Eva Evdokimova
Encyclopedia
Eva Evdokimova-Gregori was a prima ballerina with the Royal Danish
and Berlin Opera Ballets.
Born in Geneva, Switzerland to a Bulgaria
n father and an American
mother, Evdokimova, an American citizen, began her ballet studies as a child in Munich, before attending the Royal Ballet School
in London, where she studied for several years under the direction of Maria Fay. She finished her training from 1966-68, at the ballet school of the Royal Danish Ballet
, studying under Vera Volkova
and becoming the first non-Danish dancer to attend the school. She graduated into the Berlin Opera Ballet in 1969, where she danced her first Giselle
in 1971. She was promoted to prima ballerina in 1973, a position she held for twelve years. For many years she was also the leading ballerina of the London Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet
), where she was chosen by Rudolf Nureyev
to dance the first Princess Aurora in his production of The Sleeping Beauty with the company in 1975.
Throughout her career, she danced with numerous other companies, including the Kirov Ballet, where she was coached by Natalia Dudinskaya
, the American Ballet Theater, and the Paris Opera Ballet
. She frequently was paired with Nureyev, with whom she said, "I've danced in ... nearly every city in the world." After a performance with the Kirov Ballet she was awarded the title "Prima Ballerina Assoluta
." Subsequently she was billed that way internationally. Evdokimova is considered by many to be the finest exponent of the romantic style since the Russian ballerina Olga Spessivtseva. In addition to her insuperable interpretations of the tragic heroines of the Romantic era, namely GISELLE and LA SYLPHIDE, her repertoire encompassed about 125 roles ranging from classical to contemporary works. The last dance created for her (by choreographer Henning Rübsam
) in 2002, prompted New York Times critic Jennifer Dunning
to comment: "Both the solo and her performance were celebrations of the kind of artistry that comes only with maturity and experience."
Evdokimova, the first American to do so, won the Varna International Ballet Competition in 1970, having been snubbed earlier that year in a Moscow competition. She was awarded the charter Ulanova Prize in 2005 for "selfless dedication to the art of dance".
Probably the most comprehensively trained ballerina of her time (having studied virtually every method of ballet technique), Evdokimova would later become a dance teacher and coach around the world. After her performing career, she was ballet mistress at the Boston Ballet
and judged numerous international ballet competitions.
, New York
, according to her husband and only immediate relative, Michael S. Gregori. Allow me to add that I, Denise Raquel Santini Meinardus, am Eva's surviving niece. Her brother, Boris Santini, lives in Puerto Rico, and Eva's many other nieces and one nephew live throughout the U.S. and Europe.
Royal Danish Ballet
The Royal Danish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in the world. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, it originates from 1748, when the Royal Danish Theatre was founded, and was finally organized in 1771 in response to the great popularity of French and Italian styles of dance...
and Berlin Opera Ballets.
Born in Geneva, Switzerland to a Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n father and an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mother, Evdokimova, an American citizen, began her ballet studies as a child in Munich, before attending the Royal Ballet School
Royal Ballet School
The Royal Ballet School is one of the most famous classical ballet schools in the world and is the associate school of the Royal Ballet, a leading international ballet company based at the Royal Opera House in London...
in London, where she studied for several years under the direction of Maria Fay. She finished her training from 1966-68, at the ballet school of the Royal Danish Ballet
Royal Danish Ballet
The Royal Danish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in the world. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, it originates from 1748, when the Royal Danish Theatre was founded, and was finally organized in 1771 in response to the great popularity of French and Italian styles of dance...
, studying under Vera Volkova
Vera Volkova
Vera Volkova was an influential Russian ballet dancer and dance teacher. Born in Tomsk, she trained in Petrograd at Akim Volynsky's School of Russian Ballet, also studying with the renowned Russian ballet mistress Agrippina Vaganova. She danced professionally with the Imperial Russian Ballet,...
and becoming the first non-Danish dancer to attend the school. She graduated into the Berlin Opera Ballet in 1969, where she danced her first Giselle
Giselle
Giselle is a ballet in two acts with a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile Gautier, music by Adolphe Adam, and choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. The librettist took his inspiration from a poem by Heinrich Heine...
in 1971. She was promoted to prima ballerina in 1973, a position she held for twelve years. For many years she was also the leading ballerina of the London Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet
English National Ballet
English National Ballet is a classical ballet company founded by Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin and based at Markova House in South Kensington, London, England. Along with the Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Scottish Ballet, it is one of the four major ballet companies in Great...
), where she was chosen by Rudolf Nureyev
Rudolf Nureyev
Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev was a Russian dancer, considered one of the most celebrated ballet dancers of the 20th century. Nureyev's artistic skills explored expressive areas of the dance, providing a new role to the male ballet dancer who once served only as support to the women.In 1961 he...
to dance the first Princess Aurora in his production of The Sleeping Beauty with the company in 1975.
Throughout her career, she danced with numerous other companies, including the Kirov Ballet, where she was coached by Natalia Dudinskaya
Natalia Dudinskaya
Natalia Mikhailovna Dudinskaya was a Russian prima ballerina who dominated the Kirov Ballet in the 1930s and 1940s.Dudinskaya's mother was Natalia Tagliori, a ballerina coached by Enrico Cecchetti. Trained by Agrippina Vaganova, Dudinskaya matriculated from her school in 1931. She danced all the...
, the American Ballet Theater, and the Paris Opera Ballet
Paris Opera Ballet
The Paris Opera Ballet is the oldest national ballet company in the world, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it...
. She frequently was paired with Nureyev, with whom she said, "I've danced in ... nearly every city in the world." After a performance with the Kirov Ballet she was awarded the title "Prima Ballerina Assoluta
Prima ballerina assoluta
Prima ballerina assoluta is a rank or title given to notable female ballet dancers. To be recognised as a prima ballerina assoluta is a very rare honour, reserved only for the most exceptional soloists, usually those who have achieved international acclaim....
." Subsequently she was billed that way internationally. Evdokimova is considered by many to be the finest exponent of the romantic style since the Russian ballerina Olga Spessivtseva. In addition to her insuperable interpretations of the tragic heroines of the Romantic era, namely GISELLE and LA SYLPHIDE, her repertoire encompassed about 125 roles ranging from classical to contemporary works. The last dance created for her (by choreographer Henning Rübsam
Henning Rübsam
Henning Rübsam is a choreographer and dancer based in New York City. He is the artistic director of SENSEDANCE, a resident choreographer for Hartford City Ballet, a Professor at The Juilliard School, and a visiting guest professor at Texas Academy of Ballet .-Early Life and Work:Rübsam was born in...
) in 2002, prompted New York Times critic Jennifer Dunning
Jennifer Dunning
Jennifer Dunning is a writer and critic for the New York Times on the subjects of dance and ballet. She is the author of the 1985 But First a School: The First Fifty Years of the School of American Ballet, the 1996 Alvin Ailey, a Life in Dance and the 1997 Great Performances: A...
to comment: "Both the solo and her performance were celebrations of the kind of artistry that comes only with maturity and experience."
Evdokimova, the first American to do so, won the Varna International Ballet Competition in 1970, having been snubbed earlier that year in a Moscow competition. She was awarded the charter Ulanova Prize in 2005 for "selfless dedication to the art of dance".
Probably the most comprehensively trained ballerina of her time (having studied virtually every method of ballet technique), Evdokimova would later become a dance teacher and coach around the world. After her performing career, she was ballet mistress at the Boston Ballet
Boston Ballet
Boston Ballet, founded in 1963 by E. Virginia Williams, was the first professional repertory ballet company in New England. Boston Ballet’s national and international reputation developed under the leadership of Artistic Directors Violette Verdy , Bruce Marks , and Anna-Marie Holmes...
and judged numerous international ballet competitions.
Death
She died on April 3, 2009, aged 60, from complications of cancer in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, according to her husband and only immediate relative, Michael S. Gregori. Allow me to add that I, Denise Raquel Santini Meinardus, am Eva's surviving niece. Her brother, Boris Santini, lives in Puerto Rico, and Eva's many other nieces and one nephew live throughout the U.S. and Europe.
other articles
- The Times "Eva Evdokimova: prima ballerina assoluta", April 18, 2009
- Dance Magazine, December 2005, interview
- Ballet Arts bio.
- Oxford Dictionary of Dance entry
- People, January 11, 1988, Vol. 29, No. 1