Svetlana Zakharova (dancer)

Svetlana Zakharova
Svetlana Zakharova in 2015
Born	(1979-06-10) June 10, 1979 Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Education	Kiev Choreographic School, Vaganova Ballet Academy
Occupation	Ballerina
Current group	Bolshoi Ballet
Former groups	Mariinsky Ballet

Svetlana Zakharova (Russian: Светлана Захарова, born June 10, 1979) is a principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet and an étoile of the La Scala Theatre Ballet.

Early life

Zakharova was born in Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union, on June 10, 1979. At age six, she was taken by her mother to learn folk dancing at a local studio, and by age 10, she had auditioned and was accepted into the Kiev Choreographic School. Her father's army reassignment to East Germany led to Zakharova's withdrawal from the school four months later. Her family returned to Ukraine six months after that, and Zakharova was readmitted to the School, where she joined the second class under teacher Valeria Sulegina. She then went on to study at St Petersburg's Vaganova Academy, before moving on to the Mariinsky.

Mariinsky Ballet

Zakharova debuted with the Mariinsky Ballet in 1996, appearing as Maria with Ruben Bobovnikov, in Rostislav Zakharov's The Fountain of Bakhchisarai.

Bolshoi Ballet and after

By October 2003, Zakharova "was getting itchy feet" at the Mariinsky, and moved to the Bolshoi Ballet. The offer from the Bolshoi company was longstanding, and the departure from the Mariinsky was reportedly due to discontent with that company.

Today, Zakharova tours and appears as a guest artist with a variety of renowned ballet companies. At La Scala Theatre Ballet in Italy, she danced with partner Roberto Bolle in Swan Lake, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, and La Bayadère.

Zakharova was one of the featured dancers featured in the 2006 documentary Ballerina.

Legacy

Zakharova is considered one of the greatest ballerinas of her generation and is highly regarded for her technical expertise, her exquisite footwork, and her exceptionally high extensions, and her musicality. Not all critics find her extreme positions aesthetically pleasing, as they do not conform to classical ballet norms.

Tributes and accolades

Zakharova was awarded the Prix Benois de la Danse in 2005 for her portrayal of Hippolita (Titania) in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, and the State Prize of the Russian Federation in 2006.

Personal life

Zakharova is married to Russian violinist Vadim Repin, and the couple have one child, a daughter Anna, who was born on February 17, 2011. She had withdrawn from the Bolshoi Ballet tour to London in the summer of 2010 citing a hip injury; she was pregnant at the time. Zakharova returned to dancing, and performed in London on May 15, 2011, in a gala performance celebrating Soviet ballerina Galina Ulanova.

A member of United Russia party, Zakharova was a vocal supporter of Russian president Vladimir Putin and the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation during the Ukrainian crisis, which led to a break in her relationship with the Kiev Choreographic School in particular.

External links

• Official website