Dudinskaya's Graduating Class

[sylphide]

Anybody knows what the names of any of the (approx.) 12 pupils of Mme. Dudinskaya's graduating class were in 1997? Any names will do. Even if not been accepted to the Mariinsky theater afterwards.

Where could one get the info?

[vrsfanatic]

I went back to visit Vaganova Academy in March/April 1997. At that time the Director of Methodology, the late Margarita Zagorskaya, had taken over Dudinskaya's class. Zagorskaya had been their teacher from 1993-1995. I do not believe Dudinskaya returned to graduate the class. I can picture all of those beautiful young ladies, but I do not know one name.

[sylphide]

Thanks Ms. Schneider.

It is just that I came across a video with Dudinskaya teaching a whole ballet class. (Then maybe it was not the graduating class but the seemed pretty advanced though at least level 6 and up) The source dates the video to September 1997, just after they came back from summer vacation so actually, they would be the 1998 grad class. It is superb in the wealth of info it provides just by seeing the whole class for the 1.5 hour lesson and the way the students are well trained.

Edited March 4, 2006 by sylphide

[vrsfanatic]

What video is it Sylphide? It is very odd that she would have a graduating class both in 1997 and 1998. Maybe the class I saw was not graduating? Could be actually. I assumed by your post that the class I saw had been a graduating class. I do know that Zagorskaya had been covering for Dudinskaya in 1997 though.

[Natalia]

I just saw this thread now & I have checked my database of graduates. Dudinskaya is indeed credited with preparing the 1997 female class, whose most notable graduates include:

Elena Sheshina - soloist with the Kirov-Mariinsky (who never misses performing in gala-tributes to Dudinskaya/Sergeyev...she's considered 'the last of Dudinskaya's Girls' in the theater)

Xenia Tagunova - corps de ballet, Kirov

Maria Richter - soloist with the Maly

Earlier, I erroneously listed these two ladies who, in fact, graduated one year later (1998) but had prominent roles in the 1997 graduation performances. Neither was a student of Dudinskaya:

Anastasia Lomachenkova - principal ballerina of the Maly

Irina Kolesnikova - prima b. of Tkatchin Ballet

[natacha]

Anybody knows what the names of any of the (approx.) 12 pupils of Mme. Dudinskaya's graduating class were in 1997? Any names will do. Even if not been accepted to the Mariinsky theater afterwards.

Where could one get the info?

hey everyone!

if anyone can tell me about the female graduates of dudinskaya's class in 1991?

thanks a lot

[Sacto1654]

hey everyone!

if anyone can tell me about the female graduates of dudinskaya's class in 1991?

thanks a lot

I believe that Ulyana Lopatkina (who's probably the de facto prima ballerina of the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet today) graduated from the Vaganova Academy in 1991, so by far she's the best-known of that graduating class if this is true.

[natacha]

hey everyone!

if anyone can tell me about the female graduates of dudinskaya's class in 1991?

thanks a lot

I believe that Ulyana Lopatkina (who's probably the de facto prima ballerina of the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet today) graduated from the Vaganova Academy in 1991, so by far she's the best-known of that graduating class if this is true.

I know Lopatkina graduated from that class and I want to know the names of other graduates...! thanks

[Natalia]

I know Lopatkina graduated from that class and I want to know the names of other graduates...! thanks

Seven years later, I happen to see this thread while researching one of the 1997 grads for a writing project. So if Natacha may still be interested, grads of Dudinskaya's class of 1991 included:

Uliana Lopatkina, as noted...still going strong!

Maria Vakrusheva - danced Dying Swan at her grad and guested at DC's Kirov Academy NUTCRACKER. I always wondered why we never heard from her again?

Viktoria Ivanchenko

Olga Mirshova

Ekaterina Balanova

Victoria Shishkova - lovely soubrette soloist of the Maly, still with the troupe (now Kekhman's Mikhailovsky). Sister of famous world figure skating pair champion of '90s, Evgenia Shishkova.

Oksana Mironova, sister of famous film actor Yevgeny Mironov of Saratov. Oksana danced with the Saratov Ballet for many years and now has a ballet school.

Ekaterina Kovalyova

Anastasia Brusnitsina

Also graduated in 1991 but in Vasilieva's, not Dudinskaya's, group:

Elvira Khabibulina - big star at the Pre-Kekhman Maly, still on roster but dancing very little now

Lira Khuslamova who became a noted character dancer at the MT

Most of the above are featured in the Russian TV special "Birthday of Ballet" which was released on DVD @2007 by the Japanese company Shinshokan (DVD #DD07-0304).

[vrsfanatic]

Thank you Natalia, very nice to know.

[Natalia]

You're welcome, vrsfanatic (Ms Schneider)! It's funny how sometimes a post on this forum triggers an answer. It took me seven years to read Natacha's question about the class of 1991 but only one day for a kind anonymous soul to answer my recent question about the whereabouts of Maria Vakhruscheva, a very promising classmate of Ulanova who starred in that Kirov Academy NUTCRACKER tour of 1993/94. She's happily settled in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Goes to show us the amazing trajectories that lives take.

Also- Mme Dudinskaya also led a class between 1991 and 1997: the class of 1994. Nobody has asked about that one but its most famous pupil was Anastasia Volochkova. Hard to believe that was 21 years ago and Volochkova is nearing 40. Please say it ain't so!