Evgenia Obraztsova facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Evgenia Obraztsova
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)	Andrei Korobtsov
Current group	Bolshoi Theatre

Evgenia Obraztsova (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.

Evgenia's Early Life

Evgenia Obraztsova grew up in a family of dancers. Her mother was also a dancer at the Moussorgski Theatre. Evgenia showed her dance talent early on. She passed the tough entrance exams for the Vaganova School. This 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. She then joined the Mariinsky company. She quickly moved up the ranks, guided by a famous ballet star, Ninel Kurgapkina. Evgenia found out she had been promoted to a demi-soloist by reading a theater brochure. No one had told her directly!

In 2003, Evgenia became the youngest dancer ever at the Mariinsky to perform the role of Juliet. This role from Romeo and Juliet became one of her favorites.

Special Performances and Awards

During the 2005-2006 season, Evgenia continued to shine. She got chances to dance in three new ballets made just for her.

• In November 2005, Carla Fracci, a ballet director from Rome, invited Evgenia to dance in Prokofiev's Cinderella.
• In March 2006, French choreographer Pierre Lacotte chose Evgenia for the main role in his new version of Ondine. Her performance as Ondine won her the important Golden Mask award.
• Two months later, Evgenia went back to Rome to dance in Faust.

Evgenia was praised for bringing real emotion and intelligence to her roles. She was especially loved for her work in Romeo and Juliet.

Becoming a Principal Dancer at the Bolshoi Ballet

Evgenia Obraztsova was promoted to a principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet in February 2012. This is a very high honor for a ballerina. Her ballet teacher there was Nadezhda Gracheva.

In 2016, Evgenia received the title of Merited Artist of the Russian Federation. This is a special award for artists in Russia.

New Roles and Recognition

In 2017, Evgenia was the first to dance the role of Juliet in a new production of Romeo and Juliet. This version was created by Alexei Ratmansky. In 2019, Christopher Wheeldon's ballet The Winter's Tale premiered at the Bolshoi. Evgenia starred as Queen Hermione and was nominated for another Golden Mask award.

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

Today, Evgenia Obraztsova continues to dance leading roles at the Bolshoi Theatre. She also performs in major tours around Russia and other countries. She is often invited as a guest star to famous theaters worldwide.

Guest Performances Around the World

Evgenia Obraztsova is often invited to dance as a guest soloist in other countries. She is known for dancing main roles in ballets like Romeo and Juliet, Ondine, Giselle, and La Sylphide. She has won several awards, including a Gold Medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition in 2005.

In 2007, she was asked to dance the main role in The Awakening of Flora. She also went on many tours with her company to places like Japan, the United States, France, and Israel. In 2008, she took the lead role in Shurale. In November 2009, Evgenia was invited to the Royal Ballet in London. There, she danced as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty. She then danced Giselle in Rome in February 2010.

In the summer of 2010, she worked with Pierre Lacotte again. She danced the role of Constance Bonacieux in "The Three Musketeers." A few months later, she danced Giselle in Moscow.

Acting in Films

In 2005, Evgenia acted in the movie The Russian Dolls by Cédric Klapisch. She played Natasha, a young ballerina at the Mariinsky Theater. This role was very much like her own life. The director noticed her by chance while visiting the Mariinsky. Evgenia was also featured in the 2006 documentary Ballerina. This film explored the lives of dancers like Ulyana Lopatkina and Diana Vishneva.

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

Awards and Recognition

• 2002: Gold Medal at the Prix Vaganova in Saint Petersburg
• 2005: Gold Medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition
• 2006: Prix Léonide Massine in Italy
• 2007: Golden Mask Award for best dancer for Ondine
• 2016: Merited Artist of the Russian Federation
• 2018: La Renaissance française golden medal for promoting French culture in Russia

Personal Life

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

Ballet Roles (Repertoire)

Filmography

• The Russian Dolls (2005) by Cédric Klapisch
• A Frenchman (2019) as Kira Galkina, a ballet dancer