Nina Timofeeva facts for kids
Nina Vladimirovna Timofeeva (born June 11, 1935 – died November 3, 2014) was a famous Soviet ballet dancer. She was known for her strong performances and beautiful dancing. Nina was a star at the Bolshoi Theater, one of the world's most famous ballet companies.
About Nina Timofeeva
Nina Timofeeva was born in Leningrad, which is now called Saint Petersburg. She loved ballet from a young age. She studied at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, a very famous dance school. Nina finished her studies in 1953.
Even before she graduated, Nina showed her talent. In 1951, she performed as Masha in Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker. This was her first time dancing on a big stage.
From 1953 to 1956, Nina was a main dancer, called a soloist, at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg. After that, she moved to Moscow. She became a soloist with the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.
Her Famous Ballet Roles
Nina Timofeeva danced many important roles during her career. Here are some of her most famous performances:
- Odette-Odile, in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake (1956, 1970)
- Kitri, in Minkus’ Don Quixote (1959)
- The Mistress of the Copper Mountain, in Prokofiev's The Tale of the Stone Flower (1959)
- Aurora (1964) and Lilac Fairy (1977), in Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Beauty (1964)
- Mekhmene-Banu, in Melikov's Legend of Love (1965)
- Leili, in Balasanian's Leili and Medzhnun (1965)
- Frigina (1958) and Aegina (1968) in Khachaturian's Spartacus
- Lady Macbeth, in Molchanov's Macbeth (1980)
Life After Dancing
Nina Timofeeva stopped performing on stage in 1988. From 1989 to 1991, she worked as a choreographer for the Bolshoi Theater. A choreographer is someone who creates the dance moves for ballets.
In 1991, Nina moved to Israel with her daughter, Nadya. Nadya is also a professional ballet dancer. Two years later, Nina wrote a book about her life called The World of Ballet.
Her Family Life
Nina Timofeeva was married twice. Her second husband was the composer Kirill Molchanov. He wrote music for some of her ballets. Nina and Kirill were married until he passed away in 1982. Nina's daughter from her marriage to Molchanov is still alive today.
See also
In Spanish: Nina Timofeeva para niños
