Natalia Bessmertnova

Natalia Igorevna Bessmertnova (Russian: Наталья Игоревна Бессмертнова; 19 July 1941 – 19 February 2008) was a Soviet prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet and a People's Artist of the USSR (1976).

Natalia Bessmertnova
Bessmertnova as Giselle, 1966.
Born
Natalia Igorevna Bessmertnova

19 July 1941 (1941-07-19)
Moscow, Soviet Union
Died19 February 2008 (2008-02-20) (aged 66)
Moscow, Russia
OccupationBallerina

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.[1]

Bessmertnova died in Moscow on 19 February 2008, aged 66, from cancer.[2][3] Her sister Tatyana (born 1947) was also a ballet dancer.[4]

Title roles

Other important roles

Awards

See also

References
  1. Bessmertnova bio, Bolshoi.ru; accessed 27 June 2018.(in Russian)
  2. Obituary, New York Times, 20 February 2008; accessed 27 June 2018.
  3. BBC obit
  4. Clarke, Mary & Vaughan, David (1977) The Encyclopaedia of Dance and Ballet. Pitman Publishing; pg. 63
  5. British Pathé. New Russian Ballet "A Vision Of A Rose" (1968). Retrieved 2018-08-31.
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