Throwback Thursday and Maya Plisetskaya
One of the world’s legendary ballerinas is Russian dancer Maya Plisetskaya. Born in Moscow 1925, she studied at the
Bolshoi Theatre School. She hails from an artistic and dancing family: her
uncle Asaf Messerer was a famous dancer and choreographer, her aunt Sulamif
Messerer was a first generation Soviet ballerina, and her mother was an
actress.
Historic and political events in Russia played a sad role in Maya’s
life. In 1937 her father was arrested and executed, and a year later her mother
was arrested and sent to a prison camp in Kazakhstan. Maya was taken in by her
aunt Sulamif who also sheltered her older brother Azari. Later, Azari was a
frequent partner of Alicia Alonso.
Maya rose rapidly through the ranks at the Bolshoi, and during her
first season she performed more than twenty important roles. Known for her
extraordinary technique including high extensions and long lines, she also
possessed an exquisite musicality. She went on to perform principal roles for
the rest of her career.
In 1959 Maya performed with the Bolshoi on its history-making tour to
the United States. Before this time she had been forbidden to travel because of
her family history. Now she was an international star and she continued to tour
and perform throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
Later, she left the Bolshoi and became artistic director of the Rome
Opera Ballet, and then the Ballet del Teatro Lírico Nacional in Madrid, Sprain.
She wrote a memoir I, Maya Plisetskaya in 1994, and since the 1990s she has been
living in Munich, Germany.
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Secret #58:
“Maya Plisetskaya
is a Russian ballerina, choreographer and teacher.”
Link of the Day:
Quote
of the Day:
““Everyone wants to ride with you in the
limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo
breaks down.”
― Oprah Winfrey
― Oprah Winfrey
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