a

v
e
n
h
s
i
V
a
an
di
press package
/1

B iograph y
Described as the most accomplished, the most complete, ballerina in the world today, Diana Vishneva
has been thrilling audiences around the world with performances that have been called dazzling,
hair-raising, exhilarating, charged with erotic excitement, and so moving that they leave people sitting
dazed in their seats afterwards. More than once she has been credited with the ability to stop time
through her subtle movements, her technical brilliance, her dramatic intelligence, and her ability to hold
a pause. With a repertoire that includes both classic and modern choreographies, Diana Vishnevas
versatility is huge, and her strength, speed, and precision have enabled her to perform works beyond the
reach of most Russian-trained dancers.
Born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1976, Diana began her dance training at the age of six, and in 1987
was admitted to the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. While still a student, she won her first of
many prestigious prizes : the Gold Medal at the Prix de Lausanne completionan honor that no dancer
has received since. Upon graduation in 1995, she joined the Mariinsky Theater (Kirov Ballet) of
St. Petersburg, and in 1996 became a principal dancer, receiving the Benois de la danse prize that
same year. She soon took part in a program of dancer exchanges with foreign companies,
performing at La Scala in Milan and with Vladimir Malakhovs Berlin State Ballet. It was a 2003 dancer
exchange that sent Diana to the American Ballet Theater in New York for the first time, where she has
been a principal dancer since 2005. Her already substantial and growing repertoire, and the ongoing
invitations to perform internationally with different companies have confirmed her as one of the most
accomplished classical ballerinas of her generation.
In her ever-expanding role as international ambassador for the dance world, Diana Vishneva is also the
founder of the Cultural Fund of Diana Vishneva, a non-profit organization that will operate in Russia,
the United States, and Japan. Its primary goals are to supply opportunities for underprivileged children
to study ballet, and for those already studying to attend performances; to provide financial assistance to
both injured ballet dancers as well as retired performers; and to encourage and support new choreographers, ballet programs, and international co-productions. On a recent visit to the Duke Ellington School
of the arts in Washington, D.C., Diana was recognized by First Lady Michelle Obama, who called her an
inspiration and thanked her for her outstanding work in exposing so many young people to the arts.

biography
Vi shnev a i s pr o b ab l y
t he m o st ac c o m pl i she d,
t h e m o s t c o m p l e t e, b a l l e r i n a i n
t he wo r l d t o day.
Robert Gelb, The New York Observer, February 2007

2\

/3

Bi o gra phy
Birthdate:
July 13, 1976
Birthplace:
St. Petersburg, Russia
Citizenship: Russia
Residence:
St. Petersburg, Russia
Languages: Russian, English, French
Website:
www.vishneva.ru

www.facebook.com/pages/Diana-Vishneva

Educ at ion
Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet (St. Petersburg, Russia)
Entered Academy in 1987 at age 10. First instructor was Lyudmila V. Belskaya. Later studied under
Professor Lyudmila V. Kovaleva. In final exam, made the highest score in the history of Vaganova
Academy. Graduated in 1995.

I f I c o u l d, I wo u l d t r av e l
the world just to see
D i ana Vi shnev a danc e . . .
whe nev e r she i s o n st ag e, I he ar t he
si r e n c al l i ng c o m e wat ch m e danc e ;
c o m e danc e wi t h m e ;
t he b e st i s y e t t o b e .
Jerry Hochman, Ballet-Dance Magazine, August 2009

Currently studying in the Masters Degree Program of Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet.

education
Diana Vis h n eva is a ls o
a mesmerizing beauty
fr o m the illustrio u s K irov B a llet,
a m a ster of ch a n n elin g f eelin g
through a c l a s s i c a l v e s s e l s
restra in t, a n d s o p erip a tetic
a performer that h e r r e p e r t o r y h a s
becom e h er o n ly rea l h o me.
Apollinaire Scherr, Double Exposure, Diana Vishneva Plays Both Sides,
New York Magazine February 10, 2008.

4\

/5

s
r
e
h
p
ra
g
o
e
chor
Diana h as worked
and performed
with th e following
ch oreograph ers
Bejart | Neumeier | Forsythe | Grigorovich | Petit |
Makarova | Preljocaj | Vinogradov | MacKenzie | Ratmasky
| Lightfoot | Lock | Bigonzetti | Zuska

6\

/7

Major Pe rformance Venues

Mariinsky Theater_St. Petersburg, Russia
The Metropolitan Opera House_New York, U.S.A.
Berlin Staatsoper_Berlin, Germany
Bolshoi Theater_Moscow, Russia
Grand dOpera_Paris, France
Teatro La Scala_Milan, Italy
The Royal Opera House_London, England
Kennedy Center_Washington-DC, U.S.A.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts_Costa Mes, CA, U.S.A.
Kodak Theater_Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.
Bunka Kaikan Theater_Tokyo, Japan
The National Theater of Korea_Seoul, Korea
Het Muziektheater_Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Place des Arts_Montreal, Canada
Canadas National Arts Centre_Ottawa, Canada

I t s har d t o t hi nk o f a m o r e
sheerly beautiful ballerina
i n t he wo r l d t o day :
t he pr o po r t i o ns o f he r b o dy
ar e de l e c t ab l y har m o ni o u s . . .
Alastair Macaulay, The New York Times, February, 2008

e
c
an
m
r
o
f
r
e
p
r
o
maj
venues
8\

/9

REPE R TOIR E
Nutcracker
(Masha) in versions of V.Vainonen, K.Simonov/
M.Shemyakin
Don Quixote
(Kitri) in versions of M.Petipa/ A.Gorsky, Y.Grigorovich,
R.Nureyev, K.McKenzie
Sleeping Beauty
(Aurora) in versions of M.Petipa/ K.Sergeyev, S.Vikharev,
R.Nureyev, Y.Grigorovich, V.Malakhov,
K.McKenzie/G.Kirkland
Romeo & Juliette
(Juliette) in versions of M.Lavrovsky, K.McMillan
Giselle
(Giselle) versions of J.Coralli, J.Perrot/ M.Petipa,
P.Bart, K.McKenzie

The Ring
(Frikke, Brungilda), Bahti by Morice Bejart
In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, Steptext
by William Forsythe
On the Dnieper
(Olga), Anna Karenina (Anna) by Alexei Ratmansky
Diana Vishneva: Beauty in Motion
by A.Ratmansky, M.Pendleton, D.Roden
New Work
by Edouard Lock

LE PARC
by Angelin Preljocaj

La Bayadere
(Nikiya) in versions of M.Petipa/ V.Ponomaryev,
V.Chabukiani, S.Vikharev, V.Malakhov, N.Makarova
Swan Lake
(Odette-Odille) in versions of M.Petipa/K.Sergeyev,
L.Ivanov, P.Bart, R.Nureyev, Y.Grigorovich, K.McKenzie
Le Corsaire
(Medora), Raymonda (Raymonda) in version of
M.Petipa/K.Sergeyev
Spectre de la Rose
Scheherazade (Zobeide) - The Firebird - Dying Swan
by Mikhail Fokine
Legend of Love
(Mahmene Banu) by Yuri Grigorovich
Manon
(Manon) by Kenneth McMillan
Symphony In C
Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux - Apollo - Jewels-Rubies
-Diamonds -Ballet Imperial
by George Balanchine
In the Night
by Jerome Robbins
Cinderella
(Cinderella) in versions of O.Vinogradov, A.Ratmansky
Carmen
(Carmen) in versions of R.Petit, A.Alonso
Dream
(Titania), Sylvia (Sylvia), Thais Pas de Deux by
Federick Ashton

repertoire

Silenzio
by A.Moguchiy, A.Kononov
Le Peri
(Peri) by Vladimir Malakhov
Le Jeune Homme et la Mort
by Rolan Petit
The Sounds of Empty Pages, Spring and Fall,
Now and Then, Lady of the Camellias
(Marguerite) by John Neumeier

10
/10\

/ 11

Diana Vishneva is a wondrous

creature whose captivating beauty never
feels frozen in a static, flawless state,
but is ever changing - full of heat or ice,
and packaged in a body that
the choreographer Moses Pendleton notes,
moves like liquid milk.
Robert Gelb, The New York Observer, February 2007

12 \

/ 13

Vishneva is unusually devoted

to the expressive powers of dancing,
and through her clear and unaffected performance,
the story of trampled innocence
and unearned forgiveness was as profoundly
moving as Ive ever seen it.
Sarah Kaufman, Washington Post, February 2011

14 \

/ 15

Sin ce the firs t d a ys o f g la s n o s t,

o t h e r Rus sian ba llerin a s n o ta b ly A ltyn a i
Asylmuratova o f t h e K i r ov a n d N i n a
An a n ia shvili o f th e B o ls h o i
have managed to c o m m u t e b e t w e e n E a s t
and West a n d b etw een o ld a n d n ew,
b u t none h ave been ab le to h ave th eir ca k e
and e at it too a s m u ch a s M s . Vis h n eva .
Richard Termine, The New York Times, February 2011

16 \

/ 17

18 \

/ 19

film uctions
prod
20 \

/ 21

22 \

/ 23

diamonds

D IA MO N D S
V E N I C E F I L M F E ST I VA L
Diamonds, a black-and-white silent masterpiece starring
the leading light of the Mariinsky Ballet, Diana Vishneva,
has had its premiere at the oldest film festival in the
world, Venice.

24 \

The star of Sleeping Beauty, Giselle and Swan Lake, just

to name a few, the Mariinskys darling has in fact revealed
that, apart from being a novice in film, she also had to
try another completely new role in Diamonds that of a
chorus girl, which she said felt quite unusual for the
acclaimed lead dancer.

/ 25

Majo r P rizes
1994
1995
1996
1996
1998
2000


2001
2002
2003
2007
2009

2010
2011

Gold Med al and G rand P rix of The International Ballet Competition in Lausanne
La Di vi na Prize
B en ois de la d anse Prize for role of Kitri in Do n Q u i x o te
Golden Sofit P rize for solo role in The Symphony in C
B altika prize for Best Duet (with F. Ruzimatov)
T he State Pri ze o f t h e Russian Fede rat io n (for the title roles in the Mariinsky Theater

performances of The Sleeping Beauty, Manon, Le jeune homme et la mort,

and Sheherazade
Golden Mask prize for the title role in Balanchines Rubies
B est Dancer o f E u ro pe by Dance Europe magazine
Spirit of Dance in Queen of Dance category by Ballet magazine
Pe oples Artist o f Russia
Three Golden Mask prizes in

categories Best Female Role; Modern Dance/Female Role;

and Critics Prize for Diana Vishneva: Beauty in Motion
B alleri na of t h e Dec ade by Stars of the 21st Century
Audi ence Prize from the Theatre-Foer society

es
z
i
r
p
r
o
j
a
m
Di ana Vish n eva ...
h a s done just som e outs ta n d in g w o rk
t o e xpos e so m a n y oth er yo u n g
p eopl e to the arts ...
First Lady Obama
at Duke Ellington School for the Arts, June 2010

26 \

/ 27

s
t
o
o
h
s
n
o
fashi

28 \

/ 29

/ 31

contact

D i a n a V i s h neva
DIANA VISHNEVA
PRIMA BALLERINA OF MARIINSKY THEATER/KIROV BALLET
PRINCIPAL DANCER OF THE AMERICAN BALLET THEATER
RUSSIA contact_
Mail
Diana Vishneva
P.O. Box 155
St.Petersburg, Russia
190068
T.
+7-905-214-4927
E-Mail
ks@avanstage.com
USA contact_
Mail
Diana Vishneva c/o Avanstage LLC
130 West 56th Street, Floor 5M
New York, NY 10019
USA
T.
+1-202-390-0808
E-Mail
ks@avanstage.com