Galina Stepanenko Born in Moscow. She completed her studies with distinction at the Moscow College of Choreography (today the Moscow State Academy of Choreography), where she trained in Sophia Golovkina's graduates' class. From 1984-88, she was a soloist with the Moscow Classical Ballet Company (today the State Academic Theatre of Classical Ballet led by Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasiliyov) where she danced, among other parts, the title role in Nathalie, ou La Laitiere Suisse, music by Adalbert Gyrowetz, in a production by Pierre Lacotte after Filippo Taglioni, the part of She-devil in Andrei Petrov's The Creation of the World produced by Natalya Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilyov. She also danced in Theme and Variations to music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, thus becoming one of the few ballerinas at that time to have danced in a George Balanchine ballet whose works were then virtually not performed in Russia. She created the lead role in Bachiana to music by Heitor Villa-Lobos, produced for her and Vladimir Malakhov by Alberto Alonso. From 1988-90, she danced for the Moscow Academic Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Ballet Company where she performed the following, among other, roles: Odette-Odile in Swan Lake, Kupava in The Snow Maiden to music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky (both works by Vladimir Bourmeister), Medora in Le Corsaire in a production by Dmitri Bryantsev. In 1990, she joined the Bolshoi Ballet Company. She rehearsed under the guidance of Marina Semyonova, with whom she prepared the majority of the roles in her repertoire, and also with Marina Kondrateva, Raisa Struchkova and Yekaterina Maximova. In 1992, she completed her studies at the Russian Academy of Theatre Art (teacher Marina Semyonova), qualifying as teacher-choreographer. In 1984, she won lst prize at the All-Union Competition of Ballet Dancers and special prize of the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. In 1985, she won 2nd prize, and in 1989 — lst prize at the Moscow International Ballet Dancers Competition. In 1994, she was awarded the title of Merited Artist of the Russian Federation. In 1995, for her interpretation of Kitri she won the Benois de la danse International Dance Association prize and the Italian journal Danza-Danza prize. In 1996, she was awarded the title of People's Artist of the Russian Federation. In 2001, she was awarded the Order of Honor. In 2004, she won the Russian Ballet journal Soul of Dance prize (in the Queen of Dance nomination).

• published: 28 Aug 2013
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