The Russian Goddess of Ballet
Introduction
The dancer I decided to research for my final project is Galina Ulanova, a Russian ballerina and the first prima ballerina assoluta of the Soviet Union, which continued on for 16 years. I decided to choose Galina Ulanova because she is considered one the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century and I wanted to choose a ballerina that I did not expect anyone to choose yet. She was also considered “embodiment of the Soviet school of ballet” which seems like a very high claim and title. Not only was she an exceptional dancer, she was also considered a great tragic actress, even possibly the most significant in the history of ballet. Furthermore, I found it inspiring that she continued her legacy by coaching notable young dancers after retiring from dancing in 1960. Additionally, she served as ballet mistress of the Bolshoi Theatre, and occasionally wrote dance articles for Soviet journals. Since she clearly had a long history and professional experience in ballet, she also had many significant achievements, recognitions, and awards. Thus, I want to touch on Ulanova’s legacy as considered one of the best ballet dancers by referencing her past, origins, career timeline, professional achievements, and interesting facts.
Biographical Information
With her full name being, Galine Sergeyevna Ulanova, she was born on December 26, 1909 in St. Petersburg, Russia. Furthermore, her parents were Sergey Ulanov and Marie Romanova who were also dancers, from the Mariinsky Ballet (also known as the Kirov State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet). More specifically, both of her parents had danced with Anna Pavlova, and her father eventually became a director for the theater while her mother taught ballet. Thus, originating from parents who were also dancers, Ulanova was trained in the Leningrad State School of Choreography with her teacher being Agrippina Vaganova. With this background, Ulanova claims that she “never had a choice to pick a career” due to her parents’ experience and profession, so ballet seemed to be her only option while growing up. During her first viewing of a dance performance which was ballet, her father took her to see Sleeping Beauty which her mother starred in, and she screamed in enjoyment when her mother appeared on stage. As her parents’ lives got busier and more difficult during the 1917 Revolution, Ulanova was forced to be taken in by strangers to the Petrograd School of Choreography as a boarding student. Moreover, she was first taught by her mother at the school but she had no desire to dance because she saw the strain and toll that it took on her mother. Although desperately wanting to leave every lesson, she eventually made friends that caused her to want to stay. By staying at the school, she was making incredible progress in her classes.
Career Highlights
Her early roles during her childhood included the little bug in Riccardo Drigo’s Caprices of a Butterfly at the Academic Opera, a bird in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Snow Maiden, and the lead in Chopinana at her graduation performance. Then, her debut in the theatre was Princess Florine in the Blue Bird variation, and at the age of 18, she danced the leading role of Odette-Odile in Swan Lake which was only four months after her debut. Moreover, once she started training under Aggripina Vaganova, she was able to make significant developments as a dancer. After graduating in 1928, she played the role of Maria in R.V. Zakharov’s Fountain of Bakhchisaray (1934), which was her first major role. She also represented her skills as a dramatic dancer in L.M. Lavrovsky’s Romeo and Juliet (1940), then in such classical ballets as Giselle and Swan Lake. After being transferred to the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow by Stalin to the Bolshoi Theatre and dancing with the Bolshoi company at the Royal Opera House in London, she gained instant popular praise. In fact, she became the Prima Ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet after leaving the Kirov in 1944. Some more of her notable works include Fountain of Bakhchisaray (1933), Lost Illusion (1935), and Romeo and Juliet (1940), Tao-Hoa in a revised version of the Red Poppy (1949), and Katrina in the Stone Flower (1954). She continued her legacy until 1962 in which she retired from the stage, but continued to work at the Bolshoi Ballet as ballet mistress.
Some Interesting Facts
Referring back to her childhood and to the fact that she had no intentions of becoming a ballet dancer, she actually dreamed of becoming a sailor when she was a child. I found this to be a very surprising fun fact because it is completely different from dancing. However, she claimed that she feared living the life of artists whom she perceived dealt with a lot of labor and no sleep. And as previously mentioned, she gained this view and perspective through watching her mother “changing from clumsy felt boots to her toe shoes” and “wearing a crisp tarlatan tutu and performing with a smile.” Furthermore, she knew that her mother was only faking her smile and was performing while disguising her fatigue and strain that it cost her to dance. Another interesting fact I found was the praise she received from not only being a great dancer, but also being a great tragic actress, maybe even the most significant in the history of ballet. Thus, she received praise for her compelling magnetism, fashionable virtuosity, and her dance being characterized by nuances and half tones. Moreover, I found the mass amounts of rewards she was able to obtain during her career to be very intriguing with being awarded with the Stalin Prize in 1941, 1946, 1947 and 1951; People's Artist of R.S.F.S.R. (1951); and the Lenin Order (1974). She also gained world recognition with the following international prizes, Anna Pavlova Prize of the Paris Academy of Dancing (1958) and Oscar Parcelli Prize “Life for the Sake of Dancing” (1988 Milano).
Conclusion
Demonstrating plenty of hard work and developments as a dancer at an early age, Ulanova continued her legacy as an extraordinary ballet dancer as an adult. After traveling with the Bolshoi to different countries and making her American debut in 1959, she was able to win accolades for Giselle and Romeo and Juilet. In turn, her performances in films of the Bolshoi Ballet influenced more recognition for ballet on an international level in which there was an increase in world interest in ballet. Even after retiring in 1962, she coached young dancers, notably ballerina Yekaterina Maksimova in Giselle, served at Bolshoi Theatre as ballet mistress, and wrote dance articles for Soviet journals. Thus, I am greatly impressed by Ulanova’s achievements and the legacy that she left behind ranging from her early history as a dancer, to her professional career, and even after retiring. Thus, it is clear to me that she has inspired dancers even beyond her years and received massive praise for her hard work and determination. Furthermore, she even received massive claims such as being a symbol for the new ballet world, provided enriching experiences to others, could play upon emotions as instruments, was characterized as an angel, and many more.
Sources
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Galina Ulanova". Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 Mar. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Galina-Ulanova. Accessed 3 December 2023.
Andros on Ballet. (1998). Galina Ulanova (1910-1998). https://michaelminn.net/andros/biographies/ulanova_galina/index.html
Ulanova, Galina. Ballerina Gallery. (2022, February 28). https://www.ballerinagallery.com/ulanova.htm
Zhdanov, L. (n.d.). The goddess of dance. Galina Ulanova. The Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021669124/
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