Legends were made about her dance. She was applauded by millions. Information publications from different countries wrote laudatory reviews, sang odes of artistry, temperament and individuality of a ballerina. The roles played by her on the stage conquered millions of hearts of the audience with extraordinary integrity, courage and depth. All this is about the legendary Russian Soviet ballerina Nina Timofeeva.
Person on stage
In her performance, the ballet parties became not just bright, passionate and temperamental. They were filled with sincere and deep emotions and emotional excitement. She became a star after Leonid Lavrovsky’s ballet Night City. But, as admirers of talent Timofeeva consider, the most expressive were her dramatic parts - the Mistress of the Copper Mountain in the Stone Flower, Aegina in Spartak, and especially Mehmen Banu in The Legend of Love …
Nina Timofeeva was the brightest personality of the Russian and Soviet ballet of the last century. One of the most talented and beloved students of the great G. Ulanova, she knew how to make the hall not only admire the dance technique, but also live the life of the main character.
Nina Timofeeva. Biography
Little is known about the life of a ballerina in the early years. Nina Vladimirovna was a closed person, very rarely gave interviews, was not an inveterate visitor to social events.
The future ballet dancer was born in June 1935 in a musical and artistic family. Her mother, who worked as a piano teacher at the choreographic school, managed to instill in the girl a love of music and the stage. Ballet literally bewitched Nina’s baby soul. Timofeeva's first role was a page in The Magic Flute, and this exit was remembered by the great ballerina for the rest of her life. It happened in the city of Perm in the distant military year of 1942.
And already in 1944, at the age of only nine, Nina Timofeeva entered the ballet school in Leningrad. Her mentor was an outstanding teacher, representing the pride and glory of the Russian ballet, N. Kamkov. A year before graduation, in 1952, Timofeeva made her successful debut on the stage of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater as Masha in The Nutcracker. She was only sixteen years old.
The debut did not go unnoticed, and Nina Timofeeva after graduation receives an invitation to the corps de ballet of the Leningrad Opera House.
In 1956, the troupe successfully performs at an international competition in Poland, and the ballerina is admitted to the Bolshoi Theater of the USSR. It is on the stage of this temple of Melpomene that Nina Timofeeva comes to real success, here she reveals great creative potential and receives worldwide recognition.
The famous roles of a ballerina
More than 30 years gave Nina Timofeeva to the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. The actress played about sixty main roles, and we can say that all her parts have entered the world history of ballet art.
Even in spite of the iron curtain that hung with a sword of Damocles over many people of creative professions during the Soviet era, the ballerina’s creative life was successful: she danced her best parts in the ballets of Yu. Grigorovich, who in 1964 became the main choreographer of the Bolshoi Theater and assigned her the main roles in their productions. The troupe toured a lot around the world.
The ballerina, who neglected the scope of the role and is always ready to surrender to the full stage reincarnation, was chosen by all modern choreographers of that period for the main roles for their performances. Nina Timofeeva became the face of Russian ballet on the stages of famous theaters in the world. She will write later, and this is true: "Each role is a part of my life!" Odette-Odile in Swan Lake, Myrtle in Giselle, Mariam in Gayane left an indelible mark on the souls of admirers of the ballerina's talent. Nina Timofeeva starred in almost 30 television films about ballet. And everywhere her performance enthralled the audience.
Educational activities
Throughout her creative activities, the ballerina continues to study. In 1980, she graduated from the pedagogical department of GITIS. 1988 put an end to the stage career of a ballerina. It was this year that Yu. Grigorovich, who directed the ballet of the Bolshoi Theater, sent the stars of the ballet, E. Maximova and M. Plisetskaya, on a “well-deserved rest”. This cup has not passed and Nina Timofeev. The ballerina was offered the job of a teacher at the Bolshoi Theater. A talented person is talented in everything. And since 1989, Nina Timofeeva has been working as a tutor-teacher.
Woman's happiness
It can be stated that in the profession and creativity the dancer Timofeeva Nina was realized to the maximum. The personal life of the woman was not so successful. Perhaps the reason for this was her excessive exactingness to herself and her partner, or maybe this was not a priority in the ballerina's life coordinate system.
She got married several times. She was in a love relationship with O. Efremov. After their breakup, an affair arose with G. Rerberg. In these relations, the daughter Nadezhda was born. But even with Rerberg, the great ballerina could not be happy. Soon they parted.
Kirill Molchanov and Nina Timofeeva
However, she still had to experience real female happiness. Nina Timofeeva - a ballerina, whose personal life once again cracked - became Kirill Molchanov's beloved and wife. At that time he worked as director of the Bolshoi Theater. This marriage was truly happy for them.
It was for his beloved that Molchanov wrote "Macbeth." But this ballet was the most tragic moment in the life of a ballerina.
A few minutes before the premiere, Kirill Vladimirovich died sitting in a box. In the interval between the acts, Nina Timofeeva reported the sad news. Clutching her will into a fist and showing the true character of a fighter, the ballerina appeared on the stage in the second act.
For Merit to the Homeland
For creative achievements and fruitful pedagogical activity Timofeeva Nina Vladimirovna was repeatedly encouraged by the government. In 1963, she was awarded the title of People's Artist of the RSFSR. She was twice awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor - in 1971 and 1976. Since 1969, Nina Timofeeva - People's Artist of the USSR.
Rivalry with Maya Plisetskaya
The heyday of talent and the peak of creative demand for the two great ballerinas of the Soviet Union fell at one time. Most clearly Maya Plisetskaya and Nina Timofeeva shone in the 60-80 years of the last century, and ballet circles often talked about their rivalry and competition. But these rumors had no real basis. Both ballerinas often performed in the same roles, but at the same time possessed unique technique and their own audience. It was impossible to compare Nina Timofeeva - technical, emotional, temperamental - and Maya Plisetskaya, who has her own magic and sensuality. Both had completely different personalities, were vivid and unique personalities and had fans of stage talent that belonged only to them.
