Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
Maya Plisetskaya
Principal Dancer
Born November 20, 1925 in Moscow, Russia (1925–2015)·d. May 2, 2015 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany (aged 90)
Ballet
Maya Mikhailovna Plisetskaya was a Soviet and Russian ballet dancer, choreographer, ballet director, and actress. In post-Soviet times, she held both Lithuanian and Spanish citizenship. She danced during the Soviet era at the Bolshoi Theatre under the directorships of Leonid Lavrovsky, then of Yury Grigorovich; later she moved into direct confrontation with him. In 1960, when famed Russian ballerina Galina Ulanova retired, Plisetskaya became prima ballerina assoluta of the company.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Signature Roles
4 Signature Roles1 Principal Houses
Spotlight
Career Trajectory
Plisetskaya made her professional debut at the Bolshoi Theatre at age eleven in 1936, formally joining the company in 1943 upon graduation from the Bolshoi Ballet School. Over the next six decades, she ascended to prima ballerina assoluta status in 1960 and became the Soviet Union's preeminent cultural ambassador, performing the classical repertoire—particularly *Swan Lake*, *The Sleeping Beauty*, and *Romeo and Juliet*—with unmatched dramatic intensity while championing contemporary works created specifically for her, most notably Alberto Alonso's *Carmen Suite*. Her influence extended into choreography and direction, fundamentally reshaping how ballet could express human emotion and complexity.
Career Highlight
Proclaimed prima ballerina assoluta of the Bolshoi Theatre in 1960, following Galina Ulanova's retirement; recipient of the Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts (2005)
At a Glance
- Voice
- Principal Dancer
- Nationality
- Russian
- Born
- 1925 · Moscow, Russia
- Active since
- 2005
Training & Education
Bolshoi Ballet School (1934–1943); Moscow State Academy of Choreography
Principal Houses
Engagements
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Career Arc
A chronological journey through key moments
1925Born in Moscow, Russia
2005Proclaimed prima ballerina assoluta of the Bolshoi Theatre in 1960, following Galina Ulanova's retirement; recipient of the Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts (2005)
2015Died in Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Available Performances
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