Evgenia Obraztsova facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Evgenia Obraztsova
Evgenia Obraztsova at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden in 2009
Born	(1984-01-18) 18 January 1984 (age 41) Leningrad, Soviet Union
Education	Vaganova School
Occupation	Ballerina
Spouse(s)	Andrey Korobtsov
Current group	Bolshoi Theatre

Evgenia Viktorovna Obraztsova (Russian: Евге́ния Ви́кторовна Образцо́ва; born January 18, 1984) is a famous Russian ballerina. She is a top dancer, called a prima ballerina, with the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow. She also danced with the Mariinsky Ballet.

Early Life and Training

Evgenia Obraztsova grew up in a family of dancers. Her mother was also a dancer. Evgenia showed her dance talent very early. She passed the tough entrance exams for the Vaganova School. This special school trains young dancers to join the Mariinsky ballet company.

Dancing with the Mariinsky Ballet

Evgenia Obraztsova finished her studies at the Vaganova Academy in 2002. After that, she joined the Mariinsky ballet company. She quickly moved up through the ranks. A famous ballet star, Ninel Kurgapkina, helped guide her.

Evgenia soon found out she had been promoted. She went from "Corps de ballet" to "Coryphée." The "Corps de ballet" are the group dancers. A "Coryphée" is a demi-soloist, meaning they dance small solo parts. No one at the theater had even told her about her promotion!

In 2003, Evgenia made history. She became the youngest dancer at the Mariinsky to perform the role of Juliet. This role from Romeo and Juliet became one of her favorite parts.

During the 2005-2006 season, Evgenia kept getting better. She was given chances to dance in three new ballets. In November 2005, Carla Fracci, a ballet director, invited Evgenia to dance in Cinderella. In March 2006, a French choreographer named Pierre Lacotte chose Evgenia for the main role in his new ballet, Ondine. Her performance as Ondine was so good that she won the important Golden Mask award. A couple of months later, she danced in Faust in Rome.

Evgenia was inspired by other great dancers like Diana Vishneva and Ulyana Lopatkina. She was praised for making her characters feel real and smart. People especially loved her dancing in Romeo and Juliet.

Becoming a Principal Dancer at the Bolshoi Ballet

In February 2012, Evgenia Obraztsova was promoted again. She became a principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet. A principal dancer is the highest rank a ballet dancer can achieve. Her ballet coach, called a ballet master-repetiteur, was Nadezhda Gracheva.

In 2016, Evgenia received a special award. She was named a Merited Artist of the Russian Federation. This is a high honor for artists in Russia.

In 2017, Evgenia was the first to dance Juliet in a new version of Romeo and Juliet. This new show was put together by Alexei Ratmansky. In 2019, another choreographer, Christopher Wheeldon, presented his ballet The Winter's Tale. Evgenia starred as Queen Hermione in this show. She was nominated for the Golden Mask award for this role.

In March 2020, Evgenia performed as Phrygia in the ballet Spartacus.

Today, Evgenia Obraztsova performs many main roles at the Bolshoi Theatre. She also travels around the world for tours and is invited to dance as a guest star in famous theaters.

Guest Performances and Awards

Evgenia Obraztsova is often invited to dance in other countries. She is known for dancing leading roles in ballets like Romeo and Juliet, Ondine, Giselle, and La Sylphide. She has won many awards. One big award was the Gold Medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition in 2005.

Because she was so popular, she was asked to dance the main role in The Awakening of Flora in 2007. She also went on many tours with her company. These tours took her to Japan, the United States, France, Austria, and Israel. She also performed in many international galas. In 2008, she took the main role in Shurale.

In November 2009, Evgenia was invited to the Royal Ballet in London. She danced as Aurora in their show of The Sleeping Beauty. She danced with David Makhateli. Then, in February 2010, she danced in Giselle at the Rome Opera.

After Ondine, she worked with Pierre Lacotte again in 2010. She danced the role of Constance Bonacieux in "The Three Musketeers." This was a newly choreographed show. A few months later, she danced Giselle in Moscow.

Acting in Films

In 2005, Evgenia also became an actress. She played Natasha in the movie The Russian Dolls by Cédric Klapisch. This role was very much like her own life. Natasha was a young ballerina at the Mariinsky Theater. Evgenia didn't even have to try out for the movie. The director, Klapisch, just noticed her by chance when he visited the Mariinsky.

Evgenia was also featured in a 2006 documentary film. It was called Ballerina by Bertrand Normand. This film looked at the artistic lives of dancers like Ulyana Lopatkina and Diana Vishneva.

In 2018, she played the main female role in the movie A Frenchman (2019). This film was directed by Andrei Smirnov. For her role, Evgenia was nominated for the Nika Award. This is a major film award in Russia.

Recognition

In 2006, Dance Magazine named her one of their "25 to Watch". This list highlights rising stars in the dance world.

Personal Life

Evgenia Obraztsova married sculptor Andrey Korobtsov on April 27, 2014. They have twin daughters, Sofia and Anastasia, who were born on July 25, 2016.

Awards

• 2002: Gold Medal at the Prix Vaganova in Saint Petersburg
• 2005: Gold medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition
• 2005: Zegna Mariinsky New Talents Award in Paris
• 2006: Prix Léonide Massine in Italy
• 2007: Golden Mask Award for best dancer for Ondine
• 2008: Nina Ananiashvili Star Award (Tbilisi)
• 2009: Principal Dancer Prize, Esprit de la Danse
• 2012: International Dance Open Award in “Miss Virtuosity” nomination
• 2016: Merited Artist of the Russian Federation
• 2018: La Renaissance française golden medal for promoting French culture in Russia

Ballet Roles (Repertoire)

Filmography

Here are some of the films Evgenia Obraztsova has been in:

• Don Quixote, with Olesia Novikova, Leonid Sarafanov, Alina Somova and other dancers from the Mariinsky Theatre
• Swan Lake, with Ulyana Lopatkina, Danila Korsuntev, Olesia Novikova and the Mariinsky dancers
• Marco Spada, with David Hallberg, Olga Smirnova, Semyon Chudin, and other dancers from the Bolshoi Ballet
• The Russian Dolls by Cédric Klapisch
• A Frenchman (2019) as Kira Galkina, a ballet dancer of the Bolshoi Theater

See also

• List of Russian ballet dancers