Andris Liepa: biography, personal life, family, career, photo

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

St. Petersburg and Moscow are the largest Russian centers of ballet art. It is here that the most famous theaters of the country are located. It is in them that the stars of the Russian ballet school perform roles in unique productions, among which an important place has long been given to the Latvian dancer, now - ballet director and head of the Kremlin Ballet Theater - A. Liepa.

Bio Pages

Andris Liepa is the heir to the ballet dynasty. His father is a famous ballet dancer and stage director. His younger sister Ilze is also a celebrity in the ballet scene. They were born in an acting family, but only half - in a ballet family. Their father is the famous ballet dancer of the 20th century Maris Liepa, and their mother is the dramatic actress M. Zhigunova. The family of Maris Eduardovich then lived in Moscow on Nezhdanova Street, in a house built for acting families - employees of the Bolshoi and Moscow Art Theaters. The Liepas were probably lucky, because they lived in the apartment where the People's Artist of the RSFSR E. V. Geltser lived -unique ballerina and actress. Famous dramatic actors of the 20th century - Kachalov, Leonidov and others lived in the house.

Andris graduated from the ballet school of the Moscow Academy of Arts (MKhAI) and began his career at the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. During the years of service, he danced almost all the leading roles in classical productions. He traveled a lot with tours, including foreign tours. On tour in Washington, he suffered a complex leg injury and was forced to leave the stage.

Behind the scenes

In the biography of Andris Liepa, personal life went hand in hand with creativity, because his wife Ekaterina Liepa also danced with him in some performances. However, after twenty years of living together, the idyll of this star couple came to an end. Andris Liepa's divorce from Ekaterina excited fans. Even the fact that the marriage was consecrated by the church did not save. Catherine filed for divorce. Andris Liepa can only regret such an end to his personal life. The reasons for this decision were not disclosed.

The foreign page of Andris Marisovich's creativity is also interesting. Having gone abroad early, he performed with Mikhail Baryshnikov. Abroad, he had a chance to work on the unique stages of European opera houses - La Scala in Milan, the Paris Opera, Maurice Bejart's team in Lausanne, Sweden and Rome. His partners were: the brilliant Isabelle Giren, the amazing Carla Fracci, but Nina Ananiashvili had the status of partner of the famous Andris Liepa for the longest time. It is with her Liepastarted his career, participated in almost all competitions. And he remained faithful in his work to the end.

A worthy successor

The personal biography of Andris Liepa in his work is quite fruitful and bright. Dancer and choreographer, Andris Marisovich worthily continues the dynasty after his titled father Maris Eduardovich. The main productions in which he danced his most brilliant parts were "Raymonda" by A. Glazunov, the famous ballets of P. I. Tchaikovsky, "Giselle" by A. Adam, "The Golden Age" by D. D. Shostakovich, "Ivan the Terrible" S. Prokofiev in the versions of titled choreographers - M. Petipa, S. Grigorovich.

However, Andris Marisovich did not stop at the classics recognized by all, but tried himself in more innovative works: "Swan Lake" in the concept of M. Baryshnikov, "Petrushka" - the work of O. Vinogradov, "Romeo and Juliet" in variation C. Macmillan, "Violin Concerto" by J. Balanchine.

At the post of director

Even at the St. Petersburg "Mariinsky" Andris Liepa reconstructed several important works in the history of ballet art: "Petrushka" and "Firebird" by I. F. Stravinsky, "Scheherazade" by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov staged M. Fokina. This event took place in 1993, and since then "Scheherazade" and "The Firebird" have been on the stage of the "Mariinsky". The photo shows Andris Liepa as Petrushka - one of the most colorful images he performed.

All three listed performances were staged by A. Liepa for the Dresden, Roman and Florentine theaters. And a year later, the premiere of another creative work of the master took place: the opera performance "The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh". The production was created for the Mariinsky Theatre, but it premiered in Paris. Conducted by maestro Valery Gergiev. With the same work, Liepa performed at the Edinburgh Festival - a year later. He also staged the opera "Eugene Onegin" for the G. Vishnevskaya Opera Singing Center.

Another interesting work by Andris Liepa was the performances to the works of S. Rachmaninov staged for the Novaya Opera Theatre. These are performances: "Oscar Schlemmer Museum" and "Maestro".

The Firebird is back

In 1997, Andris Liepa turned to cinematography, successfully combining it with his main vocation. He created a film project, which received a name associated with one of the ballet performances he had previously staged for the Mariinsky Theater - "The Return of the Firebird".

This film-ballet includes all three famous one-act productions by M. Fokin in A. Liepa's reconstruction. The central roles in them were played by A. Liepa himself, his constant partner Nina Ananiashvili, as well as Andris Liepa's sister Ilze, his wife Ekaterina, Gedeminas Taranda and others. Pavlova, Mikhail Fokin and othersballet stars of the early 20th century.

Charity as a way of life

1996 - an important year in the life and social activities of Andris Liepa: he founded the foundation for the development of ballet art named after his father. The main purpose of the fund was the organization of charitable performances for various categories of Russians in difficult social conditions. And also to popularize domestic art. Stars of culture and art participate in his project. Gala concerts within the framework of the fund are dedicated to Maris Liepa, Maya Plisetskaya and others. They are in demand abroad - London, Madrid, Riga, etc.

The Foundation for the Promotion of the Development of Choreographic Art, founded by A. Liepa, cooperates with the Chelyabinsk children's charity fund "Alyosha", which organizes tours of "Russian Seasons of the 21st Century" in Chelyabinsk. and helps to identify and promote young talents.

"Russian seasons": revival

To appreciate this undertaking by Andris Liepa, one should turn to the history of the early 20th century, when Sergei Diaghilev first organized the project "Russian Seasons in Paris" - to popularize Russian musical art, and then opera and ballet. As part of the Russian Seasons troupe, such stars of Russian ballet as Mikhail Fokin, Rudolf Nureyev, Anna Pavlova and others danced. The whole world applauded Russian dancers and singers. In connection with this, Lev Bakst also became famous in the artistic field, creating costume and stage design for the performances of the "seasons".

Now, at the beginning of the 21st century, exactly a century later, "Russian Seasons" was reanimated by Andris Liepa. True, their name has changed somewhat - "Russian Seasons of the 21st Century." The renewed entreprise travels to the cultural centers of Europe and the world. Ballet masters present their works in London, Paris, Kyiv, Madrid, etc. And their performances are an undoubted success.

To the monastery

There is a Nikolo-Solbinsky convent in Russia. It is located in the Yaroslavl region, not far from the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. And it is called so from the Finno-Ugric meaning of the word "solba" - "living water".

The monastery has an orphanage and a school. Sixty pupils from 7 to 18 years old live and study in them. There is also a professional college here.

Andris Liepa has been helping the pupils of this monastery for more than a year. In joint labor activity, they ennoble the monastery territory - they plant rose bushes and build an observation tower. But Liepa does not forget about his usual duties either - he organizes a charity festival within the walls of the monastery, not only as a director, but also as a cook.

Since 2017, the girl actresses of the Good School on Solba Theater have been on tour in Moscow. They have already shown their musical productions at the Moscow Palace of Pioneers and on the stage of the Ryumina Theatre. The girls have already presented their musical "The Brave Swan". This result became possible because girls are taught at school by professional specialists:choreographers, vocalists, directors, etc. Those pupils who do not have musical, dancing and acting abilities participate in the creation of scripts and artistic design of performances. The performances are very kind and touching. And thanks to the amazing needlewomen - and bright. According to viewers, they touch "to the core".

Kremlin ballet

This unusual theater, popularizing and developing the national ballet art, was founded in 1990 by choreographer and stage director A. Petrov. The Presidential Orchestra of the Russian Federation under the direction of conductors A. Ovsyannikov and V. Orlov was responsible for the musical component of his performances. Later, the performances began to be accompanied by another musical group - the State Symphony Orchestra "New Russia" under the direction of Y. Bashmet.

The theater restores works created at the beginning of the 20th century. art troupe under the direction of S. Diaghilev. At the moment, there are 11 performances from this cycle in his repertoire. This is a lot in the conditions of the difficult path of development of the national ballet.

Chronology of awards

Andris Liepa gave a lot of strength and creative ideas to his beloved art and his native country. For services to the Fatherland and domestic art, he was repeatedly awarded. He received his first award while still a ballet dancer, almost in the prime of his professional career: he was the winner of the International Ballet Competition in Moscow. Four years later he won the silver medal of the same competition. And the very next yearreceived the Grand Prix of an international competition in the USA. Andris Liepa also has an award from the country where he comes from: the highest award in Latvia - the "Order of the Three Stars".

As a gift to the hero of the day

In February 2017, People's Artist of Russia Andris Liepa celebrated his 55th birthday. As a gift to the hero of the day and the residents of the capital for his anniversary, an exhibition of photographs and stage costumes of an amazing dancer was exhibited in Okhotny Ryad. It lasted eight days and was free for everyone. Among the exhibits of the exhibition were presented wonderful photographs of A. Liepa, made by his great friend - photographer Nina Alvert. The most interesting to the public are the costumes of the dancer's father, Maris Liepa, as well as stage outfits created at the Grand Opera for performances staged in the 20th century. R. Nuriev and restored by A. Liepa.

On February 18, a concert by Andris Liepa was held in the Kremlin Palace, where they presented: a fragment of the ballet of the Children's Musical Theater. Sats "The Golden Cockerel" by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, the play "Vision of the Rose" by Mikhail Fokin, a fragment of the opera "Prince Igor" by A. Borodin - "Polovtsian Dances", which at one time became an independent one-act ballet.

Andris Liepa made a huge contribution to the development of national ballet art, put a lot of effort and creativity into its development, promotion at the world level. And on stage, he not only adequately represented the level of Russian ballet, but also became a real successor to the work begun by his father. And even though no films about Andris Liepa have been made yet, this is quitefixed!