Vladimir Vasiliev (dancer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vladimir Vasiliev
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Vasiliev in 1972
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| Born |
Vladimir Viktorovich Vasiliev
18 April 1940 |
| Education | Moscow Ballet School |
| Occupation |
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| Spouse(s) |
Ekaterina Maximova
(m. 1961; died 2009) |
| Former groups | Bolshoi Ballet |
Vladimir Viktorovich Vasiliev (Russian: Владимир Викторович Васильев; born 18 April 1940) is a famous Russian ballet dancer and choreographer. He was a top dancer, called a principal dancer, with the Bolshoi Ballet. Later, he became the director of the Bolshoi from 1995 to 2000. People often called him "God of the dance."
Vasiliev was known for his strong jumps and turns. His most famous role was Spartacus. Many people think he was as great as other famous dancers like Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Vladimir Vasiliev and Ekaterina Maximova were a very famous ballet couple in Russia.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Vladimir Vasiliev was born in Moscow in 1940. His father worked as an engineer. When he was seven, in 1947, Vladimir joined a children's ballet group. He stayed there for two years. His first ballet teacher was Elena Romanovna Rosse.
In 1947, he also started at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography. This school is often called The Bolshoi Ballet Academy. He finished his studies there in 1958. After graduating, he joined the famous Bolshoi Ballet company.
A Star Dancer: Vladimir Vasiliev's Career
Vladimir Vasiliev quickly became a star. In 1959, just one year after joining the Bolshoi Ballet, he became a principal dancer. This means he was one of the main and most important dancers in the company.
Dancing with Ekaterina Maximova
Vladimir Vasiliev and Ekaterina Maximova were both principal dancers. They were known as the "dream couple" of the Bolshoi Ballet. They first danced together in 1949 when they were classmates. In 1961, they got married.
A dance critic from the New York Times once wrote about their exciting performances. She said that when they came to New York City in 1959, they were amazing. Their dancing helped make the Bolshoi Ballet's first visit to America a huge success.
In 1969, the Bolshoi Ballet toured London. The ballet Spartacus was a huge hit. Critics said that Maximova's dancing could "melt any tyrant's heart."
The famous dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov praised the couple. He said Maximova was like a "rare treasure." He felt that Vasiliev treated her with great care on stage. This made their performances feel very special to the audience.
Vasiliev and Maximova also appeared in a movie. They were in Franco Zeffirelli's film of the opera La traviata in 1983. They danced in Spanish costumes as a bullfighter and his partner.
A French director made a film about them in 1988. It was called “Katia et Volodia.”
In 2008, the Bolshoi Theatre held a special festival. It celebrated Maximova and Vasiliev's 50 years of dancing on the Bolshoi stage. Vasiliev shared a secret about dancing with a partner. He said the man should never get in the way of the woman. He believed the woman is the most important person on stage. He also said his wife inspired him with her beauty and hard work.
Their marriage lasted for 50 years. Ekaterina Maximova passed away in 2009. They did not have any children.
Leading the Bolshoi Ballet
In March 1995, Vladimir Vasiliev became the General and Artistic Director of the Bolshoi Theatre. The previous director had been dismissed by the Russian President, Boris Yeltsin.
As director, Vasiliev started many big projects. He arranged for the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Ballet companies to exchange performances in 1998. He also planned a New Year's Ball at the Bolshoi in 1999. He helped create the International Club of the Bolshoi Friends.
In the late 1990s, he was one of the first directors to see the amazing talent of Svetlana Zakharova. She was a top dancer with the Mariinsky ballet at the time. Svetlana Zakharova later became a principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet in 2003.
Vasiliev was dismissed as director of the Bolshoi Theater on August 28, 2000. He found out about it by hearing the news on the radio.
Becoming a Choreographer
After leaving the Bolshoi, Vasiliev continued his work in ballet. He created new ballets and staged them. For example, he premiered a ballet called Lungo Viaggio Nella Notte di Natale. This ballet used music by Tchaikovsky.
Vasiliev's Lasting Impact
Vladimir Vasiliev is not as well known in Western countries as some other famous male dancers. This is because he mostly stayed and worked in the Soviet Union.
However, his dancing is considered just as great as that of Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov. A young dancer named Mathias Heymann said he looks up to Vasiliev. He watches videos of Vasiliev and other great dancers for inspiration.
A very important Russian ballet critic, Fyodor Lopukhov, called Vasiliev "God of the dance." He also described him as "A miracle in art, perfection."
How He Danced
Roles and Partners
Many ballet roles were created especially for Vladimir Vasiliev. He performed all over the world, usually dancing with his wife, Ekaterina Maximova. Some of his most famous roles were in ballets choreographed by Yury Grigorovich. These included The Tale of the Stone Flower, Spartacus, and The Nutcracker. He also danced in the ballet version of Ivan the Terrible.
Besides Maximova, Vasiliev danced with many other famous ballerinas. These included Galina Ulanova, Maya Plisetskaya, and Alicia Alonso.
His Unique Style
Vladimir Vasiliev had a very strong body, which showed his great physical power. He helped change what a classical male dancer looked like. He showed that male dancers could be very strong and powerful.
In a film about his dancing, Vasiliev once said, "At the beginning we do things only as we have seen them done." He added, "Afterwards, we do them with what we find inside ourselves." This shows how he put his own feelings and ideas into his performances.
Awards and Honors
Vladimir Vasiliev was the first dancer to receive a special award. It was called "The Gold Medal of the World's Best Dancer." He is also the only person to win the Grand Prix award at the Varna International Ballet Competition. He won this first competition in 1964.
Over the years, Vasiliev has received many important awards from Russia and other countries. These include the USSR State Prize and the Russian State Prize. He also received the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" from Russia and a State Order from France.
Key Awards
- 1959: Gold Medal, Festival of Youth, Vienna
- 1964: Grand Prix of Varna at the Varna International Ballet Competition
- 1993: Crystal Turandot Award for theatre arts, with Ekaterina Maximova
Film Appearances
- Katia et Volodia: A Portrait in Dance with Ekaterina Maximova and Vladimir Vasiliev, a film by Dominique Delouche, 58 minutes, 1988
See also
- List of Russian ballet dancers
