Nina Timofeeva, a Ballet Legend

She debuted on the stage of. St. Petersburg’s world – renowned Kirov Theater as Masha in the Nutcracker and as Odette in Swan Lake.

 Nina Timofeeva in her prime

In 1956 she moved to the Bolshoi Theater, where she would dance for 32 years. She was considered cold, she seemed doomed to half- recognition. The inner dramatic quality imparted a poignancy to her art that bespoke the mood of the times in the Lavrovsky ballet City at Night, to the music of Bartok. Timofeeva danced the Maiden, her movements were striking in their eccentricity. The expressiveness of Bartok’s music was in tune with the ballerina’s rare individuality.

She felt at ease in contemporary ballets, but she also danced in Swan Lake, Don Quixote and as the Persian Girl in Khovanshchina (a part omitted in the new production of opera).

Timofeeva long ago decided that that the main thing in life is to be able to realize one’s potential blaming no one for the fact that her art by its very nature is full of conflict and contradiction. She created a tragedy out of Swan Lake. In Grigorovich’s three best ballets – The Stone Flower, Spartacus and Legend of Love – she embodied the fate of woman with all her passions. She was also true to this theme in Vinogradov’s ballets when she danced as Assel to Vlasov’s mediocre music and as Juliet in a show at the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theater. So many years have passed, but memory still treasures the self – absorbed face of Timofeeva as Juliet with concealed willfulness.

Now she rarely remembers her brilliant past. On completing her dancing career Timofeeva became involved in coaching at the Bolshoi, then she signed a contract and went to Israel. Today she dreams of establishing a classical dance troupe in Jerusalem. Her girls at the conservatory, where she reaches in the choreography department, started with the basics. With her daughter Nadia, dancer and assistant, she teaches choreographs numbers, attempts one - act ballets, sews costumes and calls Moscow requesting ballet shoes – you can’t find them in Jerusalem. She has the tired but inspired face of someone who has really lived and thought. We talked about her beloved friend Galina Ulanova, from whom Timofeeva learned so much. We talked about Grigorovich: his talent, his mistakes and stubbornness. We discussed Vasilyev and the difficulties which he brought on himself the changes in his life styles and the loss of retirement, of heartfelt warmth and of concern for the fate of others.

Credit.Variant I.

I. 1. Where did Nina Timofeeva debute?

2. What was her role?

3. What happened in 1956?

4. What were her qualities?

5. What were her movements like when she danced the “Maiden”.

6. Who was the composer of her performances?

7.Was the composer’s music expressive?

II. What do these words mean?

      Debute, half – recognition, the inner dramatic quality, striking movements, eccentricity, rare individuality, not expressive.

III. Complete these sentences:

1. In 1956 she moved: a) to the Bolshoi Theater b) to the Kirov Theater.

2. The composer of her performances was: a) Chaikovsky b) Bartok.

3. Her first role was: a) the Nutcracker b) Snow Maiden.

4. She was a ballerina of a: a) rare individuality b) not expressive.

IV. Write English words to these Russian ones:

дебютировать, «Лебединое озеро», полу – признание, внутреннее драматическое качество, выразительность, редкая индивидуальность, «Щелкунчик».

V. Answer the question:

What is part I devoted to?

VI: Match nouns and adjectives:

Swan, rare, dramatic, striking.

Lake, individuality, quality, movements.

Keys: 1. Nina Timofeeva debuted on the stage as Masha in the Nutcracker in St. Petersburg’s theater.

2. Her roles were Masha in the Nutcracker and Odile in Swan Lake.

3. In 1956 she moved to the Bolshoi Theater

4. She had the inner dramatic quality.

5. Her movements were striking.

6. The composer of her performances was Bartok.

7. His music was expressive.

II. Debute - to give a concert for the first time, half – recognition – a person is not fully recognized, the inner dramatic quality – she can understand the feelings of her heroes, striking movements- expressive movements, eccentricity – original style of dancing, not usual, rare individuality – a person who is not like all people, not expressive – not interesting and boring.

III. 1- b, 2 b, 3- a, 4- a

IV. Debute, “Swan Lake”, half- recognition, inner dramatic quality, expressiveness, rare individuality, “Nutcracker”.

V. Part one is devoted to ballerina’s performances.

VI. “Swan Lake”, dramatic quality, striking movements,

Credit. Variant II

I. Answer the questions:

1. How did Nina feel in contemporary ballets?

2. What roles did she dance?

3. What was the main thing in her life?

4. Was her art contradictive? Why, if it was?

5. What was her best role?

6. What kind of face did she have when she danced Juliet?

7. What kind of woman did she embody in Grigorovich’s best ballets?

II. What do these words mean?

1. Contemporary 2. Potential. 3. To keep one’s potential. 4. To create a tragedy. 5. To embody. 6. Mediocre music. 7. Self – absorbed face/

III. Complete these sentences:

1. Nina’s best role was: a) Persian girl, b)Juliet, c)Assel. 2. When she danced Juliet her face was: a)kind, b)self – absorbed, c) angry. 3. In Gridorovich’s three best ballets she embodied: a)the fate of a woman, b) an actress, c)a strong president. 4. Grigorovich was: a)a ballet producer, b)an actor, c) a monach of Russia.