Svetlana Adyrkhaeva

Biography

She was born in Khumalag village, Northern Ossetia on May 12, 1938. In 1955 she graduated from Leningrad ballet school (now Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet) where she studied in Varvara May’s class (junior classes) and with Elena Shiripina. In 1955-58 she danced at the Tchelyabinsk state academic opera and ballet theater n.a. M.I. Glinka, where she made her debut in the role of Odette-Odile (Swan Lake by P. I. Tchaikovsky, choreography by V. Burmeister, in N. Tregubov version), in 58-60 — at Odessa state academic opera and ballet theater.

In 1958 she danced Odette-Odile on the tour in Moscow and won I prize at the All-Union festival of musical theaters.

In 1960 she brilliantly performed in Moscow under the auspices of the Literature and Art of Northern Ossetia Decade and received an invitation to dance Odette-Odile in the Bolshoi Theater.

In 1960-88 she was the soloist of the Bolshoi Theater ballet company. She danced a number of title roles, she was specifically successful in roles with Eastern “flavor”, which required some extra dramatic emphasis. Mekhmene Banu and Aegina became her finest roles.

In 1980 she graduated from the Ballet-master faculty of the Russian University of Theatre Arts (GITIS) n.a. A.V. Lunacharsky (now RATI/ The Russian Academy of theatrical arts) where she taught the technique of classical dance in 1978-81. In 1995-2001she taught the classical dance at the Dance Academy of the New Humanitarian University of Natalia Nesterova.

Since 2001 she has been the teacher-repetiteur at the Bolshoi Theater. Anna Antonicheva, Anastasia Yatsenko, Anna Leonova, Ekaterina Krysanova, Yulia Grebenshchikova, Olga Stebletsova, Anastasia Stashkevich, Irina Yatsenko rehearse under her guidance.

Repertoire

Odette-Odile (Swan Lake by P. Tchaikovsky. Choreography by A. Gorsky, M. Petipa, L. Ivanov, A. Messerer, 1960)

A street dancer (Don Quixote by L. Minkus, choreography by A. Gorsky, 1960)

Zarema (Boris Asafiev’s The Fountain of Bakhchisaray; choreography by R. Zakharov, 1962)

Gayane (Gayane (IV act of the ballet) by A. Khachaturian, choreography by N. Anisimova, 1962)

Autumn (Cinderella by S. Prokofiev, choreography by R. Zakharov, 1963)

The Mistress of the Copper Mountain (Stone Flower by S. Prokofiev, choreography by Y. Grigorovich, 1963)

Mekhmene Banu (A Legend of Love. Music by A. Melikov. choreography by Y. Grigorovich, 1965)

Brave Fairy (The Sleeping Beauty by P.Tchaikovsky, choreography by M. Petipa, Y. Grigorovich version, 1963)

Diamond Fairy, Princess Florina (The Sleeping Beauty, 1964)

Queen of the Dryads (Don Quixote, 1964)

Aegina (A. Khachaturian’s Spartacus, production by Y. Grigorovich, 1968)

Kitri (Don Quixote, 1972)

Odette-Odile (Swan Lake, in the version by Y. Grigorovich, 1975)

Beatrice (Love for Love. Music by T. Khrennikov. Vera Boccadoro production. Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing adaptation to the ballet, 1976)

Magnolia (Cipollino. Music by K. Khachaturyan. G. Mayorov production, 1977)

Maid of honor (Leutenant Kije to music by S. Prokofiev, choreography by A. Lapauri and O. Tarasova, 1977)

In 1962 she was the first to dance at the Bolshoi Theater the part of Soloist in the choreographic piece Waltz-Caprice, included into the program of Choreographic miniatures (to music by A. Alyabyev, M. Glinka, A. Dargomyzhsky, A. Lyadov, P. Thcaikovsky, choreography by V. Varkovitsky).

Tours

In 1964 she danced Fairy Dragée (Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, choreography by V. Vainonen) in the performances of the Festival ballet troupe (London).

In 1965 she danced Odette-Odile at the Turkmen opera and ballet theater n.a. Makhtumkuli, in 1971 she danced the same role in the Tchelyabinsk opera and ballet theater, where she danced also Kitri in 1976.

In 1979 the role of Tchbakhan was staged specifically for her in the ballet Khetag at the North-Ossetia musical theater (music by D. Khakhanov, choreography by A. Zakalinsky).

In 1985 she danced the title role in Giselle (choreography by J. Coralli, J. Perrot, M. Petipa in the version by A. Schelest) together with the troupe of the Kuibyshev opera and ballet theater (now Samara).

In 1977 she staged Grand Pas classique from the ballet Paquita together with her husband A. Zakalinsky on the stage of the Tchelyabinsk Opera and Ballet Theater.

In 1991-96 she was the Artistic Director (together with A. Zakalinsky) of Svetlana Adyrkhaeva Ballet Theater.