The Latvian National Ballet
The Latvian National Ballet is the only professional ballet company in Latvia. The more than eighty-year history of Latvian ballet has close ties with the finest traditions of the Russian school of classical ballet. In this way, the classical Russian ballet traditions were passed down from generation to generation, and eventually gave the world such ballet stars as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Māris Liepa, and Alexandr Godunov, each of whom trained right here in Riga.
The Latvian ballet was born on December 1, 1922 (though the company had begun to form much earlier - it was founded in 1918 as a part of Latvian Opera company under the leadership of ballet master Voldemārs Komisārs). That night, the curtain opened on the company’s first full-length production, Peter Ludwig Hertel’s La Fille mal Gardée, which was based on Marius Petipa’s 1885 St. Petersburg production of the work and was staged by Nikolai Sergeyev. In 1920s, ex-prima ballerina of Mariinsky Theatre Alexandra Fyodorova, a member of the renowned Fokin family, began to work as a ballet dancer and choreographer staging many ballet performances on the basis of Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, and Mikhail Fokin choreography. Under her direction, the company gained considerable artistic respectability and technical progress. In 1932, Anatole Viltzak, former ballet soloist of Mariinsky Theatre, Serge Diaghilev Russian Ballet Company and other famous European ballet companies, became the head of the LNO Ballet. The talanted dancer and choreographer Osvalds Lēmanis was the chief ballet master of the LNO Ballet in 1934-1944. After the Second World War the ballet was entrusted to Helēna Tangijeva-Birzniece; she had studied in St. Petersburg with the legendary ballet teacher Agrippina Vaganova. Helēna Tangijeva-Birzniece was predecessor of Yevgeny Čanga, Irēna Strode, Aleksandrs Lembergs, Janīna Pankrate, Modris Cers, Lita Beiris in later years, and Aivars Leimanis who is the LNO Ballet Artistic Director since 1993.
Persons
- Astreina, Aleksandra
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Avechkin, Aleksei
Classical Ballet / Principal - Bartuls, Pavels
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Beitika, Baiba
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Bessudnova, Jeļena
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Buharina, Margarita
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Cveks, Mihails
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Demcenko, Vladislava
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Demjanoka, Margarita
Contemporary dance / Principal - Dzalbo, Jeļena
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Fedukovics, Elvijs
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Freimans, Antons
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Germa, Agnese
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Godunova, Evelīna
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Guravska, Sabine
Classical Ballet / Soloist - Gurvica, Julija
Contemporary dance / Principal - Ivanovs, Jans
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Jansone, Viktorija
Classical Ballet / Principal - Jurans, Aleksandrs
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Karpovica, Margarita
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Kirilko, Zigmars
Classical Ballet / Soloist - Kitnere, Kristine
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Kleinhofs, Intars
Classical Ballet / Soloist - Kokina, Baiba
Classical Ballet / Principal - Kolodenko, Nikita
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Komarova, Milana
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Kopstale, Annija
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Latisonoks, Maksims
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Latisonoks, Aleksandrs
Classical Ballet / Soloist - Leimane-Martinova, Elza
Classical Ballet / Principal - Lieldidzs-Kolbins, Toms
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Lipska, Nataļja
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Lubeja, Jolanta
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Lukasevica, Rita
Classical Ballet / Soloist - Martinovs, Raimonds
Classical Ballet / Principal - Mergoļda, Valerija
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Mergolds, Zans
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Milbreta-Smite, Jana
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Miyake, Yuka
Classical Ballet / Soloist - Neikshin, Sergei
Classical Ballet / Principal - Osadcijs, Aleksandrs
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Paike, Laine
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Perceva, Ilona
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Prudane, Alise
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Pudans, Andris
Classical Ballet / Soloist - Puhova, Ilana
Classical Ballet / Soloist - Pumpina, Kate
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Racene, Ieva
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Rudzitis, Donats
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Russke, Anna
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Samborska, Nataļja
Classical Ballet / Soloist - Seiko, Andrejs
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Seiko, Viktors
Classical Ballet / Soloist - Skutelskis, Arturs
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Smidta, Marianna
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Sokolovs, Arturs
Classical Ballet / Soloist - Sosnovskis, Sergejs
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Springis, Maris
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Taranova, Karina
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Trautmane, Jevgeņija
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Vanina, Kristine
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Vasilcenko, Tatjana
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Visnape-Trocjuka, Vanda
Classical Ballet / Dancer - Zigis, Ringolds
Classical Ballet / Soloist
