The Dying Swan

Uliana Lopatkina, of the Kirov (Mariinsky) Ballet of St. Petersburg, has really brought to ballet a wholly new form of artistry. Not only are her movements fluid and ethereal; she dances with such monumental presence, passion, and intelligence that to watch her leaves one breathless at the sight of the human form moving so beautifully. Having read interviews with her, she is incredibly dedicated to her art, and uses all her years of training and knowledge of ballet history to immerse herself in the purity of the roles she dances. She is not "Uliana Lopatkina dancing Odette," she is Odette. No other ballerina has brought me to tears from sheer emotional magnitude and beauty.

The Dying Swan



Here are what the critics say about Uliana:

"Uliana Lopatkina (Odette-Odile) is a most extraordinary ballerina. She moves, a fascinating creature, without a bone in her body, bending herself into spectacular arcs of classical perfection. We want our Russian ballerinas to be grand and Lopatkina fits the bill like no other.”
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"As the White Swan she employed few mannerisms — or rather exactly the right ones, employed judiciously. While always strikingly regal and slightly aloof, she was more vulnerable than she has sometimes been, which is all to the good. As the Black Swan, she evinced or simulated an unusual abandon and her fouettés were flawless. Her extensions are now higher, and, as always, her long, long arms are extraordinary, seemingly devoid of sinew or bone, their line perfect to the tips of her fingers."
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I especially admire Uliana because her ballet career has been rather unconventional. Growing up as a young dancer, I was discouraged from pursuing a professional career due to my height. Uliana, who is one of the tallest professional ballerinas, was able to persevere and overcome the difficulties facing tall ballerinas. (if only the US could follow her lead...) Below is a great interview with Uliana, where she discusses her ballet training, the difficulty of being "too tall" in ballet, and how, despite her successes in ballet, she remains humble and true to herself.

"When I do classical ballets like Swan Lake they fix me up with a whole system of hairpieces and pins... I think it would be wrong to want to change anything about the way I look."
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