Throwback Thursday and Irina Kolpakova
Born May 23, 1933, Irina Kolpakova was a Russian ballerina
who graduated from the Leningrad school in 1951. This was only a few months
before her teacher – the renowned Agrippina Vaganova – died.
Kolpakova was known as a lyrical ballerina with beautiful
line and clean technique. She was particularly noted for her work in classics
like The Sleeping Beauty, dancing as
Aurora or Princes Florine; and in Giselle,
Cinderella, and Nutcracker. But she could also shine in contemporary roles, one
example being Coast of Hope.
In 1965 she was awarded the Gold Star at the International
Festival of Dance in Paris. During the 1990s she worked at American Ballet
Theater as a coach and choreographer, and today is a professor of classical
dance at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in St. Petersburg.
She is married to ballet dancer Vladilen Semenov, and they
live in the famous Tolstoy House in St. Petersburg.
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Dance History Factoid #109:
“Irina Kolpakova was the last dancer trained by Agrippina
Vaganova.“
Link of the Day:
Quote
of the Day:
“Vaganova
told us to use all parts of our body together at the same time. Not only this
movement for the leg, this movement for the arms, this movement you’re supposed
to learn how to use for your head, neck. No, all together, all the time. And she was huge—in
Paris they called her the Queen of the Variations. She was … amazing. And she
was really smart. She combined French method with Danish. I think that’s
unique. Her method was unique.”
- Irina Kolpakova
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