Nina Semizorova

Biography

She was born in 1956 in Krivoy Rog, Dnepropetrovsk oblast (Ukraine). She graduated from the Kiev Ballet School (G. Kirillova class) in 1975 and joined the ballet troupe of the Kiev State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre (now the National Opera of Ukraine) n.a. T.G. Shevchenko.

In 1977 she won the 1st prize at the International competition of ballet dancers in Moscow. She danced a number of title roles at Kiev theater — Princess Aurora (The Sleeping Beauty by P.Tchaikovsky), Odette-Odile (Swan Lake by P. Tchaikovsky), Aegina (A. Khachaturian’s Spartacus, choreography by A. Shekera) among them. With the troupe of this theater she appeared in the film-ballet Walpurgis Night (choreographic scene from opera Faust by C. Gounod, choreography by G. Mayorov) as Cleopatra (1977, film studio n.a. A. Dovzhenko). In 1977 she was awarded the title “Honored Artist of the Ukrainian SSR.”

In 1978 Galina Ulanova invited her to the Bolshoi Theater. Nina Semizorova joined the ballet company, and the legendary ballerina became her coach.

Repertoire

Odette-Odile (Swan Lake by P. Tchaikovsky. Choreography by A. Gorsky, Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, A. Messerer, 1979)

Soloist/ “Symphony No. 40” by W.I. Mozart (These magic sounds, V. Vasiliev production, 1979)

Pipefish (opera Sadko by Rimsky-Korsakov. Choreography by L.Lavrovsky, 1979)

Friends to Prince (Swan Lake; in the version by Yuri Grigorovich, 1980)

Queen of Dryads (Don Quixote by L.Minkus, choreography by A. Gorsky, 1980)

Dances in the III act ( Ruslan and Lyudmila by M. Glinka, choreography by Yuri Grigorovich, 1972)

Lady Macbeth (Macbeth by K. Molchanov, V. Vasiliev production, 1980)

Waltz (opera Ivan Susanin by by M. Glinka, choreography by R. Zakharov, 1980)

Nikia (Shadows scene, La Bayadère by L. Minkus. Choreography by M. Petipa, 1981)

Princess Aurora (The Sleeping Beauty by P.Tchaikovsky, choreography by M. Petipa, Y. Grigorovich version, 1981)

Fairy (Wooden prince to music by B. Bartok, production by A. Petrov, 1981) — creator of the role

The Mistress of the Copper Mountain (Stone Flower by S. Prokofiev, choreography by Y. Grigorovich, 1981)

Nargis (Indian poem by U. Musaev, choreography by Y. Papko, M. Scott, 1981)

Kitri (Don Quixote by L.Minkus, choreography by A. Gorsky, 1982)

The Firebird (The Firebird by I. Stravinsky, choreography by M. Fokine, 1982)

Artemis (a dance scene in Iphigenie en Aulide by C.W. Gluck, choreography by A. Petrov, 1983) — creator of the role

Rose ( Le Petit Prince by E. Glebov, G. Mayorov production, 1983) — creator of the role

7th waltz and prelude (Chopiniana to music by F.Chopin, choreography by Mikhail Fokine, 1983)

Gayane (Gayane by A. Khachaturian, choreography by M. Martirosyan, 1984)

Giselle (Giselle by A. Adam; choreography by Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot, Marius Petipa in the version by L. Lavrovsky, 1984)

Mermaid (Ondine, ou La naïade byC. Pugni, choreography by J. Perrot, P. Gusev version, 1984)

Dulcinea — Aldonca (The Knight of the Rueful Countenance to music by R. Strauss, A. Petrov production, 1985) — creator of the role

Phrygia, Aegina (A. Khachaturian’s Spartacus, choreography by Y. Grigorovich, 1985)

Raymonda (Raymonda; by A. Glazunov, choreography by Marius Petipa in a version by Yuri Grigorovich, 1986)

Lyuska (The Golden Age. Music by Dmitry Shostakovich. Yuri Grigorovich production, 1987)

Mekhmene Banu (A Legend of Love. Music by A. Melikov. choreography by Y. Grigorovich, 1987)

Nikia (La Bayadère by L. Minkus. Choreography by M. Petipa, in the version by Yuri Grigorovich, 1992)

Bacchante (Walpurgis Night scene in Faust by C. Gounod. Choreography by L. Lavrovsky, 1992)

Carlotta Grisi (Pas de Quatre to music by C. Pugni, Choreography by J. Perrot in the version of A. Dolin, 1993)

Medora (Le Corsaire; choreography by K. Sergeev after M. Petipa in a version by Y. Grigorovich, 1994)

Sylph (Herman Lovenskjold’s La Sylphide; choreography August Bournonville in a version by E.M. von Rosen, 1995)

Dance scene in La Traviata by G. Verdi (choreography by V. Vasiliev, 1996)

Princess- Swan (Swan Lake, V. Vasiliev production, 1998)

She toured extensively abroad, performed solo concerts in Moscow, Leningrad, Kishinev and other cities in Russia and the Soviet Union.

She starred in the film “Fragments from one biography” (producer and choreographer V. Vasiliev, 1985).

In 1989 she recorded Fairy Dragée’s dance for the video version of “Nutcracker” by P. Tchaikovsky — production by N. Ryzhenko, based on the chorography of V. Vainonen and Y. Grigorovich, made on the basis of Odessa opera and ballet theater. V. Vasiliev, M. Peretocking tool part in the performance among other dancers (company “TEN-video”)

In 1990 she took part in the filming of the ballet Stone Flower (the role of the Mistress of the Copper Mountain, choreography by Y. Grigorovich) and The Sleeping Beauty ( the title role — choreography by M. Petipa, Y. Grigorovich version) for further issue of videocassettes ((Japan Arts Corporation, Videofilm USSR, Bolshoi Theatre).

In 1991 Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation released a videocassette “Bolshoi Prokofiev Gala” where she appears in the role of the Mistress of the Copper Mountain.

In 1989 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). In 1996 she started to teach “The methods of classical dance” there. Now she is the professor at the Academy.

In 2000 she left the Bolshoi Theater and became the repetiteur at the Kremlevsky ballet theater. In 2001 she danced the title part in the first night performance of Coppelia, production of the artistic Director of the company A. Petrov.

In 2003 she took part in the production of the ballet extravaganza The Sleeping Beauty (choreography by M. Petipa, in the version of S. Bobrov) at Krasnoyarsk state opera and ballet theater as an assistant to director choreographer.

In 2008 she was the jury member at the National theatrical festival Golden Mask and the All-Russia competition of ballet dancers n.a. G. S. Ulanova (Krasnoyarsk).

In 2009 she was the Chairman of the State Examination Commission at Krasnoyarsk ballet school.

In 2009 she returned to the Bolshoi Theater as a teacher-repetiteur.