Natalia Bessmertnova

{{family name hatnote|Igorevna|Bessmertnova|lang=Eastern Slavic}}

{{Expand Russian|topic=bio|Бессмертнова, Наталия Игоревна|date=November 2016}}

{{Infobox dancer

| name = Natalia Bessmertnova

| native_name_lang = ru

| native_name = {{nobold|Наталия Бессмертнова}}

| image = 250px

| alt =

| caption = Bessmertnova as Giselle, 1966

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1941|7|19}}

| birth_place = Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2008|2|19|1941|7|19}}

| death_place = Moscow, Russia

| nationality =

| other_names =

| occupation = Ballerina

}}

Natalia Igorevna Bessmertnova{{efn|{{langx|ru|Наталия Игоревна Бессмертнова|{{transliteration|ru|Nataliya Igorevna Bessmertnova}}}}}} ({{#dateformat:19 July 1941}}{{spaced ndash}}{{#dateformat:19 February 2008}}) was a Soviet prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet and a People's Artist of the USSR (1976).

Life

Natalia Bessmertnova was born in Moscow in 1941 and trained at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography from 1953-61. Among her teachers were Sofia Golovkina and Marina Semyonova. She graduated in 1961 as the first student in the school's history receiving A+ in the final examinations. In 1963, she joined the Bolshoi Ballet and was its prima ballerina for three decades. She was married to Yury Grigorovich, former Director and Chief choreographer of the Bolshoi. When he was forced to leave the Bolshoi in 1995, she took part in a historic strike which led to cancellations of scheduled performances.[http://www.bolshoi.ru/persons/people/1101 Bessmertnova bio], Bolshoi.ru; accessed 27 June 2018.{{in lang|ru}}

Bessmertnova died in Moscow on 19 February 2008, aged 66, from cancer.[https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/20/arts/dance/20bessmertnova.html?ex=1361163600&en=efb22ee979e0aa3b&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss Obituary], New York Times, 20 February 2008; accessed 27 June 2018.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7254007.stm BBC obit] Her sister Tatyana (born 1947) was also a ballet dancer.Clarke, Mary & Vaughan, David (1977) The Encyclopaedia of Dance and Ballet. Pitman Publishing; pg. 63

Title roles

Giselle in Lavrovsky's 1963 Giselle production
Leyli in Goleizovsky's {{ill|Leyli and Majnun (Goleizovsky)|ru|Лейли и Меджнун (Голейзовский)|lt=Leyli and Majnun}} 1964
Anastasia in Grigorovich's Ivan the Terrible 1975
Valentina in Grigorovich's {{ill|Angara (ballet)|ru|Ангара (балет)|lt=Angara}} 1976
Juliet in Grigorovich's new Romeo and Juliet 1979
Rita in Grigorovich's The Golden Age in 1982
Raymonda in Grigorovich's new Raymonda production 1984
Giselle in Grigorovich's Giselle in 1991

Other important roles

Phrygia in Spartacus
Odette-Odile in Swan Lake
Shirin in {{ill|Legend of Love|ru|Легенда о любви (балет)}}
Kitri in Don Quixote
Maria in The Fountain of Bakhchisarai
The girl in Le Spectre de la rose{{Cite AV media| people = British Pathé | title = New Russian Ballet "A Vision Of A Rose" (1968)| accessdate = 2018-08-31| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bpoadgsk5sQ}}

Awards

Gold Medal at Varna International Ballet Competition in 1965.
The Anna Pavlova Prize in Paris 1970.
USSR State Prize (1977) and Lenin Prize (1986).
People's Artist of the USSR in 1976.

Notes

References

External links

[http://www.ballerinagallery.com/bessmert.htm The Ballerina Gallery - Natalia Bessmertnova]
[http://gallery-mt.narod.ru/pages-b/bessmertnova.html The Gallery of Masters of Musical Theatre - Natalia Bessmertnova]

Category:1941 births

Category:2008 deaths

Category:Dancers from Moscow

Category:Moscow State Academy of Choreography alumni

Category:Tenth convocation members of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union

Category:Honored Artists of the RSFSR

Category:People's Artists of the RSFSR

Category:People's Artists of the USSR

Category:Recipients of the Lenin Prize

Category:Recipients of the Lenin Komsomol Prize

Category:Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples

Category:Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour