Tsiskaridze and Lopatkina for the Vaganova Academy?

Posted on October 28, 2013

Russian newspaper Izvestia reports that Nikolai Tsiskaridze, who recently left the Bolshoi Theatre after several reprimands and a court case, will become Rector of the Vaganova Academy, St Petersburg’s leading ballet school. The current rector, Vera Dorofeyeva, will be offered a new position.

The paper also reports that Maryinsky ballerina Uliana Lopatkina is to succeed Altynai Asylmuratova as the school’s artistic director, combining the new role with her stage career.

With thanks to Tony Devereux for translation.

Zoe Anderson

Zoë was born in Edinburgh, and saw her first dance performances at the Festival there. She is the dance critic of The Independent, and has also written for The Independent on Sunday, The Scotsman and Dancing Times. In 2002, she received her doctorate from the University of York for a thesis on “Nationhood and epic romance: Ariosto, Sidney, Spenser”. She is the author of The Royal Ballet: 75 Years and The Ballet Lover’s Companion.