Latest news with #NataliaBessmertnova
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Titan of Russian ballet Yuri Grigorovich dies at 98
Acclaimed Russian ballet choreographer, Yuri Grigorovich, has died aged 98. Described as one of the greatest choreographers of the 20th century, he was artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet from 1964 to 1995, which he is said to have led with an iron fist. Grigorovich's productions of the Stone Flower, Ivan the Terrible and Romeo and Juliet redefined Soviet ballet. Praised for revitalising male dance, he created parts for men demanding exceptional strength and artistry. Born in 1927, a decade after the Bolshevik Revolution, his work was steeped in the traditions of classical ballet. His uncle, Georgy Rozai, had studied under the legendary Vaslav Nijinsky and the young Grigorovich went on to dance as a soloist with the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad before turning to choreography. His departure from the Bolshoi in 1995, amid disputes over performers' contracts, led to the first ever dancers' strike at the theatre in its 200-year history. During a scheduled performance, a dancer emerged to inform the audience the show was cancelled, leaving a stunned silence. Following the Soviet Union's collapse, the Bolshoi faced instability. Grigorovich moved to Krasnodar to found a new ballet company. He returned to the Bolshoi in 2008 as a choreographer and ballet master. Grigorovich received top Soviet and Russian honours, including the titles People's Artist of the USSR and Hero of Socialist Labour. His wife, renowned ballerina Natalia Bessmertnova, died in 2008. His death came on the same day as that of one of his most celebrated collaborators, dancer Yuri Vladimirov, aged 83. Valery Gergiev, head of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky theatres, told Izvestia newspaper that Grigorovich was "a legendary figure who will continue to command respect and admiration for decades to come".
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Russian ballet maestro Yuri Grigorovich dies age 98
Acclaimed Russian ballet choreographer, Yuri Grigorovich, has died aged as one of the greatest choreographers of the 20th century, he was artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet from 1964 to 1995, which he is said to have led with an iron productions of the Stone Flower, Ivan the Terrible and Romeo and Juliet redefined Soviet ballet. Praised for revitalising male dance, he created parts for men demanding exceptional strength and in 1927, a decade after the Bolshevik Revolution, his work was steeped in the traditions of classical ballet. His uncle, Georgy Rozai, had studied under the legendary Vaslav Nijinsky and the young Grigorovich went on to dance as a soloist with the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad before turning to departure from the Bolshoi in 1995, amid disputes over performers' contracts, led to the first ever dancers' strike at the theatre in its 200-year history. During a scheduled performance, a dancer emerged to inform the audience the show was cancelled, leaving a stunned silence. Following the Soviet Union's collapse, the Bolshoi faced instability. Grigorovich moved to Krasnodar to found a new ballet company. He returned to the Bolshoi in 2008 as a choreographer and ballet received top Soviet and Russian honours, including the titles People's Artist of the USSR and Hero of Socialist Labour. His wife, renowned ballerina Natalia Bessmertnova, died in death came on the same day as that of one of his most celebrated collaborators, dancer Yuri Vladimirov, aged Gergiev, head of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky theatres, told Izvestia newspaper that Grigorovich was "a legendary figure who will continue to command respect and admiration for decades to come".
South China Morning Post
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Yuri Grigorovich, patriarch of Russian ballet whose career spanned 8 decades, dies aged 98
Legendary Russian ballet dancer and choreographer Yuri Grigorovich has died aged 98. Advertisement Born in the Soviet city of Leningrad to a ballet family, Grigorovich's career – as a dancer, then choreographer – spanned 80 years. He was for three decades the lead choreographer at Moscow's famed Bolshoi Theatre and its artistic powerhouse, running it with an iron fist, it was said. 'Yuri Grigorovich, one of the key figures in the world of ballet in the second half of the 20th century, has died,' the Bolshoi said on social media. Russian ballerina Natalia Bessmertnova during a rehearsal at the Bolshoi Theatre in 2008 with her husband, choreographer Yuri Grigorovich, who has died aged 98. Photo: AFP 'An entire era has come to an end,' Saint Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre, where he started his career, posted online. Advertisement Grigorovich made his name staging classics such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and The Stone Flower. The latter was his most famous piece, based on a series of folk tales from the Ural Mountains accompanied by composer Sergei Prokofiev's music.
