Maya Plisetskaya

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Maya Plisetskaya in Swan Lake, 1961. (credit: Paris Match-Pictorial Parade)

(born Nov. 20, 1925, Moscow, Russia, U.S.S.R.) Russian prima ballerina. She studied at the Bolshoi Ballet's school in Moscow and joined the company as a soloist in 1943. Noted for her technical virtuosity and ability to integrate acting with dancing, she toured worldwide with the Bolshoi Ballet and appeared as a guest artist with several companies, including the Paris Opéra. She also danced in several films, including Swan Lake (1957). In the 1980s she was a guest ballet director in Rome and then in Madrid.

For more information on Maya Mikhaylovna Plisetskaya, visit Britannica.com.

The Russian dancer Maya Mikhailovna Plisetskaya (born 1925) epitomized the best of Soviet ballet.

The career of Maya Plisetskaya, the celebrated Soviet ballerina, choreographer, teacher, and director, spans almost 50 years. Her impulsive, dynamic, and expressive dancing in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s epitomized the highest qualities of the Soviet ballet. Recognized as one of the world's greatest ballerinas, she endowed her roles with unique individuality, combining the pure lyrical technique of the Russian classical heritage with the fire and magic of Soviet bravura. In 1990 she still danced in roles which, though less demanding physically, enabled her to demonstrate her persuasive acting skills.

Maya Mikhailovna Plisetskaya, prima ballerina assoluta of the Bolshoi Ballet, was born on November 20, 1925, in Moscow into a Jewish theatrical dynasty. For over 70 years the Messerer family played a prominent part in the Soviet theater and films, as well as in the ballet world. Her mother, Rakhil Messerer, was a well-known silent-film actress. (Both of Maya's parents suffered during Stalin's purges in the 1930s: her mother was sent to a labor camp, and her father died.) Maya's brother, Azari, became a dancer; her Aunt Elizaveta was an actress in Moscow; and her cousin Boris was a distinguished set designer. Balletic influence came from her mother's sister and brother, Sulamith and Mikhail Messerer, both talented soloists and later distinguished teachers with the Bolshoi Ballet, who coached and encouraged the young Maya from earliest days.

As a child, Maya was always restless, constantly moving. When she was eight, her Aunt Sulamith took her to the Moscow Choreographic School, which produces most of the Bolshoi dancers. She requested that they admit Maya a year earlier than the usual entrance age because of the child's obvious talent and also because "at home, she just can't help dancing." Maya was accepted and began the hard and dedicated life of becoming a ballet dancer. For six full days a week she took ballet lessons along with her regular school education. Gangly and thin with bright red hair, the young Maya quickly grasped the technical difficulties of classical ballet, though not always willingly. Once she was expelled for violating the disciplinary demands of the class. Unabashed, she told her teacher that she didn't care and would "go and sell apples." But in less than two weeks she was back in class again. Her teacher for six years was the legendary Yelizaveta Gerdt, whose equally famous father, Pavel, taught Anna Pavlova and Tamara Karsavina. Thus Plisetskaya is a direct link and continuation of the traditions of the Russian ballet. Gerdt called Plisetskaya her "little diamond" and lovingly polished and refined the young pupil's talent.

To be a student at the ballet school meant taking part in performances with the company at the Bolshoi Theatre. When she was 11, Plisetskaya appeared as the Bread Crumb Fairy in Asaf Messerer's production of "The Sleeping Beauty." A year later she danced the role of the cat in a children's ballet, "The Little Stork, " and in her seventh year at the school, her sparkling interpretation as leading dancer in the divertissement from "Paquita" aroused much interest. In addition to her commanding presence and clear, sharp footwork, she showed a remarkable high and seemingly effortless leap, an expressive movement which was to become one of her trademarks.

Upon graduation from the school in 1943, she was accepted immediately into the Bolshoi company, not as a member of the corps de ballet but as a soloist. For the role of Masha in "The Nutcracker, " Plisetskaya received the coaching of yet another legendary figure in the history of Russian ballet - Agrippina Vaganova, the director of the Leningrad ballet school whose methods of teaching were the basis at all Soviet ballet schools. Among Vaganova's pupils in Leningrad had been Galina Ulanova and Marina Semyonova. Vaganova encouraged the young ballerina to find and bring out her own individuality in each role - to make them her own.

The ensuing years saw Plisetskaya performing in all the classical roles, offering individual but convincing interpretations. She danced Raymonda, the dual role of Odette-Odile (Swan Lake), Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Myrthe (Giselle), Kitri (Don Quixote), Tsar-Maiden (The Little Hump-backed Horse), and, of course, "The Dying Swan" which Michel Fokine created for Anna Pavlova and which later was associated as a showcase for Plisetskaya's famous plasticity - the suppleness of her back and the remarkable pliability of her arms, which ripple with grace, seemingly boneless. In contemporary Soviet works she would attack the choreography with gusto, throwing herself into the dancing and character of the role with fiery passion. Her presence dominated the stage, encompassing it with large, expansive movements, high but light jumps, spinning turns, and dynamic force. She expressed great musicality in her dancing, and her presence guaranteed excitement.

One of her most famous - and favorite - contemporary roles was Carmen, in the ballet "Carmen-Suite" by Cuban choreographer Alberto Alonso. The ballet gave full rein to her dramatic and artistic talent. She portrayed the young girl as a passionate, tempestuous, and sensual character. Bizet's famous score was arranged by Rodion Shchedrin, Plisetskaya's husband. The French choreographers Roland Petit and Maurice Bejart created "La Rose Malade" and "Isadora, " respectively, for her.

Another facet of Plisetskaya's talent was her choreography. Her ballets "Anna Karenina, " "The Seagull, " and "Lady with a Lapdog" are all based on Russian literature with music especially composed by Shchedrin and created as vehicles for her own star quality. She focused the spot light on the drama and psychological aspects of the stories rather than concentrating solely on the dancing. Plisetskaya won the top civilian award, the Lenin Prize, in 1964 and the French Pavlova Prize in 1962. She taught master classes in many cities, including New York, and was the artistic director of The National Ballet of Spain beginning of 1988.

After her departure from the Bolshoi Ballet, Plisetskaya continued to astound audiences world wide. She was accorded one of the highest tributes that a dancer could receive, an international ballet competition was named for her in 1994. Unlike similar competitions, participants in the "Maya" competition were allowed freedom in their choice of dance, with only one or two compulsory selections. The Second "Maya" International Ballet Competition ended in mild controversy when all the top honors went to Russian dancers. When most prima ballerinas would have long retired, Plisetskaya continued to perform on stage. In 1996, at age seventy, she received rave reviews for her remarkable performance of her signature "The Dying Swan" at New York City Hall. Her ability to work was phenomenal, and her talent remarkable. Plisetskaya was the "prima ballerina assoluta."

Further Reading

Further information on Maya Plisetskaya and her work can be found in Maya Plisetskaya. Essays on her work by Voznesensky, Vavra, Gayevsky, Komissarzhevsky, Lvov-Anokhin, Tyurin, Shuvalov (Moscow: 1976; in English) and in Maya Plisetskaya by Natalia Roslavleva (Moscow: 1956; in English). Era of Russian Ballet by Natalia Roslavleva (London: 1966) contains references to Plisetskaya's contribution to Russian ballet, as does The Russian Ballet: Past and Present by Alexander Demidov (London; in English). Russian Ballet on Tour, photographs by Alexander Orloff, text by Margaret Willis (1989), has a section devoted to Plisetskaya. Reviews and articles can be routinely found in the St. Petersburg Press.

Plisetskaya, Maya (b Moscow, 20 Nov. 1925). Russian dancer, choreographer, ballet director, and actress. Niece of both Asaf Messerer and the Bolshoi ballerina Sulamith Messerer, and cousin of the designer Boris Messerer. She studied at the Bolshoi Ballet School (from 1932), with Elisaveta Gerdt, graduating in 1943 and joining the Bolshoi Ballet as a soloist. Later trained with Asaf Messerer. Her exceptional technique ensured immediate success and she enjoyed early promotion at the Bolshoi, becoming a ballerina in 1945. A powerful dancer with remarkable fluidity to her physical phrasing, she brought a robust theatricality and passion to her roles, the antithesis of the ethereal Romantic ballerina. She danced all the leading ballerina roles, foremost among them Odette-Odile and Kitri. She went on her first US tour with the Bolshoi in 1959; in 1962, when Galina Ulanova retired, she became prima ballerina of the Bolshoi. Her long career with the Moscow company was frequently marked by her open rebellion against the management and she sought new challenges abroad as an international guest artist, most notably with the Paris Opera Ballet, Ballet National de Marseilles, and Ballet of the 20th Century in Brussels. She created leading roles in Lavrovsky's Stone Flower (1954), Moiseyev's Spartacus (1958), Grigorovich's Moscow version of The Stone Flower (1959), Aurora in Grigorovich's staging of The Sleeping Beauty (1963), Grigorovich's Moscow version of The Legend of Love (1965), the title role in Alberto Alonso's Carmen Suite (1967), Petit's La Rose malade (Paris, 1973), Béjart's Isadora (Monte Carlo, 1976) and his Moscow staging of Leda (1979), Granero's Maria Estuardo (Madrid, 1988), and Lopez's El Renedero (Buenos Aires, 1990). She started choreographing in 1972; her first ballet was Anna Karenina (with N. Ryzhenko and V. Smirnov-Golovanov), set to a score by her husband, Rodion Shchedrin, and starring herself in the title role, which was staged at the Bolshoi. She also created The Seagull (mus. Shchedrin, Bolshoi Ballet, 1980) and Lady with a Lapdog (mus. Shchedrin, Bolshoi Ballet, 1985). She starred in the 1961 film of The Humpbacked Horse, and also appeared as a straight actress in several films, including the Soviet version of Anna Karenina (1968). Her own ballet of the same name was filmed in 1974. She was ballet director of the Rome Opera (1983-4), and artistic director of Ballet del Teatro Lirico Nacional in Madrid (1987-90). In 1988 an Hommage à Plisetskaya was staged in Boston. In 1996 she danced The Dying Swan, her signature role, at a gala in her honour in St Petersburg. Lenin Prize, 1964.

• Occupation: Actor
• Active: '50s-'90s
• Major Genres: Dance
• Career Highlights: Anna Karenina (Bolshoi Ballet), Russian Ballet: The Glorious Tradition, Vol. 2, The Magic of the Bolshoi Ballet
• First Major Screen Credit: Mastera Russkogo Baleta (1953)

Biography

Maya Plisetskaya

Maya Mikhailovna Plisetskaya (Russian: Майя Михайловна Плисецкая; born November 20, 1925) is a retired Russian ballet dancer, frequently cited as one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th Century. Maya danced during the Soviet era at the same time as the great Galina Ulanova, and took over from her as principal of the Bolshoi in 1960. Maya Plisetskaya is a naturalized Spanish citizen.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Awards and honors 4 References 5 External links

Early life

Maya Plisetskaya was born in Moscow into a prominent Jewish family.^[1] She went to school in Spitsbergen, where her father worked as an engineer and mine director.

In 1938, her father was executed during the Stalinist purges, possibly because he had hired a friend who had been a secretary to Leon Trotsky. Her mother Rachel Plisetskaya (or Ra Messerer), a silent-film actress, was arrested and sent to a labor camp (Gulag) in Kazakhstan,^[2] together with Maya's seven-month old baby brother.^[3] Thereupon Maya was adopted by her maternal aunt, the ballerina Sulamith Messerer, until her mother was released in 1941.^[4]

Maya studied under the great ballerina of imperial school, Elizaveta Gerdt. She first performed at the Bolshoi Theatre when she had just turned 11 years of age. In 1943, she graduated from the choreographic school and joined the Bolshoi Ballet,^[4] where she would perform until 1990.

Career

Maya Plisetskaya

From the beginning, Maya was a different kind of ballerina. Unlike many ballerinas, she did not spend any time in the corps de ballet. She was named a soloist immediately after graduation. Her bright red hair and striking looks made her a glamorous figure on and off the stage. Her long arms had a fluidity that to this day remains unmatched; her interpretation of The Dying Swan, a short showcase piece made famous by Anna Pavlova, became Maya's calling card. Maya was known for the height of her jumps, her extremely flexible back, the technical strength of her dancing, and her charisma.

Despite her acclaim, Maya was not treated well by the Bolshoi management. She was Jewish^[1] in an anti-Semitic climate, her family had been purged during the Stalinist era and her personality was defiant, so she was not allowed to tour outside the country for six years after joining the Bolshoi.^[2] It wasn't until 1959 that Nikita Khrushchev permitted her to travel abroad,^[5] and the world got to see Maya Plisetskaya. She changed the world of ballet forever, setting the bar higher for ballerinas everywhere, both in terms of technical brilliance and dramatic presence.

Maya's most acclaimed roles included Odette-Odile in Swan Lake (1947) and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty (1961). In 1958, she was honoured with the title of the People's Artist of the USSR and married the young composer Rodion Shchedrin, in whose subsequent fame she shared.

After Galina Ulanova left the stage in 1960, Maya Plisetskaya was proclaimed the prima ballerina assoluta of the Bolshoi Theatre. In the Soviet screen version of Anna Karenina, she played Princess Tverskaya. In 1971, her husband the composer Rodion Shchedrin wrote a ballet on the same subject, where she would play the leading role. Anna Karenina was also her first attempt at choreography.^[6] Other choreographers who created ballets for her include Yury Grigorovich, Roland Petit, Alberto Alonso, and Maurice Bejart.

In the 1980s, Plisetskaya and Shchedrin spent much time abroad, where she worked as the artistic director of the Rome Opera Ballet in 1984–5, then the Spanish National Ballet of Madrid from 1987–9. At the age of 65, she finally retired from the Bolshoi as a soloist. On her 70th birthday, she debuted in Bejart's number choreographed for her and entitled "Ave Maya". Since 1994, she has been presiding over the annual international ballet competitions called Maya. In 1996 she was named President of the Imperial Russian Ballet.^[7]

She was forced to be member of the Anti-Zionist Committee of the Soviet Public by being threatened with having her passport revoked.^{[citation needed]} When she traveled abroad in the 1960s, the Soviet secret police requested that she encourage the interest of Robert Kennedy.^[2]

On her 80th birthday, the Financial Times summed up current opinion about Maya in the following words: "She was, and still is, a star, ballet's monstre sacre, the final statement about theatrical glamour, a flaring, flaming beacon in a world of dimly twinkling talents, a beauty in the world of prettiness."^[8] The following year, Emperor Akihito presented to her the Premium Imperiale, informally considered a Nobel Prize for Art.

Later in life as she was touring in the United States she joined the fight for women's rights.

Awards and honors

Plisetskaya receives a governmental award from President of Russia Vladimir Putin on 20 November 2003.

Maya Plisetskaya has been honored on numerous occasions for her skills:^[7]

• First prize, Budapest International Competition, 1949.
• People's Artist of the RSFSR, 1951.
• People's Artist of the USSR, 1959.
• Anna Pavlova Prize, 1962.
• Lenin Prize, 1964.
• Hero of Socialist Labour, 1985.
• Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur, 1986.
• Triumph Prize, 2000.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Miller, Jack (1984). Jews in Soviet Culture. Transaction Publishers. ISBN 0878554955. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Eaton, Katherine Bliss (2004). Daily Life in the Soviet Union. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0313316287. 
3. ^ They were sent to ALZHIR camp, a Russian acronym for the Akmolinskii Camp for Wives of Traitors of the Motherland, "enemies of the people" [1] near Akmolinsk
4. ^ ^{a b} Plisetskaya, Maya (2001). I, Maya Plisetskaya. Yale University Press. ISBN 0300088574. 
5. ^ Taubman, William; Khrushchev, Sergeĭ; Gleason, Abbott; Gehrenbeck, David; Kane, Eileen; Bashenko, Alla (2000). Nikita Khrushchev. Yale University Press. ISBN 0300076355. 
6. ^ Tolstoy, Leo (2003). Anna Karenina. Mandelker, Amy; Garnett, Constance. Spark Educational Publishing. ISBN 1593080271. 
7. ^ ^{a b} Sleeman, Elizabeth (2001). The International Who's Who of Women (3rd edition ed.). Routledge. ISBN 1857431227. 
8. ^ Crisp, Clement (2005-11-18). "Mayan goddess". Financial Times. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/34f00066-566f-11da-b98c-00000e25118c.html?nclick_check=1. Retrieved 2008-06-25. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Maya Plisetskaya

Official site of the Plisetskaya-Shchedrin Foundation The Washington Post's tribute to Maya's 80th birthday Video: Excerpt from Maya's "Dance Studies"

The Ballerina Gallery - Maya Plisetskaya le Gala des étoiles - Maya Plisetskaya A national treasure - Maya Plisetskaya

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