Ivan Vasiliev

Honoured Artist of Russia
Principal Dancer of the Mikhailovsky Theatre

Ivan Vasiliev graduated from the Belarusian State Choreographic College in 2006 (class of Alexander Ivanovich Kolyadenko). During his studies, he interned at the Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus, where he performed the roles of Basilio in the ballet Don Quixote and Ali in the ballet Corsair. After graduating from college, he began working at the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus, but at the end of 2006 he moved to the troupe of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, and in 2010 he became its principal dancer.
In 2011, Ivan Vasiliev joined the troupe of the Mikhailovsky Theatre, where he performed the main roles in almost all the performances of the ballet repertoire. Critics invariably emphasize Ivan’s unique technique: “The force of gravity gives in to the power of his jumps. He does whatever he wants with the audience.” At the same time, the press also notes his striking artistry: “Such a fine-tuning of feelings is rare even among dancers of a higher caliber, and this distinguishes Vasiliev as an artist capable of experiencing emotional dilemmas on stage, and not just shocking the audience with his physical dynamism.”
In 2014, Ivan Vasiliev took part in “Natasha Rostova’s First Ball” at the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Sochi. In the same year, he received the title of Honoured Artist of Russia.
In 2015, he debuted as a choreographer with “Ballet No. 1”. At the Mikhailovsky Theatre, Ivan Vasiliev staged one-act ballets “Morphine”, “Blind Connection”, “Bolero”, “Love is Everywhere” and a full-scale ballet “A Christmas Story”.
The dancer collaborates with leading theatres in Russia and the world. From 2022 to 2024, the dancer was a guest soloist at the Mikhailovsky Theatre, and in the 2024–2025 season he returned to the troupe as a principal dancer.