, and a Hero of Socialist Labour in 1988. Early life The first great d ...

, and

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.

Stepanova Ballet Academy

In 2004 Stepanova founded Stepanova Ballet Academy, located in

Thornhill, Ontario Thornhill is a suburban district in the Regional Municipality of York in Ontario, Canada. The western portion of Thornhill is within the City of Vaughan and its eastern portion is within the City of Markham, Ontario, Markham, with Yonge Street ...

, Canada. Under the artistic direction of Stepanova, Stepanova Ballet Academy has quickly become among the premier ballet/dance schools in Ontario.

Toronto International Ballet Theatre

In 2007, Stepanova founded Toronto International Ballet Theatre. Under the Artistic Direction of Stepanova, Toronto International Ballet Theatre has successfully put on six professionally staged productions of ''

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 ...

''.

Choreographic work

* ''Cinderella'' * ''

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (also known as ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English Children's literature, children's novel by Lewis Carroll, a mathematics university don, don at the University of Oxford. It details the story of a ...

'' * '' Coppelia'' * ''

Graduation Ball ''Graduation Ball'' is a ballet in one act choreographed by David Lichine to music composed by Johann Strauss II and arranged by Antal Doráti. With a scenario devised by Lichine and with scenery and costumes designed by Alexandre Benois, it w ...

'' * '' Chippolino'' * ''Hansel and Gretel'' * ''

Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel, ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a poor man named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...

'' * ''My Way'' * ''Thumbelina'' * ''

Snow White "Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', numbered as Tale 53. The original title was ''Sneewittch ...

'' * ''

References

Official page of Odesa Opera and Ballet Theater.

Official Stepanova Ballet Academy

Official page Toronto International Ballet Theatre

External links

*
Toronto International Ballet Theatre
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stepanova, Tatiana Ballet teachers Ballet choreographers Dancers from Odesa Prima ballerinas Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Ukrainian emigrants to Canada Ukrainian ballerinas