Prima Ballerina. Given that both her parents, Maria and Sergey were dancers with the Kirov State Academy Theatre, it was only natural that Galina followed them into dance although begrudgingly. Completing her studies at the Leningrad Choreography School, she joined the Kirov ballet dancing there until 1944. Her first major role was of Maria in the "Fountain of Bakhchisaray." She also enjoyed early success in classical ballets, such as "Swan Lake," and continued to enlarge her repertoire. During the war years, she left Leningrad, dancing with the Kirov in Perm and with the Kazakh State Ballet. The composer Sergey Prokofiev created music for the ballet "Cinderella" at her request. Transferring to the Bolshoi, her fame increased and she was allowed to tour outside the Soviet Union performing in China, Italy, Egypt and England. She won raves for her American debut in 1959 for her work in "Giselle" and "Romeo and Juliet." She was awarded innumerable accolades in her lifetime, twice Hero of the Socialist Labor, four awards of the Order of Lenin and Order of the Red Banner of Labor, four times the Stalin Prize, and People's Artist of the U.S.S.R. On 1981, a ballet was held in Paris in her honor. After her retirement, she continued to coach young dancers and served as ballet mistress of the Bolshoi. There is a statue in Stockholm and a bronze bust in St. Petersburg of her and she was named an honorary member of the United States of Arts and Sciences. The Soviet Union considered her the embodiment of the Soviet school of ballet. Margot Fonteyn and Rudolph Nureyev among many others considered her the world's prima ballerina of her time.
Prima Ballerina. Given that both her parents, Maria and Sergey were dancers with the Kirov State Academy Theatre, it was only natural that Galina followed them into dance although begrudgingly. Completing her studies at the Leningrad Choreography School, she joined the Kirov ballet dancing there until 1944. Her first major role was of Maria in the "Fountain of Bakhchisaray." She also enjoyed early success in classical ballets, such as "Swan Lake," and continued to enlarge her repertoire. During the war years, she left Leningrad, dancing with the Kirov in Perm and with the Kazakh State Ballet. The composer Sergey Prokofiev created music for the ballet "Cinderella" at her request. Transferring to the Bolshoi, her fame increased and she was allowed to tour outside the Soviet Union performing in China, Italy, Egypt and England. She won raves for her American debut in 1959 for her work in "Giselle" and "Romeo and Juliet." She was awarded innumerable accolades in her lifetime, twice Hero of the Socialist Labor, four awards of the Order of Lenin and Order of the Red Banner of Labor, four times the Stalin Prize, and People's Artist of the U.S.S.R. On 1981, a ballet was held in Paris in her honor. After her retirement, she continued to coach young dancers and served as ballet mistress of the Bolshoi. There is a statue in Stockholm and a bronze bust in St. Petersburg of her and she was named an honorary member of the United States of Arts and Sciences. The Soviet Union considered her the embodiment of the Soviet school of ballet. Margot Fonteyn and Rudolph Nureyev among many others considered her the world's prima ballerina of her time.
Bio by: Winter Birds PA
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