IRINA DVOROVENKOA
A principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, Irina Dvorovenko was born in Kiev, Ukraine, and began her ballet training at the Kiev Ballet School at the age of ten. She joined the National Opera Ballet of Kiev in 1990 as a soloist, rising to the rank of principal dancer in 1992. A dancer of infinite range, her repertoire with the National Opera Ballet included leading roles in many of the great classics: Gamzatti in La Bayadère; Kitri, the Queen of the Driads and Mercedes in Don Quixote; Giselle and Myrta in Giselle; Princess Aurora and Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty; Odette-Odile in Swan Lake; the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker; and the title roles in Cinderella and Paquita. She also performed pas de deux from Le Corsaire, Diana and Acteon and La Sylphide, as well as the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux.
Ms. Dvorovenko’s superlative style and technique have been recognized in numerous ballet competitions throughout the world. Her most notable awards include the 1994 Grand Prix at the International Ballet Competition Serge Lifar in the Ukraine, the 1992 Gold Medal and “Anna Pavlova” Prize at the International Ballet Competition in Moscow, the 1991 Bronze Medal at the International Ballet Competition in Osaka, Japan, and the 1990 Silver Medal at the International Competition in Jackson, Mississippi.
Joining American Ballet Theatre in 1996, Ms. Dvorovenko was made a soloist in 1997 and was appointed principal dancer in 2000, following a stunning season which won her widespread critical and popular acclaim. Anna Kisselgoff, writing in The New York Times, said “19th century ballets are built around ballerinas, and they offered a showcase for Irina Dvorovenko, who had a breakthrough season, usually in tandem with her husband, Maxim Belotserkovsky.” Her portrayal of Kitri in Don Quixote continued to set the stage afire: “The last Don Quixote of the season … had Irina Dvorovenko and (Maxim) Belotserkovsky in a stunning display of integrated artistry and technique, a truly flawless and exciting performance.” (Kisselgoff, The New York Times.) Ms. Kisselgoff’s review of Ms. Dvorovenko’s 1999 Don Quixote hailed it as “a perfect performance, unsurpassed in its attention to classical form while infused with verve.”
Ms. Dvorovenko’s Odette-Odile in Ballet Theatre’s new Swan Lake also brought critical acclaim: “Ms. Dvorovenko’s Odette was hypnotic.” “To see Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Belotserkovsky step into the leading roles of Swan Lake was to see two outstanding dancers outdo themselves and enhance a 19th century classic with a splendid and mature performance.” “It is up to the principals to bring depth to the plot through their dancing. This is what Ms. Dvorovenko and Mr. Belotserkovsky did with unusual technical polish.” (The New York Times.) Equally dazzling in modern works, she was hailed for her debut as Katherina in John Cranko’s The Taming of the Shrew: “Ms. Dvorovenko’s dynamism defined her spirited heroine; every arrow-sharp jeté added to the brio of her comic acting.” (Kisselgoff, The New York Times.) Jennifer Dunning, reviewing Etudes in The New York Times, noted that “Ms. Dvorovenko’s dancing had a weight that made it regal.” And Anna Kisselgoff called her Siren (in Prodigal Son) “a masterpiece of detail and projection.”
Her diverse repertoire with ABT includes her commanding portrayals of Gamzatti in La Bayadère; Cinderella in Ben Stevenson’s production; Kitri, the Queen of the Driads and Mercedes in Don Quixote; the Lilac Fairy and Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty; Odette-Odile in Swan Lake; Myrta in Giselle; the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker; Medora in Le Corsaire; the Ballerina in Etudes; the Empress in Anastasia; Cupava in The Snow Maiden; and the Siren in Prodigal Son, Tatiana in Onegin, Hanna and Valencienne in The Merry Widow, title role in Romeo and Juliet, Offenbach in the Underworld, Symphony in C, I and II movements and Sylvia Pas de Deux. Ms. Dvorovenko also excels in contemporary choreography and has danced leading roles in Twyla Tharp’s Push Comes to Shove and The Brahams-Haydn Variations, Brüch Violin Concerto, Transcendental Etudes, The Wall, Maguar Suite, Jazzmania, Don’t Bring Lu-Lu, and Pas des Déesses. She has danced with the Finnish Ballet, the Australian Ballet, the New York City Opera Ballet, the Universal Ballet, and with the Stars of the Bolshoi Ballet, and has performed in France, Germany, Spain, Japan, Hungary, Finland, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Italy, Turkey, and Korea, China, Singapore and Taiwan. She has also appeared in various videos and television specials, including the PBS broadcast of the opening of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, in which she danced the Act II Pas de Deux from Swan Lake. She has been featured on the cover of both Dance Magazine and Japan Dance Magazine as well as in People, Russian Dance Magazine, New York Dance Fax, Dancing Times, Time Out and Talk.
A virtuoso ballerina, Ms. Dvorovenko brings a radiant beauty and serene elegance to all of her performances, and as one of American Ballet Theatre’s most lyrical dancers, she is renowned for both her musicality and dazzling technique. She is married to ABT principal dancer Maxim Belotserkovsky.
MAXIM BELOTSERKOVSKYA
A principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, Maxim Belotserkovsky received his dance training at the Kiev Ballet Institute. In 1990 he danced as a leading soloist with the National Opera of Bulgaria where he remained for one year. From 1991 to 1994, he was a principal dancer with the National Opera Ballet of the Ukraine, and toured with them to numerous countries, including France, Germany, Spain, Hungary, Egypt, Japan, Mexico, Canada and the U.S. He performed most of the major roles in the classical repertory: the Prince and Bluebird in The Sleeping Beauty; Prince Siegfried and the Pas de Trois in Swan Lake; Albrecht in Giselle; Ferhad in Legend of Love; Romeo in Romeo and Juliet and the Pas de Deux from Le Corsaire, Don Quixote and La Sylphide. In 1993, Mr. Belotserkovsky was honored by the President of the Ukraine for outstanding artistic achievement.
Joining American Ballet Theatre in 1994, Mr. Belotserkovsky was made a soloist in 1995 and was appointed principal dancer in 2000, following a brilliant season in which he was repeatedly cited for his superior artistry, “(adding) virtuosity to his pure classical style.” (Anna Kisselgoff, The New York Times.) His performance as Basilio in Don Quixote was a triumph: “The last Don Quixote of the season … had (partner and wife) Irina Dvorovenko and Mr. Belotserkovsky in a stunning display of integrated artistry and technique, a truly flawless and exciting performance.” (Kisselgoff, The New York Times.) Ms. Kisselgoff’s review of his 1999 Don Quixote hailed his performance as “perfect, and danced in sublime harmony and with breathtaking stylistic unity.”
Mr. Belotserkovsky’s Siegfried in Ballet Theatre’s new Swan Lake also brought critical acclaim: “To see Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Belotserkovsky step into the leading roles of Swan Lake was to see two outstanding dancers outdo themselves and enhance a 19th century classic with a splendid and mature performance.” “It is up to the principals to bring depth to the plot through their dancing. This is what Ms. Dvorovenko and Mr. Belotserkovsky did with unusual technical polish.” (The New York Times.) Jennifer Dunning, reviewing Etudes in The New York Times, cited Mr. Belotserkovsky for his “forceful Russian-style attack, mixed here, characteristically, with a winning clarity of line and shape.”
Equally confident in both classical and contemporary works, Mr. Belotserkovsky brings graceful dignity and elegance to his many roles. His repertoire with ABT includes Basilio and Espada in Don Quixote; Prince Desiré and Bluebird in The Sleeping Beauty; Siegfried in Swan Lake; the lead in Theme and Variations; Conrad and Lankendem in Le Corsaire; Camille in The Merry Widow; Misgir in The Snow Maiden; James in La Sylphide; Franz in Coppelia; Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet; the Cavalier in The Nutcracker, and the Prince in Cinderella. He has also danced leading roles in The Leaves are Fading, Brüch Violin Concerto, Etudes, Apollo, Pas des Déesses, La Bayadère (Act II), and Variations for Four. His athleticism and style have also earned him leading roles in important contemporary works: Twyla Tharp’s Push Comes to Shove, The Elements and The Brahams-Haydn Variations; Nacho Duato’s Without Words and Remanso; Mark Morris’s Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes; Jiri Kylian’s Sinfonietta; John Neumeier’s Spring and Fall; and Martha Graham’s Diversion of Angels.
Mr. Belotserkovsky has appeared as a guest artist with numerous companies, including the Hamburg Ballet, the Finnish Ballet, the Universal Ballet, and with Stars of the Bolshoi Ballet. He has also appeared in several videos and television arts programs, including the PBS broadcast of the opening of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, partnering his wife, ABT principal dancer Irina Dvorovenko, in the Swan Lake Act II Pas de Deux. He has been featured on the cover of Dance Magazine as well as in articles in People, Dancing Times, Japan Dance Magazine, Dance Review, New York Dance Fax and Talk.
With his polished technique and confident stage presence, Mr. Belotserkovsky easily meets the technical challenge of both the classical and contemporary repertory, making him one of American Ballet Theatre’s most versatile dancers.