Svetlana Zakharova: “Most ballerinas do not know real life. Prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova: an interview with the new Anna Karenina of the Bolshoi Theater Performance with the participation of Svetlana Zakharova

Russian ballet dancer, soloist of the Mariinsky Theater in 1996-2003, prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater (since 2003) and Milan's La Scala Theater (since 2008). People's Artist of Russia (2008), laureate of the State Prize of the Russian Federation (2006). Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation of the IV and V convocations.

Biography of Svetlana Zakharova

Svetlana Zakharova was born on June 10, 1979 in Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, USSR, in the family of a serviceman Yuri Sergeevich and teacher Galina Danilovna. Mom is a choreographer of a children's dance studio, she instilled in the girl a love of art. Under her leadership, Svetlana mastered the first steps and achieved results at the initial stage.

From 1989 to 1995 she studied at the Kiev Choreographic School. In 1995 she won second place in the ballet competition of the Academy of Russian Ballet named after A. Ya.Vaganova Vaganova-Prix, losing only to a graduate of this Academy. Then she received an offer to go to study at the Academy immediately to the graduation course. This was the only case of such an external student in an educational institution. In 1996 she graduated from the Academy in the class of Elena Evteeva, after graduation she was admitted to the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater, where she became its artistic director Olga Moiseeva... During the season, the aspiring artist became a theater soloist.

The creative path of Svetlana Zakharova

The ballerina's debut was the performance "Bakhchisarai fountain", in which the girl danced the part of Mary. But the main success at the beginning of Zakharova's career is ballet. "Giselle", where Svetlana performed the main role.

Since 2003 he has been working under the direction of the Bolshoi Theater.

In April 2008, Svetlana Zakharova becomes the prima ballerina of the Milan theater La Scala.

Her repertoire includes the most important roles in classical ballets. "Sleeping Beauty", "Swan Lake", "La Bayadere", "Don Quixote", "Nutcracker" and many others.

The work on the play brought even more popularity. "Then and Now" where the artist collaborates with the choreographer John Neumeier, who managed to take a fresh look at the ballerina and showed that Svetlana had access to classics and an ultra-modern vision of dance.

At the same time Svetlana Zakharova begins touring the world. In France, she becomes the first ballerina from the former USSR to dance on the stage of the Paris Opera after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Also, New York, London, Buenos Aires, Munich, Naples, etc. obey the dancer.

In 2013, she refused to dance in the first line-up, and thus from participating in the last premiere of the 237th season of the Bolshoi Theater - John Cranko's ballet "Onegin"... The conflict with Zakharova was the reason for the dismissal of the theater director Anatoly Iksanov.

Zakharova danced the part of Margarita Gaultier in the ballet "Lady of the Camellias" to music F. Chopin put John Neumeier based on the novel of the same name by Alexander Dumas the son on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. The premiere took place on March 20, 2014. The ballerina's partner was the premier of the Hamburg Ballet, Edwin Revazov.

In 2014, at the opening of the Sochi Olympics, she played the role of Natasha Rostova.

2007 to 2011 Svetlana Zakharova is a State Duma deputy on the federal list of candidates nominated by the All-Russian political party "United Russia", a member of the "United Russia" faction, a member of the State Duma Committee on Culture.

He is one of the founders of the Talent and Success Foundation, funded from the state budget.

Since 2015 Svetlana Zakharova Artistic Director of the Russian Children's Dance Festival "Svetlana", as well as the initiator of its holding.

In March 2017, Zakharova took part in the program "Main Role" on the TV channel "Culture" with a TV presenter. The program discussed the new program of the ballerina Amore, which she presented from the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. Her solo program included three one-act ballets.

In 2018 Svetlana Zakharova together with an actor, theater director and ex-director of the Latvian National Opera she became the host of the 4th season of the project “.

Personal life of Svetlana Zakharova

Married to a violinist Vadim Repin... On February 17, 2011, the couple became the parents of a daughter Anna Repina.

The artist has many prizes, prizes and titles: 1995 - second prize at the Vaganova-Prix International Competition for Young Dancers (St. Petersburg, Vaganova Academy), 1997 - Baltika Prize “Hope”; Golden Mask Award in the Best Actress in Ballet nomination (for the performance of a female role in George Balanchine's ballet Serenade), 2000 - Golden Mask Prize in the Best Actress in Ballet nomination (for the performance of the role of Princess Aurora in the ballet "Sleeping Beauty", revised by Sergei Vikharev), 2001 - special prize of St. Petersburg "People of our city" for achievements in ballet, 2002 - Etoile, prize of Danza & Danza magazine (Bolzano, Italy), 2005 - prize "Benois dance "(For the performance of the part of Hippolyta / Titania in John Neumeier's ballet" A Midsummer Night's Dream "), 2005 - Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, 2006 - State Prize of the Russian Federation (" For the talented embodiment of stage images, the development of the great traditions of Russian ballet "), 2008 - People's Artist of the Russian Federation, 2010 - Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters (France), 2015 - Benoit Dance Prize (for the performance of the roles of Margarita Gaultier in the ballet “Lady of the Camellias” by John Neumeier and Mekhmene Banu in the ballet of Yuri Gri Gorovich "The Legend of Love").

Filmography of Svetlana Zakharova

A Hero of Our Time (2017) / ... Mary ("Princess Mary")
Lady with Camellias (2015) / ... Marguerite Gaultier
Swan Lake (2014) / ... Odette / Odile
Pharaoh's daughter (2014) / ... Aspicia, Pharaoh's daughter
La Bayadere (2013) / ... Nikiya, La Bayadere
The Legend of Love (2014) / ... Mekhmene Banu, Queen
Bolshoi Ballet: Live from Moscow (2010-2012) / The Bolshoi Ballet: Live from Moscow (TV series)
Ballerina (2006) / Ballerina (TV)

“There has never been such a ballerina, and there never will be,” the famous French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent said about the ballerina Svetlana Zakharova, and many ballet fans will readily subscribe to these words.

The future artist was born in 1979 in the Ukrainian city of Lutsk. His father was a military man, and his mother worked in a choreographic collective. On her initiative, Svetlana began to study in a folk dance circle at the House of Pioneers, but later the girl developed an interest in classical ballet, and in 1989 she was sent to study in Kiev.

V. Suleghina becomes Svetlana's mentor at the Kiev Choreographic School. The student shows outstanding data - not only plasticity and flexibility, but also artistry, musicality. In 1995, she was sent to Leningrad for the prestigious Vaganova-Prix competition. Svetlana presents the first variation from the ballet Paquita, a variation from the choreographed pas de deux, the Blue Bird pas de deux from The Sleeping Beauty (Princess Florine). Svetlana was the youngest participant in the competition - and this did not stop her from being awarded the second prize, as well as receiving an invitation to the Academy of Russian Ballet. , and they enroll her in the last year - this was a truly unprecedented case in the history of the famous educational institution. At the Academy, she studies under E. Evteeva.

After graduating from the Academy, the dancer was accepted into the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater, and immediately S. Zakharova was entrusted with a very complex part of the classical repertoire - the role of the Queen of the Dryads in "" - and Svetlana coped with this role brilliantly. Not only the public drew attention to her, but also Olga Moiseeva, a former ballerina, and at that time a teacher-tutor. Under her leadership, Svetlana Zakharova prepared several parts: Maria in "", the seventh waltz and mazurka in "", Gulnara in "" and finally - the title role in "". This is a very difficult part - and the ballerina became its youngest performer. Both viewers and critics were unanimous in their delight.

At the age of 18, S. Zakharova was already the prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater. Various roles appear in her repertoire. On the one hand, this is a classical repertoire ("", "", "Sleeping Beauty", ""), on the other, ballets ("Symphony in C", "Serenade", "", "Apollo"), ("Then now"), (" "). Thus, the ballerina manifests herself as a universal performer who has access to various directions in the art of choreography. The artist was twice awarded the Golden Mask Prize - in 1999 for the ballet Serenade, and in 2000 for the role of Princess Aurora.

In 1999, S. Zakharova first appeared before a foreign audience - on the theater tour in Argentina, she performed the role of Medora in the ballet "". A year later, she performs in the ballet "" in choreography, staged together with the "New York City Ball", in "", staged by N. Makarova in Brazil. In 2001 she participates in the play "" at the Paris National Opera. In 2002, the ballerina dances in a gala concert at the Place des Arts in Montreal with JM Carreño and in a memory concert at La Scala, c. In the same year at the Paris Opera S. Zakharova performed in the ballet "" staged. On the recommendation, who saw the ballerina at the rehearsal, the theater director invites her to dance in one of the performances of the Paris Opera.

During her time at the Mariinsky Theater, Svetlana Zakharova has performed about thirty roles. More than once she received an invitation to the Bolshoi Theater, but her affection for the Mariinsky was great, the ballerina refused three times, but in 2003 she nevertheless agreed. According to S. Zakharova, this decision was due to the desire to perform something new: “I did not leave the Mariinsky Theater, I just moved to work in a theater with a different repertoire,” said the artist.

At the Bolshoi Theater, S. Zakharova becomes a tutor. New roles appear in the ballerina's repertoire - for example, Aspicia in the ballet “Pharaoh's Daughter” staged by P. Lacotte (the recording of this performance was published on DVD).

Since 2004, Svetlana Zakharova has performed a lot abroad: "" (Nikia) in Hamburg, "" (title role) in Milan, "" (Kitri) in Tokyo, "" (Odette-Odilia) at a Christmas performance in Paris, anniversary concerts in London and Paris ... Combining active touring with performances at the Bolshoi Theater is not easy, but the ballerina succeeds: Aegina in "", Couple in yellow in "Russian Seasons" by A. Ratmansky to music by L. Desyatnikov.

Some contemporary choreographers create ballets especially for Svetlana Zakharova. For example, the Japanese choreographer Asami Maki staged a ballet for her to the music of G. Berlioz "Lady with Camellias". The ballet was a success both in Tokyo and in Moscow, and the ballerina, in her words, "felt like she was in a drama theater."

Italian dancer Francesco Ventrilla staged the ballet “Zakharova. Supergame "to the music of the young Italian composer Emiliano Palmieri. In this performance, the ballerina had to embody an image that would seem atypical for ballet - a computer game character who must go through all the levels and achieve immortality.

And one more role of Svetlana Zakharova cannot be ignored - Natasha Rostova. Natasha Rostova's First Ball, directed by Radu Poklitaru, was one of the most memorable moments of the 2014 Sochi Olympics opening ceremony. The ballerina's partner was. The artist describes her feelings during this performance as "excitement mixed with incredible euphoria and happiness from what is happening."

Svetlana Zakharova is not only a person of art, but also a politician. In 2006, the ballerina became a member of the Council for Culture and Art under the President of Russia, and from 2008 to 2012 she was a member of the State Duma.

Music Seasons

MOSCOW, March 9. / Corr. TASS Olga Svistunova /. The prima ballerina of the State Academic Bolshoi Theater of Russia (Bolshoi Theater), People's Artist of the Russian Federation Svetlana Zakharova will make a world tour with her solo program "Amore" and will prepare a new project of modern choreography.

A press conference at TASS is devoted to the plans of the famous dancer, in which, along with the ballerina herself, her colleague from the Bolshoi Theater, the soloist of the ballet troupe and at the same time the general producer of the MuzArts company, Yuri Baranov, participates.

"Before going on a world tour with her solo project" Amore ", Svetlana Zakharova will show this program on March 14 and 15 on the Historical Stage of the Bolshoi Theater," Baranov said in an interview with TASS. He recalled that the program had already been shown at the Bolshoi Theater on May 24 and 25 last year and was sold out.

"Many viewers then could not get to the performances, so we decided, after almost a year, to repeat" Amore ", in theatrical language," for an encore. By the way, now all tickets are completely sold out, "the producer informed. According to him, the audience excitement is fully justified. “The public has never seen such a Zakharova as she appeared in the“ Amore ”program,” stated Baranov.

"Unknown Zakharova"

Zakharova confirmed that the program included three one-act ballets that she had never performed before. “I don’t like to dance the same thing for a long time,” said the ballerina. “But classical performances do not belong to this: they want to dance as long as possible,” she said.

“Modern ballets are a completely different story,” the prima believes. “Taking risks, trying oneself in a completely different style is necessary for an artist. I'm not afraid to experiment, I like to be different, unpredictable.” She admitted that she had long dreamed of doing a solo project. According to the artist, she chose the choreographers herself.

“We rehearsed for a whole year, and it was an amazing time, because we worked with great love. It’s not for nothing that our project is called“ Amore ”, which means“ love ”in Italian. And all our three ballets tell about love - happy and tragic, serious and humorous, "said the ballerina.

Program

The project opens with the ballet "Francesca da Rimini" staged by Yuri Possokhov. In the past, the premier of the Bolshoi Ballet, he became a successful choreographer, on account of which there are more than a dozen ballets, including Francesca da Rimini. The love story immortalized in Dante's Divine Comedy comes to life in a ballet set to music by Tchaikovsky, in which Zakharova performs the title role. Bolshoi Theater soloist Denis Rodkin became her lover on stage, while another Bolshoi Theater premier Mikhail Lobukhin played the role of a jealous husband.

The next ballet in the program is called "Until the Rain Falls". Its author is the German-Nigerian dancer and choreographer Patrick de Bana. Premier of the troupes of Maurice Béjart and Nacho Duato, he is also a renowned director. Especially for Zakharova, he staged a short story about the dream of all-consuming love, where the prima appeared in the form of a heroine. De Bana himself acts as her partner; Bolshoi soloist Denis Savin is also involved in the ballet.

The project ends with the ballet "Strokes Through the Tails", composed by the Irish choreographer Marguerite Donlon to the music of Mozart. In this ballet farce, Zakharova appeared in a comic role that was unexpected for her. To date, the "Amore" project has been shown not only in Moscow, but also in other cities of the world.

World Tour "Amore"

"In fact, the world tour" Amore "began with the premiere, which took place last May in the Italian city of Modena, - said Baranov. - Then the program was shown in another Italian city - Parma. And after that Svetlana decided to present her project in the Bolshoi theater ".

According to the producer, Zakharova is very sensitive to the stage of the Bolshoi Theater, believing that only well-prepared work can be put on this stage. "So at first we slightly" tested "her project in Italy, where they love Zakharova, and only then we presented them at the Bolshoi Theater," Baranov said. He recalled that after Moscow, "Amore" again went to Italy and visited Ravenna and Genoa. The project was also shown in Monte Carlo, Baranov added.

Talking about future plans, he said that foreign impresarios are interested in Zakharova's solo project. "The problem lies in the workload of the ballerina herself, for whom it is not easy to find time for touring in her busy schedule," said the producer.

At the same time, he informed that it is already known for sure that on August 4 and 5, "Amore" will be shown in Cyprus, on September 24 and 25, his tour is planned in Tokyo, and on November 20 Zakharova's solo project will be presented on the stage of the London Coliseum. "Negotiations are also underway to tour Turkey, Spain, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary and Finland," Baranov said, stressing that the Amore world tour will last until 2018.

New project ahead

"Zakharova's project is very successful and in demand," the producer stated, adding that the ballerina does not intend to stop at this. On the contrary, she is thinking about a new program. "We are planning to make a new program that will be completely delivered for Sveta," Baranov said. He assured that already now negotiations are underway with famous choreographers of the world.

“We do not stop at what has been achieved, but go further. We select different choreographers who are not similar to each other, original in handwriting and style. We want to make an even more interesting three-act project that will not leave anyone indifferent. We hope that the world premiere of the new program by Svetlana Zakharova we will be able to show it in March 2019, "Baranov concluded.

Charity festival

Zakharova announced that for the third time she will hold the Svetlana Charity Children's Dance Festival, of which she is the founder and artistic director. The show will take place on March 28 at the Rossiya Concert Hall in Luzhniki. "The first festival took place in 2015," Zakharova recalled. “We were then very worried about how everything would turn out,” said the artist. “But it looks like our“ Svetlana ”has taken root, and now we are holding the festival for the third time."

According to Zakharova, Svetlana is held primarily to show how versatile and talented Russian children are. At the same time, the artist noted that the selection for the festival is tough. The groups that eventually get the right to enter the Moscow stage are laureates of various competitions, including international ones. “In many ways, the strict selection process for young dancers is dictated by the fact that the festival is charitable. Moreover, charity is in absolutely everything, from the arrival of children, their residence in Moscow and ending with the distribution of tickets,” the ballerina explained.

She informed that this year about 600 young dancers will take part in the festival as part of 17 creative groups from all over the country, including from Magnitogorsk, Orenburg, Kerch, Ulyanovsk, Kaluga, Volgograd, Kazan, Kursk, Izhevsk, Penza and St. Petersburg. Prima noted that at the moment "Svetlana" is a Russian festival, but her plans are to enter the world level.

Zakharova's attention to young dancers is rooted in family roots: her mother Galina Zakharova is a former teacher, choreographer of a children's studio. Svetlana Zakharova would also like to see her daughter, six-year-old Anna, a dancer in the future. "I would really like her to dance," says the artist. "This is a wonderful art, and children who are engaged in dance compare favorably with their peers," says the prima of the Bolshoi Theater.

Ballerina for all roles

Svetlana Zakharova was born in Lutsk (Ukraine). In 1989 she entered the Kiev Choreographic School, but graduated from the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in St. Petersburg.

From 1996 to 2003 she was a soloist at the Mariinsky Theater. Since 2003, she has been the prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater, and is also the etoile of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan (since 2008). She is engaged in performances of the classical and modern repertoire. “Svetlana Zakharova is subject to all dance styles, from classical to modern. She is a ballerina for all roles,” says the head of the Bolshoi Ballet Company Makhar Vaziev.

“I have known Sveta since her studies at the Vaganov School,” Vaziev said. “Then she came to the Mariinsky Theater, and I entrusted her with the first performance - it was“ Giselle. ”(Vaziev then headed the Mariinsky ballet - TASS note). Then we met at La Scala - I directed the ballet there, and Svetlana Zakharova performed in the status of etual. "

"Now we are working together at the Bolshoi Theater. I must note that throughout her career, Zakharova remains a true star, one of the best ballerinas in the world," he stressed.

People's Artist of Russia, prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater Svetlana Yuryevna Zakharova was born on June 10, 1979 in the city of Lutsk (Volyn region, Ukraine).
Her father was a military man, her mother was a teacher, choreographer of a children's studio.
At the age of ten, Svetlana entered the Kiev Choreographic School.
In 1995, having won the second prize at the International Competition for Young Dancers in St. Petersburg, the girl was admitted immediately to the third graduation course at the A.Ya. Vaganova in St. Petersburg.
As a student at the academy, Svetlana danced Shadows in La Bayadère and the Queen of the Dryads in Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus, Masha in The Nutcracker by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and The Dying Swan by Camille Saint-Saens at the Mariinsky Theater.
In 1996, after graduating from the Vaganov Academy, Zakharova was admitted to the ballet troupe of the Mariinsky Theater.
At the theater, the ballerina danced the roles of Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty and Odette-Odile in the Swan Lake by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Maria in the Fountain of Bakhchisarai by Boris Asafiev, Gulnara in The Corsair and Giselle in the ballet of the same name by Adolphe Adam, Manteon in the same ballet by Adolphe Adam Jules Masnet, Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet" by Sergei Prokofiev and others.
In the 2003/2004 season, Svetlana Zakharova joined the troupe of the Bolshoi Theater. Debut as a soloist took place on October 5, 2003 in the ballet "Giselle".
At the Bolshoi Theater, Svetlana Zakharova performs the roles of Aspicia in The Pharaoh's Daughter by Caesar Puni, Odette-Odile in Swan Lake and Princess Aurora in Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty, Nikia in La Bayadère and Kitri in Don Quixote in Minkus, Raymonda ballet of the same name by Alexander Glazunov, Carmen in "Carmen Suite" by Georges Bizet - Rodion Shchedrin, Aegina in "Spartacus" by Aram Khachaturian, dances the lead role in "Diamonds" to music by Tchaikovsky in the ballet "Jewels".
Ballerina - the first performer of the role of Cinderella in the ballet of the same name by Sergei Prokofiev (choreography by Yuri Possokhov), Medora in Le Corsaire by Adam (choreography by Marius Petipa, production and new choreography by Alexei Ratmansky and Yuri Burlaka).

The ballerina's creativity has been awarded with many titles and awards. In 2001 she received the St. Petersburg cultural prize "People of Our City", in 2007 she was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation. In 2008, Zakharova was awarded the title of People's Artist of the Russian Federation.

In 1998, Zakharova won 1st prize at the Jackson International Ballet Competition. Laureate of the Golden Mask Prize (1999, 2000). Awarded with prizes from the "Ballet" magazine.
She is the owner of the title "Etoile" of the Italian magazine DANZA & DANZA. In 2008, she was the first among Russian dancers to be awarded the title "Etoile" by the ballet troupe of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
In 2010, the ballerina became an officer of the French Order of Merit in Art and Literature.
Svetlana Zakharova is married to violinist Vadim Repin. In 2011, a daughter, Anna, was born to the family.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources

She is the first performer at the Bolshoi Theater of Hippolyta (Titania) in A Midsummer Night's Dream to music by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdi and Gyorgy Ligeti, Soloists in Serenade to music by Tchaikovsky, Death in Youth and Death to music by Johann Bach, Margarita Gaultier in "Lady of the Camellias" to music by Frédéric Chopin.
In 2009, as part of the prima creative evening, the world premiere of Eddie Palmieri's ballet "Zakharova Supergame", directed by Francesco Ventrilla, took place, where the ballerina performed the main role of Svetlana.

"Margarita and Arman"

In 2013, as part of her recital at the Bolshoi Theater, Zakharova sang the role of Margarita in the ballet Margarita and Armand to music by Franz Liszt (choreography by Frederick Ashton).
Svetlana Zakharova performs on famous stages of the world, such as the Paris National Opera, London's Albert Hall, Covent Garden, Metropolitan Opera, Roman Opera, La Scala, Tokyo New National Theater, etc.
Gala concerts of Zakharova are regularly held in Italy, Greece, Serbia.

"Don Quixote" Pas de deux.

One of the last projects of the ballerina "Pas de deux on the fingers and for the fingers" - a joint performance with her husband, the famous violinist Vadim Repin, at a music festival in the Italian city of Ravenna in June 2014. Its premiere took place in Russia in April at the Trans-Siberian Art Festival.
In December 2007, Svetlana Zakharova was elected a deputy of the State Duma of the fifth convocation on the list of the United Russia party, and was a member of the committee on culture.
In 2006-2011 and since 2012 - a member of the Council for Culture and Arts under the President of Russia.

"Giselle." Fragment from the ballet.

"Swan Lake". Adagio.

• Photo: Igor Pavlov
• Style: Irina Dubina
• Interview: Alexandra Mendelskaya
• Hairstyle: Evgeny Zubov @Authentica club @Oribe
• Makeup: Lyubov Naydenova @ 2211colorbar

“Is this the same Chapurin? All his things seem to be sewn for me, ”Svetlana Zakharova notes, examining the dress, delicate and weightless, like herself. The dress was really made just for her, according to a special order the site: in the morning before meeting with the prima ballerina of the main theater of the country, we took it "in the heat of the heat" from Igor Chapurin's studio on Savvinskaya embankment. The participation of the designer and "freelance costume designer" of the Russian ballet played an important role in the fact that the prima agreed to give us an interview: as you know, it is very difficult to find time for communication with journalists for Svetlana Zakharova, especially now, when her new program "Amore", collecting an incredible ovation in Moscow, he sets off on a journey through world stages.

We chose the Moscow Planetarium as the scenery for the shooting: to “place” a world-scale star next to other celestial bodies seemed an ambitious, but quite logical idea. There is some kind of metaphorical poetics in this, isn't there? However, Svetlana Zakharova does not show the excessive "stardom" expected from the prima of the Bolshoi and La Scala (on the Milan stage the ballerina is referred to as "etoile") and behaves with rare professionalism: she obediently follows the tense shooting schedule, steadfastly endures the unexpected cold in the premises of the museum and, in spite of her busy schedule (in a day Svetlana will fly to Tokyo for the performance), she patiently and with a smile answers all questions. Perhaps the whole point is that many years of ballet life taught this fragile girl to overcome any difficulties without a single hint of effort. For 6 hours of our joint work, Odette of the XXI century (she danced more than ten editions of Swan Lake) drinks only two cups of Nespresso cappuccino, which makes me want to ask her about a strict diet. But stylist Yevgeny Zubov - the only one to whom the ballerina trusts her hair - shows touching concern for her ward and asks us to do without platitudes in interviews. Therefore, in a conversation with the artist, we raise completely different topics: about how to combine personal life and career, about the backstage life of ballet in Russia and abroad, and why she refused to shoot in Big Babylon.

Dress, Chapurin

You are the prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater and the Etoile of La Scala, you have danced on all the world's major stages. How do you feel differently when you go on stage in Milan and Moscow?

Any appearance on the stage is special, you need a lot of preparation and attitude. I will not hide, wherever I perform, the Bolshoi Theater stage has always been the most "emotional": here the highest concentration and the most intense excitement. They say that native walls help: on the one hand, yes, but on the other, there is such a storm of emotions inside me like nowhere else.

Maybe the Russian public is more picky?

No, you can't fool any spectator. It doesn't matter where you perform: either the audience likes it, or it remains indifferent. I think here, on the stage of the Bolshoi, I am influenced by its special historical spirit.

Performing in Milan, Paris, New York, do you feel that you are responsible for the country's image? Do you feel like a Russian ballerina?

Of course, there is a sense of a certain responsibility. I am proud that I am a Russian ballerina, and that I was brought up in the best traditions of the Russian ballet school - without exaggeration, the best in the world.

Is it true that in Europe and the United States, ballerinas and theater workers in general are treated more strictly in terms of discipline: are they seriously fined for missing rehearsals and other violations?

For dancers, theater is primarily work. Therefore, as in other areas, management has the right to fine you for violation of labor discipline. At the Bolshoi, as elsewhere in the world, they strictly follow this, but there are exceptions for the leading performers. We work for quality, not for the number of hours spent in the rehearsal room, so soloists in any Russian theater have the right to determine their own regime. In foreign theaters, the rehearsal schedule is drawn up a week in advance: it doesn't matter if you are tired or not, you must be in the hall if your name is indicated. But this applies to the permanent troupe of the theater - not to the guest performers. So there, too, I adhere to a schedule that is convenient to me.

You amazingly combine a successful career as a ballerina with a rich personal life. How do you do it?

It seems to me that since Soviet times there has been a stereotype that a ballerina should give herself completely to the stage: not to have children, to think about roles all the time, to rehearse. My generation is more free in this regard: dancers go on maternity leave without fear, some manage twice in their careers. I’ll say even more: it is good for everyone. Other feelings are born, new forces, emotions appear ... Life is changing, the speed and rhythm are completely different, and one way or another there should be enough time for everything, the main thing is desire. We live in an age of new technologies and speeds: everything passes so quickly that we want to do a lot and experience a lot in life.

Dress, Chapurin

Your schedule is several years in advance, and your husband probably has an equally busy schedule. How do you manage to maintain strong family relationships and pay enough attention to your child?

When Vadim and I met, the life of each of us was already like this: tours, performances, rehearsals, meetings ... Neither he nor I know any other rhythm, and we have nothing to complain about: initially it was our conscious choice. We come to each other's performances whenever possible. It is very important for me to discuss the performance after, to hear the opinion of a loved one. Our daughter is already 5 years old. She is a well-bred creative child: she goes to performances and concerts and knows that if I have a performance, she should be quiet and not make any noise while I am resting. Of course, at first I had to explain it to her, but now she understands everything without words. Anya is also used to our constant departures. At the age of 2.5, she had already watched the ballet Giselle in Prague and, in general, from an early age flew with me on tour. Now Anya is engaged in dancing, gymnastics, English, so she is more attached to Moscow. My mother is always there - they are great friends: my daughter calls her by her name, since no one in the family dares to call my mother a grandmother. Mom is the closest and dearest person, who else can you trust if not her?

You have admitted more than once that you would be happy to send your daughter to ballet. Based on your experience, what is the most important piece of advice you would give her?

She is very mobile! I hope dancing classes will channel all her energy in the right direction. It is difficult to give advice, but I know for sure that in addition to discipline, ballet gives life in beauty, a dream and a goal. A child begins to strive for something from an early age and matures faster. If my daughter chooses my path, I will gladly support her.

Now the ballet is actively served to the masses - it is shown on TV, the artists participate in various media projects. Also, several years ago, the performances of the Bolshoi began to be broadcast in the cinema. How do you feel about this popularization of art?

Positively, because it makes ballet more accessible. Not everyone has the opportunity to go to the Bolshoi Theater for various reasons. And so ballet fans from all over the world can be at a performance with the participation of their favorite dancers, without leaving their city. Thanks to these broadcasts, my fans are growing. These performances are shot by a professional team from France, they are well acquainted with the theater and know how to shoot ballets - they say it looks amazing on the big screen! I often hear this from people from different countries. Another thing is that for me, as a performer, this is an additional burden. During the broadcast, you are dancing not only for the viewer in the hall: the cameras are standing from different sides, and you do not know at what moment and from what angle you are being filmed, they show your movements in the background or your face - in close-up. And there is no possibility to change something after the show. While dancing, I have to control myself more than usual. The broadcast really goes live: it is watched by hundreds of thousands of viewers. After such loads, I recover much longer and come to my senses.

Don't you think that the very magic of going to the Bolshoi Theater is lost when a performance is shown in a movie?

The audience, as far as I know, gathers for such broadcasts not like in a movie, but like in an academic theater: people dress appropriately, applaud during the performance and after it. Judging by the attendance of such events, people need it. Anyway, many people watch the recordings of my performances on Youtube - hundreds of thousands of views! So let the audience see the whole performance in high-quality filming on a big screen rather than passages in poor quality, filmed secretly, sometimes from the upper tier, on a smartphone.

Body, Maison Margiela; skirt and cape, Dries Van Noten (all - Leform)

Better let the audience see the whole performance in high-quality filming on a big screen, rather than poor quality clips filmed on a smartphone.

A ballerina, especially a dancer in several troupes, constantly changes partners on the stage. Having worked with a large number of artists, different in type and temperament, tell me how do you establish contact with each of them?

All my first partners are the older generation of amazing artists: with them I studied and gained experience as an aspiring ballerina. Everyone was very kind to me, introduced me to the performances. I took a lot from them in terms of knowledge. And now, having stage experience, I myself try to help my new partners delve into this or that material. If a dancer starts working on a role from scratch, I share with him my knowledge and emotions to make it easier for him. At these moments I also revise my games, immerse myself deeper into them. I am interested in not just having a good partner next to me, but above all an interesting person. The success of the performance depends on the work of both main performers.

Is there some kind of real emotional connection with a partner needed to show genuine emotion on stage?

A personal connection is optional, but it is necessary that there is sympathy between the people dancing in a pair. A special chemistry that makes strangers to each other an amazing duet on stage. And then the audience believes everything that happens between the performers, imbued with the atmosphere of the theater. It happens, of course, that this does not happen, and in this case acting skills and professional experience are included.

I cannot but ask you about the collaboration with Roberto Bolle, the star of the Italian ballet. What was the most memorable part of working with him?

We often dance together on the La Scala stage. In Italy, even those who do not attend performances know his name. I call him bella persona in Italian: he is not only a unique dancer and partner, but also a good person - modest and very private. And, despite his popularity, he is an incredible workaholic: he is ready to work all day in the ballet hall, endlessly repeating supports and movements. It is very easy to dance with him, he is stable and instantly reacts if something goes wrong. A friend of mine said, "You can sell tickets to your rehearsals with Bolle." This is because we give 100 percent our best. We have Giselle scheduled for October at La Scala, so we will delight the audience with our duet again.

At the end of May, the Russian premiere of your solo program "Amore" took place at the Bolshoi Theater. What did you want to say with this performance?

First of all, this is my first big solo project. I often give recitals, but usually these are excerpts from classical performances and individual numbers. I wanted to do something new, large-scale, emotional, surprise and inspire my viewers. Together with a huge team, we have been working on this project for a year. The performance consists of three one-act ballets, staged by different choreographers, in completely different styles. Francesca da Rimini to music by Tchaikovsky, staged by Yuri Possokhov: I fell in love with this performance at first sight! The second - "Until the rain passed" - was staged especially for me by the Austrian choreographer Patrick de Bana: in this performance there is no plot as such, and the viewer comes up with his own meaning to what is happening, there is a share of emotional impromptu on the stage. And the third is a kind of joke ballet "Strokes Through the Tails", staged by Margarita Donlon for Mozart's 40th Symphony. It has a subtle humor that is not always easy to convey on stage. I wanted the drama and philosophy to be balanced and the audience left the show smiling.

Why did you collaborate with these choreographers?

When Yuri Baranov, the producer of “Amore”, invited me to do a solo project, I already had ideas to dance “Francesca da Rimini” and make a new performance with Patrick de Bana. There was only a third ballet left to find. Yuri soon showed me Strokes Through the Tails, revealing Margarita Donlon for me. She has never worked in Russia before, and I am very glad that everything turned out this way: all three choreographers are very talented people and are not at all alike.

Will you repeat this program?

Yes, we will show the next performances of the project "Amore" on June 30, July 3 in Italy and July 6 in Monaco.

Who of the modern directors do you dream of working with?

There are many of them: both those who have already worked with me, and those with whom I have not yet had a chance to cooperate. Jean Christophe Maillet, Paul Lightwood - my dream is to meet them at work. And, of course, I would very much like to collaborate with John Neumeier again: I consider him the greatest choreographer of our time. I was fortunate enough to perform the part in his play "The Lady of the Camellias". I love Boris Yakovlevich Eifman very much: on his birthday I danced an excerpt from his play "Red Giselle". This is a choreographer who has his own style, you can't confuse him with anyone. No wonder his performances are adored by the public all over the world, and his troupe works with great enthusiasm and dedication.

It is no secret that the Russian public is still wary of contemporary ballet and is usually rather cool in accepting various kinds of experiments. Are you thinking about how to present the new formats correctly?

When I do something new, I think not only about what would be interesting for me to dance, but also about whether it would be interesting for the viewer. Would I like to see the performance again myself? For me, the main thing is that the audience leaves the theater inspired and spiritualized.

The costumes for the "Amore" project were made by Igor Chapurin. You are good friends with him, he often dresses you on stage and in life, and even created a dress especially for our shooting. How did your partnership start?

Igor Chapurin has a long history with ballet, as you know (In 2005, Igor Chapurin was the first Russian designer to receive the right to create stage design and costumes for ballets of the Bolshoi Theater. - Note ed.). And we became friends, just when we were preparing the production of "Amore", he "dressed" the ballets "Francesca da Rimini" and "Strokes over the tails". Yuri Baranov brought me to his boutique so that we could get to know each other better, and since then we have been working closely. He is a true master of his craft, one of the brightest Russian designers, and what he does causes me sincere delight. While working on Amore, I completely trusted his vision and taste. He always shares his ideas with such enthusiasm that I agree to everything!

Besides Chapurin, what Russian designers do you wear?

I am friends with Nikolai Krasnikov: I love what he does for his brand. I really respect Vyacheslav Zaitsev - he is our legend and the legislator of Russian fashion, a conductor of Russian culture.

Not so long ago, the movie "Big Babylon" was released, revealing the holy of holies - the backstage of the Bolshoi Theater. The film was shot in the wake of a well-known tragic story. What do you think, for what purpose it was filmed and why you did not take part in it?

I have a negative attitude towards this film. It seems that the director decided to show another scandal, apparently deciding to become famous in this way. He failed to film the real Bolshoi Theater, its rich backstage process. Some snippets from the life of some theater workers, nothing more. I am not interested in such projects.

For the second year now, under your patronage, the Svetlana children's charity dance festival has been held in Moscow. What are your plans for this project?

The purpose of this unique event is to show how diverse the dance is: from classical and popular to modern - you can watch everything at the festival. Professional groups, ensembles from different cities of Russia gather on the stage, which take first places in international competitions. They dance in such a way that it will take your breath away! And these are our talented children who love what they do. I cannot convey how grateful I am to the teachers and choreographers who bring up young talents.

Slip Dress, Organic by John Patrick (KM20)

The ballet world is closed: you live like in a fairy tale and hardly know real life.

What is the charitable part of the project?

We fully provide travel, accommodation and meals for all participants. It's a reward for them to come to Moscow and perform at one of the best venues in Moscow (at the Rossiya Concert Hall in Luzhniki). I didn't have a goal to make a competition - it's a festival, a dance forum, if you like. This year, 500 children took part in it. A large stage was built especially for the festival, very beautiful decorations were made. Of course, the competitive moment occurs at the stage of selection of participants. But the main thing is that children do not feel competition during the festival - on the contrary, they all look with great interest at each other's work, learn from experience, and get to know each other. There are no losers or winners here.

For some time you worked in the Duma Committee on Culture. What did this experience give you and are you not going to return to the Duma?

Yes, I worked in the fifth convocation, and for me this period was definitely interesting and useful in terms of some discoveries. You see, the ballet world is closed: you live like in a fairy tale and, despite all the "adventures", you hardly know real life. And when I came to the Duma, I saw the world from the other side: I managed to help someone, I failed to do something. Now my schedule is planned for several years ahead, and all plans are related only to art. I am used to completely surrendering to what I do. But I do not exclude that someday I will be able to return: there may be changes in life.