05.07.2012
Nikita Dolgushin has passed away
One of the all-time greatest Russian ballet dancers, outstanding repetiteur and choreographer as well as a prominent speaker on dance Nikita Dolgushin has passed away on Jun, 10th as he has lost his fight with the consequences of the stroke.
His death came terrible and sudden as he has started to recover and doctors expected him
to feel better. The Mikhailovsky Theatre mourns Mr Dolgushin, who had been associated his career with us for more than three decades.
Dance community has praised Mr Dolgushin not only for his grand talent of a dancer but for his vision that explored and expanded ballet culture of Russia. He has been recognised as an intellectual, a source of knowledge on ballet heritage and traditions. Having worked all across Russia, in St Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Moscow, as well as at the world’s greatest theatres in Paris, London, New York and Tokyo, Mr Dolgushin was truly a man of rich culture, knowing no boundaries in expressing his creativity.
Mr Dolgushin was born in Leningrad in 1938. During the siege of Leningrad he was in town, facing the drama of the starving city. In 1959 he graduated from the Vaganova School and joined the Kirov Ballet (now the Mariinsky). A dancer of a great talent he left the famed Kirov Ballet shortly after to take new creative challenges which opened in the city of Novosibirsk, where many of the contemporary Soviet choreographers resided then.
In 1968 Mr Dolgushin joined the Mikhailovsky Ballet as a principal. Mr Dolgushin was awarded People Artist of the USSR award in 1988. In 2007 he has been appointed ballet master and choreographed his interpretation of Giselle, which is seen as one of the most elegant renditions of this title. The production has been presented in the UK, Japan, Finland and Italy to the critical and public acclaim. From 2009 until 2011 Mr Dolgushin was Chairman of the Artistic Committee of the Grand Prix of the Mikhailovsky, a parade of the leading Russian ballet schools. Mr Dolgushin was known as a dedicated teacher. For more than 15 years he was heading the choreographic department of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, where lots of young choreographers started their career under Mr Dolgushin’s guidance.
We express our most sincere condolences to Mr Dolgushin’s family, friends, pupils and colleagues. He had greatly contributed to the Mikhailovsky Ballet and will always remain in our hearts as the most gifted dancer, choreographer, teacher and a man of a great personality, character, wit and wisdom.
His death came terrible and sudden as he has started to recover and doctors expected him
to feel better. The Mikhailovsky Theatre mourns Mr Dolgushin, who had been associated his career with us for more than three decades.
Dance community has praised Mr Dolgushin not only for his grand talent of a dancer but for his vision that explored and expanded ballet culture of Russia. He has been recognised as an intellectual, a source of knowledge on ballet heritage and traditions. Having worked all across Russia, in St Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Moscow, as well as at the world’s greatest theatres in Paris, London, New York and Tokyo, Mr Dolgushin was truly a man of rich culture, knowing no boundaries in expressing his creativity.
Mr Dolgushin was born in Leningrad in 1938. During the siege of Leningrad he was in town, facing the drama of the starving city. In 1959 he graduated from the Vaganova School and joined the Kirov Ballet (now the Mariinsky). A dancer of a great talent he left the famed Kirov Ballet shortly after to take new creative challenges which opened in the city of Novosibirsk, where many of the contemporary Soviet choreographers resided then.
In 1968 Mr Dolgushin joined the Mikhailovsky Ballet as a principal. Mr Dolgushin was awarded People Artist of the USSR award in 1988. In 2007 he has been appointed ballet master and choreographed his interpretation of Giselle, which is seen as one of the most elegant renditions of this title. The production has been presented in the UK, Japan, Finland and Italy to the critical and public acclaim. From 2009 until 2011 Mr Dolgushin was Chairman of the Artistic Committee of the Grand Prix of the Mikhailovsky, a parade of the leading Russian ballet schools. Mr Dolgushin was known as a dedicated teacher. For more than 15 years he was heading the choreographic department of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, where lots of young choreographers started their career under Mr Dolgushin’s guidance.
We express our most sincere condolences to Mr Dolgushin’s family, friends, pupils and colleagues. He had greatly contributed to the Mikhailovsky Ballet and will always remain in our hearts as the most gifted dancer, choreographer, teacher and a man of a great personality, character, wit and wisdom.
