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press packagediana Vishneva

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Biography

Described as the most accomplished, the most complete, ballerina in the world today, Diana Vishneva has been thrilling audiences around the world with performances that have been called dazzling, hair-raising, exhilarating, charged with erotic excitement, and so moving that they leave people sitting dazed in their seats afterwards. More than once she has been credited with the ability to stop time through her subtle movements, her technical brilliance, her dramatic intelligence, and her ability to hold a pause. With a repertoire that includes both classic and modern choreographies, Diana Vishneva’s versatility is huge, and her strength, speed, and precision have enabled her to perform works beyond the reach of most russian-trained dancers.

Born in St. petersburg, russia in 1976, Diana began her dance training at the age of six, and in 1987 was admitted to the Vaganova academy of russian Ballet. While still a student, she won her first of many prestigious prizes : the “gold Medal” at the prix de Lausanne completion—an honor that no dancer has received since. Upon graduation in 1995, she joined the Mariinsky Theater (Kirov Ballet) of St. petersburg, and in 1996 became a principal dancer, receiving the “Benois de la danse” prize that same year. She soon took part in a program of dancer exchanges with foreign companies, performing at La Scala in Milan and with Vladimir Malakhov’s Berlin State Ballet. it was a 2003 dancer exchange that sent Diana to the american Ballet Theater in New york for the first time, where she has been a principal dancer since 2005. her already substantial and growing repertoire, and the ongoing invitations to perform internationally with different companies have confirmed her as one of the most accomplished classical ballerinas of her generation.

in her ever-expanding role as international ambassador for the dance world, Diana Vishneva is also the founder of the “Cultural Fund of Diana Vishneva,” a non-profit organization that will operate in russia, the United States, and Japan. its primary goals are to supply opportunities for underprivileged children to study ballet, and for those already studying to attend performances; to provide financial assistance to both injured ballet dancers as well as retired performers; and to encourage and support new choreogra-phers, ballet programs, and international co-productions. on a recent visit to the Duke Ellington School of the arts in Washington, D.C., Diana was recognized by First Lady Michelle obama, who called her an inspiration and thanked her for her outstanding work in exposing so many young people to the arts.

“Vishneva is probablythe most accomplished,

the most complete, bal lerina in the world today.”

robert gelb , The New york observer , February 2007

biography

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Diana Vishneva is also a mesmerizing beauty

from the i l lustr ious Kirov Ballet , a master of channel ing feel ing

through a c lass ical vessel ’ s res traint , and so peripatet ic

a performer that her repertory has become her only real home.”

apoll inaire Scherr , “Double Exposure , Diana V ishneva plays Both Sides , ” New york Magazine February 10, 2008 .

“If I could, I would travel the world just to see

Diana Vishneva dance. . .whenever she i s on s tage, I hear the s iren cal l ing ‘come watch me dance;

come dance with me; the best i s yet to be.’”

Jerry hochman, Ballet-Dance Magazine , august 2009

Biography

Birthdate: July 13, 1976Birthplace: St. petersburg, russiaCitizenship: russiaresidence: St. petersburg, russiaLanguages: russian, English, FrenchWebsite: www.vishneva.ru www.facebook.com/pages/Diana-Vishneva

EDUCaTioN

Vaganova academy of russian Ballet (St. petersburg, russia)Entered academy in 1987 at age 10. First instructor was Lyudmila V. Belskaya. Later studied under professor Lyudmila V. Kovaleva. in final exam, made the highest score in the history of Vaganova academy. graduated in 1995.

Currently studying in the Master’s Degree program of Vaganova academy of russian Ballet.

education

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DiaNa haS WorKED aND pErForMED WiTh ThE FoLLoWiNg ChorEographErS

Bejart | Neumeier | Forsythe | grigorovich | petit |Makarova | preljocaj | Vinogradov | MacKenzie | ratmasky| Lightfoot | Lock | Bigonzetti | Zuska

choreographers

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“I t ’ s hard to think of a more sheerly beautiful bal lerina

in the world today: the proport ions of her body

are delectably harmonious . . .” alastair Macaulay , The New york T imes, February , 2008

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MaJor pErForMaNCE VENUES

Mariinsky Theater_St. petersburg, russia

The Metropolitan opera house_New york, U.S.a.

Berlin Staatsoper_Berlin, germany

Bolshoi Theater_Moscow, russia

grand d’opera_paris, France

Teatro La Scala_Milan, italy

The royal opera house_London, England

Kennedy Center_Washington-DC, U.S.a.

Segerstrom Center for the arts_Costa Mes, Ca, U.S.a. Kodak Theater_Los angeles, Ca, U.S.a.

Bunka Kaikan Theater_Tokyo, Japan

The National Theater of Korea_Seoul, Korea

het Muziektheater_amsterdam, The Netherlands

place des arts_Montreal, Canada

Canada’s National arts Centre_ottawa, Canada

major performance venues

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rEpErToirE

repertoire

NUTCraCKEr(Masha) in versions of V.Vainonen, K.Simonov/M.Shemyakin

DoN QUixoTE(Kitri) in versions of M.petipa/ a.gorsky, y.grigorovich, r.Nureyev, K.McKenzie

SLEEpiNg BEaUTy(aurora) in versions of M.petipa/ K.Sergeyev, S.Vikharev, r.Nureyev, y.grigorovich, V.Malakhov, K.McKenzie/g.Kirkland

roMEo & JULiETTE(Juliette) in versions of M.Lavrovsky, K.McMillan

giSELLE(giselle) versions of J.Coralli, J.perrot/ M.petipa, p.Bart, K.McKenzie

La BayaDErE(Nikiya) in versions of M.petipa/ V.ponomaryev, V.Chabukiani, S.Vikharev, V.Malakhov, N.Makarova

SWaN LaKE(odette-odille) in versions of M.petipa/K.Sergeyev, L.ivanov, p.Bart, r.Nureyev, y.grigorovich, K.McKenzie

LE CorSairE(Medora), “raymonda” (raymonda) in version of M.petipa/K.Sergeyev

SpECTrE DE La roSEScheherazade (Zobeide) - The Firebird - Dying Swan by Mikhail Fokine

LEgEND oF LoVE(Mahmene Banu) by yuri grigorovich

MaNoN(Manon) by Kenneth McMillan

SyMphoNy iN C Tchaikovsky pas de Deux - apollo - Jewels-rubies -Diamonds -Ballet imperialby george Balanchine

iN ThE NighTby Jerome robbins

CiNDErELLa(Cinderella) in versions of o.Vinogradov, a.ratmansky

CarMEN(Carmen) in versions of r.petit, a.alonso

DrEaM(Titania), “Sylvia” (Sylvia), “Thais pas de Deux” by Federick ashton

SiLENZioby a.Moguchiy, a.Kononov

LE pEri(peri) by Vladimir Malakhov

LE JEUNE hoMME ET La MorTby rolan petit

ThE SoUNDS oF EMpTy pagES, SpriNg aND FaLL, NoW aND ThEN, LaDy oF ThE CaMELLiaS(Marguerite) by John Neumeier

ThE riNg(Frikke, Brungilda), “Bahti” by Morice Bejart

iN ThE MiDDLE, SoMEWhaT ELEVaTED, STEpTExTby William Forsythe

oN ThE DNiEpEr(olga), “anna Karenina” (anna) by alexei ratmansky

DiaNa ViShNEVa: BEaUTy iN MoTioNby a.ratmansky, M.pendleton, D.roden

NEW WorKby Edouard Lock

LE parCby angelin preljocaj

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“Diana Vishneva is a wondrous creature whose captivating beauty never

feels frozen in a static, flawless state, but is ever changing - full of heat or ice,

and packaged in a body that the choreographer Moses Pendleton notes,

‘moves like liquid milk.” robert gelb , The New york observer , February 2007

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“Vishneva is unusually devoted to the expressive powers of dancing,

and through her clear and unaffected performance, the story of trampled innocence

and unearned forgiveness was as profoundly moving as I’ve ever seen it.”

Sarah Kaufman, Washington post , February 2011

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“Since the f irs t days of glasnost , other Russian bal lerinas — notably Altynai

Asylmuratova of the Kirov and Nina Ananiashvi l i of the Bolshoi —

have managed to commute between East and West and between old and new,

but none have been able to have their cake and eat i t too as much as Ms . Vishneva.”

richard Termine , The New york T imes, February 2011

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film productions/ 21

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DiaMoNDSVENiCE FiLM FESTiVaL

“Diamonds”, a black-and-white silent masterpiece starring the leading light of the Mariinsky Ballet, Diana Vishneva, has had its premiere at the oldest film festival in the world, Venice.

The star of Sleeping Beauty, giselle and Swan Lake, just to name a few, the Mariinsky’s darling has in fact revealed that, apart from being a novice in film, she also had to try another completely new role in Diamonds – that of a chorus girl, which she said felt quite unusual for the acclaimed lead dancer.

diamonds

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MaJor priZES

1994 goLD MEDaL and graND prix of The international Ballet Competition in Lausanne1995 La DiViNa priZE

1996 BENoiS DE La DaNSE prize for role of Kitri in DoN QUixoTE

1996 goLDEN SoFiT priZE for solo role in “The Symphony in C”1998 BaLTiKa prize for Best Duet (with F. ruzimatov)2000 ThE STaTE priZE oF ThE rUSSiaN FEDEraTioN (for the title roles in the Mariinsky Theater performances of “The Sleeping Beauty,” “Manon,” “Le jeune homme et la mort,” and “Sheherazade”2001 goLDEN MaSK prize for the title role in Balanchine’s “rubies”2002 BEST DaNCEr oF EUropE by Dance Europe magazine2003 SpiriT oF DaNCE in “Queen of Dance” category by Ballet magazine2007 pEopLE’S arTiST oF rUSSia

2009 Three goLDEN MaSK prizes in categories “Best Female role;” Modern Dance/Female role;” and Critics prize for “Diana Vishneva: Beauty in Motion”2010 BaLLEriNa oF ThE DECaDE by Stars of the 21st Century2011 aUDiENCE priZE from the Theatre-Foer society

major prizes

“Diana Vishneva.. . has done just some outs tanding work to expose so many other young people to the arts . . .”First Lady obama at Duke Ell ington School for the arts , June 2010

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fashion shoots

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DiaNa ViShNEVaDiaNa ViShNEVapriMa BaLLEriNa oF MariiNSKy ThEaTEr/KiroV BaLLETpriNCipaL DaNCEr oF ThE aMEriCaN BaLLET ThEaTEr

RUSSIA contact_ Mail Diana Vishneva p.o. Box 155 St.petersburg, russia 190068T. +7-905-214-4927E-Mail ks@avanstage.com

USA contact_Mail Diana Vishneva c/o avanstage LLC 130 West 56th Street, Floor 5M New york, Ny 10019 USaT. +1-202-390-0808E-Mail ks@avanstage.com

contact