Lopatkin's personal life. Ulyana Lopatkina: height, weight and photo of a ballerina

Famous Russian ballerina, prima Mariinsky Theater since 1995.

Uliana Vyacheslavovna Lopatkina was born on October 23, 1973 in the city of Kerch (Ukraine). WITH early childhood the future ballerina was engaged in dance circles and the gymnastics section.

At the age of 10, Ulyana, at the initiative of her mother, decided to enter Academy of Russian Ballet. AND I. Vaganova in Leningrad. Lopatkina was lucky with the teachers: she got into the class N.M. Dudinskaya- prima ballerinas of the Kirov Theater in the 30-50s.

Natalia Mikhailovna Dudinskaya (1912-2003) was one of the most popular ballerinas of her generation. Student of Agrippina Vaganova, People's Artist USSR, laureate of four Stalin Prizes of the second degree. Since the 50s, Dudinskaya has been engaged in pedagogical work.

In 1990 Uliana Lopatkina took first place in All-Russian competition named after A.V. Vaganova for students of choreographic schools (Vaganova-Prix). She performed a variation sylph”, a variation of the Queen of the Waters from the ballet The Little Humpbacked Horse and a pas de deux from the second act of the ballet“ Giselle».

Lopatkina graduated from the Academy in 1991, after which she was accepted into the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater.

At the graduation performance, the ballerina performed a fragment from the ballet "The Nutcracker" (miniature "Teacher and Student", staged by J. Neumeier) and "Shadows" from "La Bayadère".

At the beginning of his career Uliana Lopatkina she danced in the corps de ballet, but soon she began to entrust solo parts. Her first roles were Street Dancer in " Don Quixote"and the Lilac Fairy in" sleeping beauty».

In 1994, the Mariinsky Theater hosted the premiere of the ballet program Mikhail Fokin. In one of the premiere performances, Uliana Lopatkina danced the part of Zobeida in " Scheherazade", and later took the stage as Zarema in" Bakhchisaray fountain».

In the same year, Lopatkina made her debut as Odette-Odile in the ballet Swan Lake. Her partners in the performance were Alexander Kurkov (Siegfried) and Evgeny Neff (Rothbart). Lopatkina's performance in Swan Lake became a notable event, she was promised success in the romantic and academic repertoire.

In 1994, Uliana Lopatkina received the prize of the Ballet magazine in the Rising Star nomination. A year later, she was awarded the St. Petersburg theater award "Golden Sofit" for "Best debut on the St. Petersburg stage."

Since 1995, Uliana Lopatkina has been the prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theatre. Each of her new role attracts the enthusiastic attention of both viewers and critics. Lopatnik is interested not only in classical, but also contemporary choreography. One of the ballerina's favorite roles was the role of Queen Mekhmene Banu in The Legend of Love (staged by Yu.N. Grigorovich). She especially succeeds in the images of mysterious, infernal heroines.

From contemporary choreographers Lopatkin highlights the famous Czech director Jiri Kilian.

Today, the ballerina's repertoire includes the main and solo parts in many productions, including the ballets Le Corsaire, Raymonda, The Fountain of Bakhchisaray, and The Fairy's Kiss. Lopatkina actively tours with the Mariinsky Theater Company in Russia, Europe, America and Asia. Among her partners are Igor Zelensky, Farukh Ruzimatov and Andrey Uvarov.

In 2006, Ulyana Lopatkina was awarded the People's Artist of Russia. The ballerina is a laureate of numerous Russian and foreign theater awards.

Due to a serious injury, Lopatkina left the stage for several years. In 2001 Ulyana married in 2001 an artist, writer and entrepreneur Vladimir Kornev. During this period, the ballerina did not perform at the Mariinsky Theater due to a leg injury. A year later, in Austria, she gave birth to a daughter, Masha, but in 2010 the couple divorced.

In 2003, after an operation on her leg, Lopatkina again took the stage, performing the part "Dying Swan" at the Stars of the White Nights festival at the Mariinsky Theatre.

In 2004 Uliana Lopatkina took part in international festival ballet, premiere "Offerings to Balanchine". She also became Russian Prize"Triumph" in the field of literature and art. In the same year, Lopatkina danced La Bayadère for the first time after her injury.

Repertoire of Ulyana Lopatkina:

• "Pavlova and Cecchetti", a fragment from the ballet "The Nutcracker" by John Neumeier
• Ophelia, monologue from Konstantin Sergeev's ballet "Hamlet"
• "Giselle" (Giselle, Mirtha)
• Medora, "Corsair"
• Grand Pas from Paquita
• Lilac Fairy, Sleeping Beauty by Marius Petipa
• Kitty, Anna Karenina to music by P. I. Tchaikovsky
• Maria Taglioni, Pas de Quatre by Anton Dolin
• Death, "Goya divertissement"
• Nikiya, "La Bayadère" by Marius Petipa
• Odette and Odile, Swan Lake by Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa
• Clemence, Raymonda, "Raymonda"
• The Swan by Mikhail Fokin
• Zobeide, "Scheherazade"
• Zarema, The Fountain of Bakhchisarai by Rostislav Zakharov
• Mekhmene Banu, "Legend of Love" by Yuri Grigorovich
• Girl, "Leningrad Symphony" by Igor Belsky
• Fairy, "Fairy's Kiss"
• "Poem of Ecstasy"
• "Sounds of Blank Pages" by John Neumeier
• "Serenade" by George Balanchine
• "Piano Concerto No. 2" by George Balanchine
• 2nd movement, "Symphony in C" by George Balanchine
• Waltz by George Balanchine
• "Diamonds", III part of the ballet "Jewels"
• 3rd duet, "In the Night" by Jerome Robbins
• Youth and Death by Roland Petit
• Anna Karenina, Anna Karenina by Alexei Ratmansky

Ulyana Lopatkina's awards:

• 1991 - laureate of the Vaganova-Prix ballet competition (Academy of Russian Ballet, St. Petersburg)
• 1995 - Golden Soffit Award
• 1997 - award " golden mask»
• 1997 - Prize "Benoit Dance" (for the performance of the part of Medora in the ballet "Le Corsaire")
• 1997 - Baltika Prize (1997 and 2001)
• 1998 - Evening Standard London Critics Award
• 1999 - State Prize Russia
• 2000 - Honored Artist of Russia
• 2005 - People's Artist of Russia
• 2015 - Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation
• 2015 - Golden Soffit Award (for the ballet Margarita and Armand)

She was born on October 23, 1973 in Kerch (Ukraine). The impressionable girl's interest in ballet flared up unexpectedly. I was drawn to the photographs, in which the legendary masters G. Ulanova, M. Plisetskaya froze in dance. The sculptural poses were mesmerizing. In some, movement was stopped. I wanted to explore those secrets of the dance that transformed the heroines into extraordinary creatures.

Learn about magic art books helped a lot. Ulyana read with enthusiasm about the choreographers Didlo and Glushkovsky. I decided - it's worth the risk, try to get into the choreographic school.

And here is a girl in Leningrad. The exam ended successfully for her, although the commission did not arouse much interest in the applicant. The verdict was short: very average data. The feeling of fear that Magic world dance will not be allowed, preserved on long years. It forced me to withdraw into myself, to live my own life.

Ulyana was lucky with teachers - all bright, talented personalities. For the last two years she studied with N. M. Dudinskaya. Full understanding was not always achieved. The student was with a temper, often did not agree with the general standards. She lived in a boarding school, with difficulty getting used to the fact that there were no relatives nearby. How lacking was their experience and advice!

Ulyana loved to draw. Ballet requires sniper eye precision, and this passion clearly helped. She continued to draw later, when the school course ended.

In 1990, as a student of the pre-graduation class, Lopatkina took part in the competition named after A. Ya. Vaganova (Vaganova-Prix). She performed the variation of the Queen of the Waters from the ballet The Little Humpbacked Horse, the variation of La Sylphide and the pas de deux from the second act of the ballet Giselle (with Alexander Mishchenko). Lopatkina received the first prize. Her school repertoire also included Ophelia's monologue from the ballet "Hamlet" by K. Sergeev. It was obvious that an extraordinary talent was being born. At the graduation performance in 1991, Ulyana was entrusted with the part of "Shadows" from "La Bayadère". This is aerobatics, the most difficult party. The slender, fragile pupil attracted with the meaningfulness of the dance and the secrecy that seemed to be in her performance.

In the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater, where Lopatkina was accepted after graduation, she immediately began to entrust solo parts: a street dancer in Don Quixote, the Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, Mirtha in Giselle. Her tall stature gave the heroines either piquancy or majestic significance. And nearby - the central ballerina parts.

Lopatkina started with Giselle. The work was exciting; There were difficulties, but they did not scare away. The ballerina prepared the first role thoroughly, carefully working out the details with O. N. Moiseeva. In 1994, Lopatkina made her debut as Odette - Odile in the ballet "Swan Lake". A. Liepa helped her a lot in working on the performance. And not only in difficult duets, where his partner's experience was invaluable. What was important was his sense of plastic features. This helped to find my solution, especially expressive nuances.

The debut of Lopatkina in this performance was a notable event. I was surprised by the maturity of thought and technical development. The sad Odette was especially successful for her - closed, immersed in sad thoughts. She did not at all seek to leave her enchanted world. As if she was afraid to re-enter real life, so dangerous and deceptive.

In 1994, Lopatkina received the Soul of Dance prize from Ballet magazine in the Rising Star nomination. She was promised success in the romantic repertoire. In academics, too. Indeed, each new role of Lopatkina attracted the attention of both viewers and critics. Much has been written about her and enthusiastically. In such roles as Nikiya (La Bayadère), Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Medora (Le Corsair), they noted the fidelity to tradition and, at the same time, the desire to find new intonations in the familiar.

Modern choreography attracted Ulyana, made riddles. How to mitigate the harsh angularity inherent in the dancer, how to approach the rounded fluidity of plasticity, which is so necessary for oriental heroines - Zarema ("The Fountain of Bakhchisaray"), Zobeida ("Sheherazade")?

The meeting with the choreography of Yu. N. Grigorovich in The Legend of Love, where Ulyana performed the part of Queen Mekhmene Banu, required completely different colors - the ability to restrain passion. The scale of feelings hidden, driven inside and only occasionally spilling out, gave the tense drama a special poignancy. This role has become one of my favorites. Although Lopatkina has no unloved roles. The dance revealed itself to the young ballerina in the richness of its contrasting possibilities and play of shades. The meeting with the choreography of J. Balanchine brought a lot of new things. In his "Symphony in C", "Diamonds", "Serenade" it was interesting to unravel how a brilliant choreographer hears music and transforms it into dance. And does it every time the highest degree inventively. Uliana greedily mastered this new plastic for her, admiring the variety of rhythmic colors and deep musicality, and this required a special sensitivity of the performer.

Internal concentration, self-absorption are especially attractive in the ballerina's dance. She, as it were, slightly moves away from the viewer, does not let him into her inner world and it becomes even more mysterious and deeper. The images of the heroines of the mysterious, infernal Lopatkina succeed extremely. Such success was, for example, the party of Death in one-act ballet R. Petit "Youth and Death", the heroine of "Waltz" by M. Ravel, staged by J. Balanchine. Mystical intonations, magnetism of one's own or someone else's will concentrate the attention of the audience, subordinate them to the logic of mysterious transformations. The real becomes symbolic without losing its effective power.

In addition to the ballerinas mentioned above, the repertoire includes the main and solo parts in the ballets Raymonda (M. Petipa), Paquita (M. Petipa), Kiss of the Fairy (A. Ratmansky), Poem of Ecstasy (A. Ratmansky) , "In the Night" (J. Robbins), "Sounds of Blank Pages" (J. Neumeier), etc., miniature "The Dying Swan". Among her partners are Igor Zelensky, Farukh Ruzimatov, Andrey Uvarov, Alexander Kurkov, Andrian Fadeev, Danila Korsuntsev.

Lopatkina earnestly refers to the profession, loves to work hard. Unfortunately, in the profession of a dancer, injury is almost inevitable. A serious injury knocked the ballerina out of her usual activities for a long time. Now, fortunately, the hardest part is over. Lessons, rehearsals, performances resumed.

Uliana Lopatkina takes an active part in the tour projects of the Mariinsky Theater in Russia, Europe, the USA and Japan. She participated in exchange tours of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theatres, performed with the troupe of the Bavarian State Ballet (Munich), danced at the Lincoln Center in New York, at the London Coliseum, Covent Garden, Sadler's Wells and Albert Hall, Royal Theater in Copenhagen, as well as in Salzburg, Graz, Milan, Thessaloniki, Amsterdam, Baden-Baden.

In 2000, Uliana Lopatkina was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Russia, in 2006 - People's Artist of Russia. She is a laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation (1999), the National theater award"Golden Mask" (1997), the Highest Theater Award of St. Petersburg "Golden Soffit" (1995), the Benois de la Danse Prize (1997), the Triumph Prize (2004), International Prize"Divine" (1997).

October 23 is the birthday of Uliana Lopatkina, the celebrated prima of the Mariinsky Theatre, People's Artist of Russia.

Lopatkina is one of the most famous ballerinas of our time. They call her national treasure. However, the favorite of millions remains, perhaps, the most "closed" dancer of our time.

How did her path develop in art, and what did she go through to climb to the top of the creative Olympus?

Alone in the big city

Lopatkina was born in 1973 in Kerch in a family of teachers. loved gymnastics, worked in ballet studio hosted by Lidia Yakovlevna Peshkova, who previously danced at the Mariinsky Theatre. This largely influenced the entire future fate of Ulyana.

When the family council began to decide where to study ballet, the first thing they talked about was Leningrad, the Mariinsky Theater and the prayerful Vaganovka.

She entered the famous school and was left alone, without parents, in a strange unfamiliar city. She lived in a boarding school, which turned out to be a difficult test for a 10-year-old teenager. Studying also demanded full dedication. The fact that the girl had a stellar future was immediately evident.

It is no coincidence that the famous choreographer John Neumeier gave her, a seventh grader, a performance of Cecchetti and Pavlova. The miniature, shown on the school tour in Moscow, caused delight, making Lopatkina the favorite of the audience and the press even then.

She singled out a talented student and the legendary one in whose class she studied.

“In ballet, the impossible does not exist - you just need to work,”

- Ulyana forever remembered the words of the great teacher. This is the rule in Once again was confirmed when she was accepted into the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater.

At first, she gained skills in the corps de ballet, but soon began to appear in leading roles. By the way, the chance also helped to dance the first Giselle in her life in 1992.

The main troupe went on tour and a soloist was urgently needed. At first, the theater doubted whether it was worth giving this difficult role to an aspiring artist. But the teachers managed to convince the leadership, and they were right. Yesterday's graduate did not disappoint, and in 1995 she received the Golden Spotlight award in the nomination "Best debut on the St. Petersburg stage."

Not suitable for ballet?

Since then, she has received many awards and titles. In 1996, for example, she was given the title "divine". At the same time, by academic standards, Ulyana is not suitable for ballet. Too high - height 175 cm. Too large feet and hands, "uncomfortable" length of arms and legs. However, the ballerina looks so organically on the stage that all these “too” have become her virtues, and over time - a unique feature of the dance.

But the one who thinks that Lopatkina's life is full of flowers and applause will be mistaken.

In 2000, she severely injured her ankle, and this happened right during the ballet La Bayadère. The pain was hellish, but despite this, the artist finished the performance without marring the holiday for the audience. The injury turned out to be so serious that the stage had to be left for two years. An operation was also needed, which Mikhail Baryshnikov helped organize in New York.

A difficult recovery began. Old problems do not let go now. So these days, an announcement appeared on the official website of the ballerina that

"due to professional injuries and the need for treatment, Ulyana Lopatkina is taking a break from performances for this season."

Ulyana Lopatkina. Photo - Ilya Pitalev / RIA Novosti

Well, if you go back 15 years ago, then another pleasant event happened in her life. In 2001, Ulyana married Vladimir Kornev. They met in 1999 in St. Petersburg, during the presentation of awards in the field of culture. Then she was recognized as the "Ballerina of the Year", and he - "Writer of the Year".

Vladimir turned out to be a multifaceted personality. Prose writer, architect, artist, businessman... By the way, there was a plan to make a film based on his novel "Modern", where leading role Lopatkina was offered, but she refused.

Their wedding took place in the Sofia Church of Faith, Hope, Lyubov in the village of Vartemyaga near St. Petersburg, without pomp, in a narrow circle of guests. The event was modestly celebrated in the restaurant of the Architect's House and went to Honeymoon. In those days, Ulyana frankly admitted that she liked to feel

"Just as a wife and mistress, learning to draw, and also the fact that Volodya does not understand anything in ballet and cannot stand talking about the theater."

And on next year Lopatkina in one of the Austrian clinics gave birth to a daughter, Masha. The question - ballet or a child - was not in front of her. She consciously became a mother, and then successfully returned to the professional stage, thereby breaking another stereotype that dance and the happiness of motherhood are incompatible. Unfortunately, the family union was short-lived, in 2010 the couple divorced.

Plisetskaya's successor

Today Lopatkina is recognized world star, prima of the Mariinsky Theatre. She is also called the successor of Maya Plisetskaya, and in the West she is considered "the main Russian swan."

The ballerina has the most difficult parts of the classical repertoire in her arsenal, but she does not refuse concerts either.

Nikolai Tsiskaridze and Ulyana Lopatkina. Photo – globallookpress.com

Faith holds a special place in her soul. At the age of 16, while still at the school, she and her friend were baptized, and since then, as she herself admits, “she tries not to spill herself over trifles.” Lopatkina also draws, takes lessons, but does not exhibit her work, carefully guarding her personal space.

Charity has also become an important part of the ballerina's life. She took part in the Christmas Fair project for several years, where the stars of art, politics, show business are under the supervision of professional artists created pictures on fabulous winter scenes. Then these canvases were sold at auction in favor of sick children.

Ulyana's lot, as a rule, was one of the first to be sold for a lot of money. She is also on the Board of Trustees of the Cancer Prevention Foundation, and this summer on stage Alexandrinsky Theater her "Russian Dance" became an adornment of the concert of world opera and ballet stars, where all funds were transferred for the treatment and care of children with mental disabilities.

“From my point of view, what you do for someone else makes sense human life. Often we run, we hurry, we try to reach heights, but the true goal is to be able to give to others. Because the reward is within the cause itself. Not because they will say how good you are, that you participate and support people who are a hundred times harder than you.

The most important thing is the state of mind when you know that you are helping as disinterestedly as possible and you get satisfaction from this. So you don't live in vain. And the more you do and the less you know about it, the deeper the feeling of the very fullness of life.

says the ballerina.

Her name on the poster was the reason for the excitement of the public and an almost one hundred percent guarantee of a full house. Ballet critics and the press all over the world praise the ballerina, inventing new colorful epithets, but the “divine” dancer herself, “ beautiful swan with hands like bird wings, ”admits that she is not comfortable with these delights.

Childhood and youth

Ulyana Vyacheslavovna Lopatkina was born in Kerch on October 23, 1973 (according to the zodiac, this is the border day between Libra and Scorpio). The mother of the future ballerina had no doubt that her daughter would become famous, and from the age of 4 she took her to circles and sections. At the ballet school, the baby was on the advice of familiar teachers and took up a new hobby with delight.

After school, Lopatkina was unable to go to study in the capital, having failed in the third round of the entrance exams. The teachers offered to try their luck at the Leningrad Ballet School (now it is the Academy of Russian Ballet named after A. Ya. Vaganova). It's hard to believe, but the legendary dancer then passed the exams for triples.

A strict jury was critical of her figure: an unusually high height for a ballerina (175 cm with a weight of 52 kg) could become an obstacle when choosing a partner, and large feet and hands could look ugly from the stage. In the final round, young Ulyana danced the “polka” with a wide smile. Her charm made a favorable impression on the examiners, and the girl was accepted.

The next 8 years passed in a tough "drill", continuous work and loneliness, which inevitably accompany the formation ballet dancers. Parents stayed in Kerch, and for the weekend Ulyana went to visit best friend. Her everyday life was filled with endless rehearsals, but Lopatkina resigned herself to the unpleasant sides future profession and took them for granted. On graduation concert the young ballerina, not calculating the balance in rotation, fell with her back to the audience. The audience supported her with sincere applause. Ulyana pulled herself together and finished the dance properly.

Ballet

After graduating, Lopatkina worked for some time in the corps de ballet of the Mariinsky Theater. In 1992, she had a great chance - half of the troupe went on tour, and the young ballerina was offered a solo part for the first time, which she coped with brilliantly. For the first time, Ulyana performed her trademark "swan" in 1994. For this performance, she received the prestigious Golden Soffit Award. In 1995, the ballerina became the prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theatre.

They began to compare Lopatkin with Plisetskaya after " swan lake". For Ulyana herself, this title turned out to be a heavy burden. She claims that all known ballet dancers suffer from perfectionism, and comparison with the stars turns on the inner critic to the fullest.

“You have no idea how many reasons a dancer has to be unhappy!” she assured in an interview.

The participation of a prima in ballet is a kind of quality mark, and Lopatkina perceived each performance on the stage of her native Mariinsky Theater with excitement. According to her, the "home" audience is much stricter than the "tour", although on the road they had to work longer and harder. In 2003-2007, Lopatkina tried herself as an actress. On her account, she worked in 6 films: in two, Ulyana played herself, in the rest, dancers who were similar in spirit.

In 2006, she was awarded the title of People's Artist of Russia. Lopatkina twice performed a duet with. True, the first attempt at La Bayadere was recognized as not entirely successful, but for the second time at the Corsair, the couple was able to dance.

Others of her famous images- "The Dying Swan" in a choreographic miniature by Saint-Saens, the romantic Giselle in the ballet of the same name, at the Ball of Fairy Tales, as well as a role in a fragment of the ballet "The Nutcracker". "Russian Dance" by Alexander Gorsky performed by Lopatkina is considered a masterpiece of ballet art.

Uliana Lopatkina performs "Russian Dance"

In the ballet "Anna Karenina" she created a large-scale and tragic image main character. This party is also danced, but most critics prefer the work of Lopatkina, noting that she better conveyed Anna's maternal feelings, and her majestic dance seems to capture the stage.

In 2017, Ulyana Lopatkina ended her career in ballet. The reason was aggravated old injuries: due to damage to the foot, the dancer sometimes could not even walk, let alone perform. A complex operation performed in New York did not solve the problem. She left the world of ballet with regret and hope that her creative biography will continue in some other direction.

In 2017, Uliana entered St Petersburg University, choosing educational program"environment design".

Personal life

In 1996-1997, Lopatkina was credited with an affair with an actor, but she does not confirm this information.

In 2001, the ballerina married the architect and businessman Vladimir Kornev, taking double surname. A year later, she ventured to leave the stage for a while and gave birth to her daughter Maria.

Ulyana Lopatkina and her ex-husband Vladimir Kornev

The fans were surprised at the courage of this decision - it is very difficult to return to ballet after the birth of children, but at that moment Lopatkina was not worried better times: chronic fatigue tormented, health deteriorated, and rest from the stage was simply necessary. Ulyana really liked that her husband did not understand anything either in the theater or in ballet, and she could just be a hostess and wife, devote time to drawing and a child.

In 2010, the couple announced their divorce. The ballerina abandoned her husband's surname and again became Lopatkina. According to the stories of friends, portraits of the ballerina still adorn the house of Vladimir Kornev, but the spouses communicate infrequently and mainly about their daughter.

Ulyana is reputed to be a reserved and tactful person. Friends and journalists note her sincere goodwill. She loves St. Petersburg, but finds it a difficult place to live.

"It's built on blood, lost lives, swamps, - the artist explains. “Dancers, like no one else, feel the influence of its difficult climate.”

The sleepy spirit of the city affects the pace and mode of rehearsals, prevents getting up early and working fast.

Ulyana Lopatkina now

In life, Ulyana Lopatkina prefers refined minimalism, choosing dark colors, flowy outfits, long scarves and short haircuts. She doesn't like to use social networks. Pages on VKontakte and Instagram are run by fans.

The famous dancer clearly misses the stage, but has no plans to return yet. In 2018, Lopatkina did not participate in creative projects, preferring to devote time to study and personal life.

parties

• "The Nutcracker" by John Neumeier - fragment of "Pavlov and Cecchetti"
• "Hamlet" by Konstantin Sergeev - Ophelia
• "Giselle" - Giselle, Mirta
• "Corsair" - Medora
• "Paquita" - Grand Pas
• "Sleeping Beauty" by Marius Petipa - Lilac Fairy
• Anna Karenina - Anna, Kitty
• "Goya divertissement" - Death
• "La Bayadère" by Marius Petipa - Nikiya
• "Swan Lake" by Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa - Odette and Odile
• "Raymonda" - Clemence
• "Scheherazade" - Zobeida
• "Fountain of Bakhchisaray" by Rostislav Zakharov - Zarema
• "Legend of Love" by Yuri Grigorovich - Mekhmene Banu
• "Leningrad Symphony" by Igor Belsky - Girl
• "Fairy's Kiss" - Fairy
• "Sounds of Blank Pages" by John Neumeier
• "Serenade" by George Balanchine
• "Piano Concerto No. 2" by George Balanchine
• Symphony in C major, 2nd movement, George Balanchine
• Waltz by George Balanchine
• "Diamonds", III part of the ballet "Jewels"
• 3rd duet, "In the Night" by Jerome Robbins
• Youth and Death by Roland Petit
• "Anna Karenina" by Alexei Ratmansky - Anna

Awards

• 1991 - laureate of the Vaganova-Prix ballet competition
• 1995 - Golden Soffit Award for Best Debut
• 1997 - Golden Mask Award
• 1997 - Prize "Benoit Dance" (for the performance of the part of Medora in the ballet "Le Corsaire")
• 1997 - Baltika Prize
• 1998 - Evening Standard London Critics Award
• 1999 - State Prize of Russia
• 2000 - Honored Artist of Russia
• 2006 - People's Artist of Russia
• 2015 - Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation
• November 9, 2015 - Golden Soffit Award (for the performance of the part of Margarita in the ballet Margarita and Armand)

The growth of Ulyana Lopatkina, like her other main parameters, has always interested fans and ballet connoisseurs. After all, this is one of the most popular modern ballerinas who completed creative career just last year. Since 1995, almost without interruption, Lopatkina has performed brilliantly at the Mariinsky Theater. In 2006, she became the owner of the title of People's Artist of Russia, previously won the State Prize.

Biography of a ballerina

Height is one meter 75 centimeters. She was born in Kerch on the territory of the Ukrainian SSR on the Crimean peninsula in 1973. Her childhood, spent on the Black Sea coast, was eventful and joyful.

The parents of the heroine of our article were teachers. Vyacheslav Ivanovich and Elena Georgievna taught at the school. Ulyana grew up in a family not alone, but together with her brother, who always supported her in everything. Lopatkina's brother's name is Evgeny.

Even at school, the girl became interested in ballet, the growth of Ulyana Lopatkina disposed to engage in this particular type of art. In parallel with her studies, she was engaged in dance circles, as well as sports sections to keep good physical form.

creative education

Ulyana Lopatkina's parameters (height and weight) were ideal for the stage. Perhaps that is why she entered the Agrippina Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, from which she graduated in 1991. The heroine of our article studied in the creative workshop of the People's Artist of the USSR Natalia Dudinskaya, who shone in the ballet Swan Lake in the 50s.

Throughout her studies, Ulyana Lopatkina's height and weight were optimal for performing in ballet. And experts appreciate it. By the way, the weight of 52 kilograms and the height of the ballerina Ulyana Lopatkina were optimally suited for the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater, where she was accepted.

Successful debut

Ballerina Uliana Lopatkina, whose height and weight were ideal for dancing, began to conquer the audience from her first performances. Soon she began to entrust complex solo parts, and then the main roles. Already in 1995, the artistic director of the Mariinsky Theater appointed her as a prima ballerina in the troupe.

In total, during her career at the Mariinsky Theater, Uliana Lopatkina (height, weight, leg size, by the way, the 40th, known to her many fans) performed several dozen first roles in key productions.

In the ballet "Hamlet" by Konstantin Sergeev, Lopatkina dances Ophelia, in "Sleeping Beauty" by Marius Petipa - the Lilac Fairy, in "Anna Karenina" by Pyotr Tchaikovsky - Kitty, in "Pas de Quatre" by Anton Dolin - Maria Taglioni, in "Swan Lake" " Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov - Odette and Odile, in the "Fountain of Bakhchisarai" by Rostislav Zakharov - Zarema, in "The Legend of Love" by Yuri Grigorovich - Mekhmene Banu, in " Leningrad Symphony» Igor Belsky - Girl. Over time, in the ballet Anna Karenina, already in the production, she got the title role instead of the image of Kitty.

An unfortunate injury

In 2000, a real professional tragedy occurred in the fate of Lopatkina. In the ballet La Bayadère by Marius Petipa, she traditionally danced Nikiya. During the performance, the ballerina received an unfortunate ankle injury. But she overcame the pain and managed to complete the performance, despite the rather serious damage.

All this had a negative effect on her future fate. The ankle injury turned out to be so serious that she had to leave the stage for several years, devoting them to a long and difficult recovery.

In early 2003, Lopatkina underwent an operation, only after it she was able to finally recover and return to her ideal forms to be on stage again.

Cooperation with Tsiskaridze

In 2013, unexpectedly for many, Lopatkina was recommended for the post of artistic director of the Agrippina Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. Nikolai Tsiskaridze, who had just been appointed Acting Rector of the Academy, came up with such an initiative.

The very appointment of Tsiskaridze to the academy turned out to be very scandalous. Tsiskaridze had left shortly before Grand Theatre after the leadership of the cultural institution refused to renew with the artist employment contract. Tsiskaridze himself came to the academy in October 2013 together with Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky. The head of the department introduced the new acting rector to the teaching staff, which directly violated the charter of the educational institution.

Vera Dorofeeva, who previously served as rector, was transferred to work at the Mikhailovsky Theater, although, as experts noted, at the academy she was engaged exclusively in economic affairs. After the appointment of Tsiskaridze as rector, the ballerina, who had worked at this place for 13 years, resigned from the post of artistic director. She did not work well with Tsiskaridze, who was also an artist and actually turned out to be her boss.

Contract not signed

It was in the place of Asylmuratova that it was proposed to appoint Lopatkina, who at that time had not yet finished her dancing career, but continued to perform at the Mariinsky Theater. In the Academy of Russian Ballet itself, many were dissatisfied with the current state of affairs. In November, an appeal was even drawn up to the Ministry of Culture, which was signed by the majority of representatives of the teaching staff. In it, the staff of the academy demanded to reconsider, of course, the controversial appointment of Tsiskaridze and Lopatkina. At the same time, the ballerina herself, to whom our article is dedicated, did not comment on what was happening.

As a result, Lopatkina refused the place of artistic director, the contract with the academy was not signed. Artistic director became a teacher Mikhailovsky Theater Zhanna Ayupova. In parallel with this, she received the position of the first vice-rector of the academy. But Tsiskaridze was approved as rector. In the elections, he received 227 votes, with 17 against.

On June 16, 2017, Lopatkina officially announced her retirement as a ballerina: she devoted 26 years of her life to the Mariinsky Theatre.

Personal life

The growth of Ulyana Lopatkina, whose photo is presented in the article, for many of her fans has become the standard of a real ballerina.

The heroine of our article was married to a wealthy entrepreneur, writer and artist, whose name was Vladimir Kornev. They got married in July 2001, and a few weeks after the official registration, they got married in a church. The ceremony took place in the village of Vartemyagi, in the St. Sophia Church located there.

Already in 2002 in the Austrian private clinic Lopatkina gave birth to a daughter, Maria. Naturally, for some time she could not perform on stage. But the ratio of weight and height of Ulyana Lopatkina quickly returned to normal.

However, the marriage was not happy. After some time, the couple realized that it makes no sense to continue to be together, and in 2010 they divorced.

Interesting facts about the life of a ballerina

Surprisingly, Ulyana was independent beyond her years from the first days of her life. Already at two and a half years old, her parents calmly left the girl alone at home, and when she was ten years old, they sent her to study ballet in St. Petersburg, where she lived completely independently, since her parents did not have the opportunity to move with her daughter.

Interestingly, in ballet class, in which the future prima of the Mariinsky Theater was engaged, all the mirrors were divided into two categories. Some made everyone look slimmer, while others visually made a person look fatter, adding a few extra pounds to him in the most unexpected places. Naturally, no one wanted to stand at the second category of mirrors, so Ulyana, like all the students in her class, tried to come to class as early as possible in order to take a seat at the “slender” mirrors and not get upset in vain.

While the girl was studying at the academy, she had a very strict daily and nutritional regimen, because it is very important for ballerinas to monitor their appearance. But even in this situation, the young dancers managed to find small joys for themselves. For example, a special delicacy for them was a piece of sliced ​​loaf with butter, which was pressed down on both sides with an iron to make an impromptu toast, because future ballerinas could not eat a lot of bread.

Height is not a problem

It is interesting that now many people admire Lopatkina's parameters, but when she was just starting to practice ballet, her height was considered not quite standard. For example, at school, she was not the tallest among her peers.

And earlier, a small increase did not bother anyone. For example, Ulanova's height was 65 centimeters, and she performed, being another centimeter lower. But in last years taller ballerinas began to be valued, which allowed Lopatkina to make a brilliant career.

Now she is 44. It has been a year since she left the stage.