Alina Somova

Alina Alekseevna Somova (Russian: Али́на Алексе́евна Со́мова; born 22 October 1985) is a Russian ballet dancer and principal dancer with the Mariinsky Ballet of Saint Petersburg.

Alina Somova
Born
Алина Алексеевна Сомова

(1985-10-22) 22 October 1985
Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg, Russia)
EducationDance Krushok School for Children; Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet
OccupationBallet dancer
Current groupMariinsky Ballet
DancesSwan Lake, Giselle, Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadère, Raymonda

Early life

When Somova was young, she went to a regular Saint Petersburg school and then to a special math school at her mother's insistence. She was not able to excel in sports like her mother wished due to Russia's political and economic transition in the 1990s. Because of this, she was then introduced to ballet at the Dance Krushok school for children where she was recognized for her physical gifts for dancing. After it came time to choose math or ballet, she claimed there was no choice and then admitted herself to a one-year pre-curriculum program at the Vaganova Academy, before embarking on the eight-year course. She was a prize-winner at the Vaganova-Prix International Ballet Competition in St. Petersburg in 2002, and graduated in 2003 under the class of Lyudmila Safronova.[1][2][3]

Career

After graduating from the ballet school in 2003 at age 17, she then joined the Mariinsky Ballet under the Artistic Director Makhar Vaziev.[4] During her first year in the company, she was given the unusual honor of dancing Odette/Odile in Swan Lake on 13 May 2003. She was one of the youngest dancers in the company history to attain this kind of recognition. Advancing quickly, she became a soloist in 2004.[1] She began at the Mariinsky Ballet by learning the Swan Lake variations under her teacher at the time, Olga Ivanovna Chenchikova. She was also coached by Tatiana Terekhova who oversaw her rehearsals of George Balanchine's Symphony in C.[2] Somova rapidly climbed the ranks, being promoted to principal in 2008.[5] In 2009, for her performance as the Tsar Maiden in the ballet The Little Humpbacked Horse, Somova received a Golden Mask in the Best Female Role category.[1] Somova still remains as a principal today.

Somova was one of the featured dancers in the 2006 documentary Ballerina.

Repertoire
Title Role Choreography
Giselle Giselle Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot, and Marius Petipa
Le Corsaire Medora Marius Petipa
La Bayadère Nikia Marius Petipa. Revised version by Vladimir Ponomarev, and Vakhtang Chabukiani
The Sleeping Beauty Princess Aurora, Candide Fairy, and Princess Florine Marius Petipa. Revised version by Konstantin Sergeyev
Swan Lake Odette/Odile Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov. Revised version by Konstantin Sergeyev
Le Papillion Pas de Deux Marie Taglioni. Revival by Pierre Lacotte
Don Quixote Kitri, Queen of the Dryads, and Variation in Avt IV Alexander Gorsky after Marius Petipa
Serenade Soloist George Balanchine
Jewels Diamonds and Rubies George Balanchine
Symphony in C I. Allegro vivo, and II. Adagio George Balanchine
Piano Concerto No 2 Ballet Imperial George Balanchine
Apollo Terpsichore George Balanchine
Romeo and Juliet Juliet Leonid Lavrovsky
The Nutcracker Masha Vasily Vainonen
Sylvia Sylvia Frederick Ashton
The Legend of Love Shyrin Yuri Grigorovich
The Little Humpbacked Horse Tsar Maiden Alexei Ratmansky
Études Soloist Harald Lander

[1]

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References
  1. "Alina Somova". www.mariinsky.ru. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  2. Elizabeth Kendall (15 November 2011). "The Soul of a Star". Pointe.
  3. Gia Kourlas (30 June 2011). "Alina Somova: The Russian ballerina takes on Manhattan". Time Out.
  4. Khadarina, Oksana (4 February 2014). "Mariinsky Ballet- Swan Lake- Washington". DanceTabs. DanceTabs. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  5. Craine, Debra; Mackrell, Judith (2010). Alina Somova. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199563449.
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