Choreographer Leonid Lavrovsky: biography, photo

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

A wonderful artist, teacher and choreographer Leonid Lavrovsky wrote bright pages in the history of modern dance art. His name is associated with the formation of ballet in the Soviet Union and the triumphal tours of Soviet ballet stars abroad. An outstanding choreographer, a talented organizer and a handsome person - this is how he was remembered by his contemporaries.

The choreographer Leonid Lavrovsky: biography, photo

There are people, at the mention of whose name the memory immediately evokes associations with some phenomenon or event. These names are inextricably linked with high service to one's cause. In the gallery of faces that brought world fame to Russian ballet, it is impossible to pass by the portrait of a talented and enthusiastic person - choreographer Leonid Mikhailovich Lavrovsky.

Childhood

Leonid Mikhailovich Ivanov (this is the real name of the choreographer) was born on June 5, 1905 in St. Petersburg. The family was poor, working. However, the father of the future choreographer was very fond of music and once made an unexpecteddeed. He quit his job and joined the choir of the Mariinsky Theatre. It is not known how the creative fate of the future great choreographer could have developed without this decisive act of his father. But from that time on, little Lenya began to spend a lot of time behind the theater scenes. He began to explore the world of theater from the inside.

Theatrical art captivated a talented young man. He entered the Leningrad Choreographic College, graduating in 1922. During his studies with the wonderful teacher Vladimir Ponomarev, it turned out that the guy has the talent and artistry of a novice dancer. Gradually, his artistic vision of the profession began to take shape. At the same time, Ivanov decides to take a creative pseudonym. Apparently, his own surname seems too simple to him, and the dancer Leonid Lavrovsky is already graduating from the choreographic college.

At the beginning of the journey

After completing his studies at the technical school, L. Lavrovsky was enrolled in the staff of the ballet troupe of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater as the first soloist. Ahead was the classical repertoire and time-tested performances, where he will perform parts in Giselle, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty. The young artist works hard, but he also likes to have a good time after the performance. However, since these years, the artist has formed a very good quality of character: even after a stormy night, he never allowed himself to be late to the theater or miss a rehearsal. At the same time, Leonid Lavrovsky marries for the first time. His chosen one was the ballerina EkaterinaHeidenreich.

Noisy and cheerful feasts in the circle of acquaintances did not become an obstacle to further study and self-education. Leonid reads a lot, takes piano and music history lessons, goes to exhibitions. Gradually, a poorly educated young man from a working-class family turns into an erudite, well-read person. Elegant appearance and innate intelligence complete the formation of the future great choreographer.

However, things did not go too smoothly in the theater. Young and talented dancers were already breathing in the back. It began to seem to Lavrovsky that he was being squeezed, not being allowed to dance. The slowly smoldering conflict with the artistic director of the ballet troupe A. Vaganova only worsened his morale. In 1936, unable to withstand the tension in the theater, L. Lavrovsky quits. However, the artist did not stay in the status of unemployed for long. Literally a week later, he accepted an offer to head the ballet of the Leningrad Small Opera House. L. Lavrovsky worked in this position until 1937.

First performances

Simultaneously with participation in ballet performances, Leonid Mikhailovich begins his staging activity. At the Leningrad Choreographic School, he staged The Sad W altz to the music of J. Sibelius (1927) and The Seasons (P. I. Tchaikovsky, 1928). Schumanniana and Symphonic Etudes (1929) were staged to the music of R. Schumann. It cannot be said that L. Lavrovsky's staging activity has always been successful. Concert program in the style of M. Fokin (1932) failed and was recognizeddecadent and pandering to bourgeois tastes.

Failures did not stop the director. The new time dictated that art should be accessible and understandable to a wide audience of workers and peasants. For the Leningrad Choreographic School, Leonid Lavrovsky puts on two ballets, Fadette and Katerina. This time he was right on target. Both performances were recognized as successful, and the young choreographer boldly takes on new productions based on the works of N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, A. Adam, A. Rubinstein and many others.

At the same time, another event occurs. Leonid Lavrovsky, whose personal life did not work out with E. Heidenreich, marries a second time. Elena Chikvaidze, who participated in the production of the ballet "Prisoner of the Caucasus" to the music of B. Asafiev, became his chosen one. In 1941, their son was born - Lavrovsky Mikhail Leonidovich, whose biography is also inextricably linked with the art of ballet.

Kirov Theater

Meanwhile, passions did not subside at the Mariinsky Theatre. The despotic and imperious character of A. Vaganova brought the situation in the ballet troupe to the point of the highest intensity of passions. The leader was reproached for the lack of new performances in the repertoire, the suppression of young performers, authoritarianism in making important creative decisions, the old regime and despotism. She was also reminded of the departure from the theater of L. Lavrovsky. It is difficult to say how true all these accusations were. But it all ended with the fact that the chair of the artistic director of the ballet was empty. December 31, 1937 Leonid Lavrovsky, choreographer and artistballet, was appointed head of the ballet of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theatre. S. M. Kirov. He held this post until 1944.

S. Prokofiev, Romeo and Juliet (1940)

In 1940, L. Lavrovsky began work on the ballet "Romeo and Juliet" to the music of S. S. Prokofiev. A large-scale performance was not born easily. By this time, there was no tradition of staging W. Shakespeare's works in the world ballet. His work was interpreted by choreographers in different ways, so there were no established canons that the director could rely on in his work. But L. Lavrovsky faced one more difficulty. Strange as it may seem, but this obstacle was the brilliant music of S. S. Prokofiev. Complex rhythmic canvas, unusual compositional techniques. A musical canvas woven from various themes that intertwined and created the finest lace of the author's perception of the immortal tragedy. Initially, the artists simply could not understand the composer's intention.

L. Lavrovsky was patient and persistent. But the musical score was also changed in order to make the performance brighter and sharper. Gradually the troupe overcame musical resistance. The production of "Romeo and Juliet" was favorably received by the public and critics. They noted the unusual music of S. Prokofiev, rejoiced at the success of the choreographer L. Lavrovsky, and praised the scenery. The undisputed triumph of this performance was Galina Ulanova. The premiere of the ballet in Moscow turned out to be brighter. The performance was recognized as the best ballet of our time. This is largelypredetermined the future life of the director. In 1944, L. Lavrovsky was appointed director of the ballet of the main stage of the Soviet Union.

Moscow, Bolshoi Theater

L. Lavrovsky understood that everything he had done up to that time was only a prelude to work in the main theater of the country. First of all, he began to actively and talentedly restore the classical ballet repertoire. For the 100th anniversary of the ballet "Giselle" L. Lavrovsky makes his own version of the performance. The renewed Giselle with G. Ulanova was recognized as one of the best productions of this ballet and became a model for many generations of choreographers. Then new editions of the ballets "Raymonda" and "Chopiniana" were created.

Another large-scale work by L. Lavrovsky is the re-creation of Romeo and Juliet on the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre. The production could not be mechanically transferred to a new stage. It has become larger and more significant. Emphasis shifted and conflicts intensified. Grandiose mass scenes and new scenery completed the transformation of the author's concept of L. Lavrovsky. The new edition of the famous ballet turned out to be very successful. L. Lavrovsky received the Stalin Prize, and the performance became the hallmark of the Bolshoi Theater for decades.

20 years: successes and failures

L. Lavrovsky believed that there could be no dance for the sake of dance itself. The meaning of his activity was the task of discovering new talents and promoting new names on the stage. During his work, the Bolshoi Ballet gave a successful debut to many talented dancers and choreographers. MyselfThe leader is also not idle. His next production is "Red Flower". This is a new edition of the ballet "Red Poppy" by composer R. Glier. A simple story of a Chinese dancer and Soviet sailors about the solidarity of people from different countries and different skin colors. The audience loved this performance, and the artists danced with pleasure in it. For this production, L. Lavrovsky was awarded another Stalin Prize.

The ballet scene "Walpurgis Night" in "Faust" by C. Gounod is a small choreographic masterpiece inscribed in the canvas of classical opera. All the leading ballet dancers aspired to dance in this scene. Classical dance lovers went to the opera to see their idols in a real diamond of choreographic art.

However, the next great work of L. Lavrovsky failed. It was "The Tale of the Stone Flower" based on the works of P. Bazhov. It seemed that the music of S. Prokofiev, the talent of G. Ulanova and the experience of L. Lavrovsky were a powerful creative tool capable of creating another grandiose ballet work. In fact, everything turned out differently. In 1953, without completing work on the score, S. Prokofiev died. A year later, the production was nevertheless completed, but it turned out to be too naturalistic, devoid of ballet poetics and lightness. In January 1956, L. Lavrovsky was dismissed from the post of head of the Bolshoi Ballet Company.

Foreign Tours

Today it is impossible to imagine that there was a time when the world did not know about Russian ballet. great names,the famous performances and productions of Soviet choreographers were for the Western audience behind the same iron curtain as the entire Soviet Union. Breaking through this abyss with the help of ballet art was a political matter. The first tour of the ballet dancers to London (1956) was entrusted to lead the retired L. Lavrovsky. Four performances in the repertoire of Soviet artists, of which two were staged by L. Lavrovsky, made a stunning cultural impression on the sophisticated English audience. The tour was triumphant. However, at the end of them, the choreographer was again out of work.

Two years later, the situation repeated itself. Tours to France - and again L. Lavrovsky becomes the head of the tour team. And after returning, he was again excommunicated from his beloved theater. Only in 1959 did L. Lavrovsky return to the Bolshoi Theatre. Another difficult and responsible foreign trip lay ahead - a tour of the United States.

Continuation of the dynasty

In 1961, another Lavrovsky, Mikhail Leonidovich, was accepted into the troupe of the Bolshoi Theater. The wives of the famous choreographer, and by this time he was married for the third time, no longer gave him heirs. But the only son became the successor of his father's work and proudly carried the famous name Lavrovsky on stage. Mikhail Leonidovich went through all the stages of his career as a ballet dancer. His father made no exceptions for him. The elder Lavrovsky considered his son's brilliant ballet abilities solely as a reason for increased demands and stricter rules.

After one of the premieres, he wrote a few lines to his son: “Everything is open to you, and everything depends on you!” This is how Lavrovsky admonished his son. Mikhail Leonidovich carried the photo with this autograph of his father through his whole life.

Memory of the heart

After his dismissal from the theater in July 1964, L. Lavrovsky began working at the Moscow Choreographic School. In 1965, Leonid Mikhailovich was awarded the honorary title of People's Artist of the USSR. He works hard and puts on concert numbers for students. Many of them have survived to our time in the repertoire of the famous school.

“Memory of the Heart” was the name of the last concert number staged by the famous choreographer. Leonid Lavrovsky died in Paris, where he came on tour with students of the choreographic school. It happened on November 27, 1967.