Ekaterina Maximova is a ballerina, one of the brightest stars of the Soviet scene, whose career lasted from 1958 to 2009. In 1973 she received the title of People's Artist of the USSR, a few years later she became a laureate of the State Prize. Throughout almost her entire career, she danced on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater, performing all the most significant and famous parts.
Childhood and youth
Ballerina Maksimova was born on February 1, 1939. She was born in Moscow. Grew up in a family of metropolitan intellectuals. Her grandfather Gustav Shpet was a philosopher, psychologist, a famous art theorist. Catherine was born two years after the death of the legendary grandfather.
Many of her relatives had professions related to creativity. For example, my mother worked as a journalist.
Interestingly, in childhood, Katya did not think about the scene. A playful and restless girl dreamed of becoming a firefighter or, at worst, a conductor in public transport. But fate decreed otherwise.
The first talent in the girl was considered by her mother. She took the child to a neighbor - the ballerina Ekaterina Geltser. However, she did not like a noisy namesake and refused to evaluate her talents. Then the grandmother - Natalya Konstantinovna, the daughter of the famous metropolitan businessman Konstantin Guchkov, joined the process. She took Katya to the ballet master Vasily Tikhomirov. He approved the admission of the girl to the choreographic school.
Education
The heroine of the article began to get a creative education at the age of 10. She managed to overcome the competition of 80 people per place. Within a few months, she first appeared on stage for her first time.
She began her career with episodic roles in the play The Nutcracker, in which she had lots of dolls and snowflakes. In the production of Cinderella, she had a part of a bird in the retinue of the Spring Fairy. On stage, she looked so organically that it became obvious to everyone - the child has a great future.
Soon in the next production of The Nutcracker, she was entrusted with a more significant role - the girls of Masha. It was she who brought Katya the first award in her career - an award at the All-Union Ballet Competition.
The mentor of the ballerina Maximova was Elizabeth Gerdt. In 1958, our heroine graduated from a choreographic school. Almost immediately, she was accepted into the troupe of the Bolshoi Theater, where the legendary Galina Ulanova became a teacher and tutor of a beginner ballerina.
Early career
The ballerina Ekaterina Maksimova worked in the troupe of the Bolshoi Theater from 1958 to 1988. Her talent was immediately noted by the leadership, which the leading parties began to trust her. At this time, most of the contemporaries of the future prima were still performing in the corps de ballet.
Ballerina Maximova amazed everyone around with her fine filigree technique. It seemed that she was born to perform in classical productions.
When the directors ventured to entrust her with the performance of modern parties, it turned out that she also looks organically in this role. Then it became obvious that the possibilities of the ballerina Ekaterina Maximova are almost endless.
A year after the girl was accepted into the troupe of the Bolshoi Theater, she went on tour in Canada and the United States. The audience was delighted with the talent of Catherine and called her "little elf." Many newspapers printed the photo of the ballerina Maximova, noting the incredible airiness of the Soviet dancer.
Following a world tour, she was awarded a gold medal at the World Youth Festival in Vienna. This was followed by a tour to China and Scandinavia.
Work with Grigorovich
A new stage in the career of a dancer was cooperation with Yuri Grigorovich, who was invited to move from Leningrad to Moscow in the early 60s. He staged the ballet Stone Flower, in which Maximova got the main part of Catherine.
Grigorovich always demanded from the artists an animated acting, professionalism and skill. Maximova brilliantly coped with the duties assigned to her. In dance, her character transforms from a lyrical and weak Russian girl to a strong woman, ready for anything for love.
The year 1961 became important in the biography of the ballerina Ekaterina Maximova. She got a role in the eleventh waltz "Chopenians", starred in the film "USSR with an Open Heart", which was shot for spectators in Europe and the USA. In the film, the dancer acted as Giselle.
Soon in the ballet "The Fountain of Bakhchisarai" Maximova began to play the part of Maria, which in fact was inherited from her mentor Galina Ulanova.
Creative union
In the 60s, one of the most striking and famous creative unions - Ekaterina Maksimova and Vladimir Vasiliev - was designated in the Soviet ballet. The talented and always confident ballet dancer played an important role in the career of the girl. Together they formed an organic couple in which they seemed to complement each other, not at all competing in skill.
The next starring role in the biography of the ballerina Maximova was the party of Kitri in Don Quixote. The premiere, which took place on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in 1965, turned into a real cultural sensation for the Soviet capital. From the ballerina this role required extreme concentration, swiftness, incredibly high speed. Jet jumps constantly had to be replaced by small steps in the style of pa and energetic spins. Maximova fully implemented the idea of choreographer Marius Petipa, literally conquering the capital's audience.
It is worth noting that Kitri Maksimova was fundamentally different from the way the stars recognized at that time - Sulamith Messerer and Maya Plisetskaya performed this part. For Catherine, the heroine of the ballet Don Quixote was just a reckless Russian, and not a temperamental Spanish woman. Moscow admirers of the dancer's creative endeavored not to miss a single performance, buying tickets for several performances in a row.
"Spartacus"
In 1968, the premiere of the ballet Spartak directed by Yuri Grigorovich took place on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. Ekaterina Maximova got the party of Phrygia. Grigorovich wrote this dramatic role especially for the prima of the Bolshoi, so that she would have the opportunity to show all her talents. This part was filled with complex acrobatic elements, a complicated choreographic pattern, and original supports. The heroine Maximova was endowed with a special bright and memorable character.
In the 70-80s, Vasiliev and Maximova became real symbols and stars of the Bolshoi Theater. Many specially came to Moscow to go to the ballet with their participation.
In the mid-70s, at the peak of fame, the ballerina had an unfortunate injury, because of which she had to interrupt her career for a while. At the rehearsal of the production of "Ivan the Terrible", she unsuccessfully left the upper support, having received a spinal injury.
Despite the health problems, after some time the ballerina continued to perform. The back pain did not abate, I had to hurry. Preparing to shoot the film "Spartacus", in which she was to play the part of Phrygia. Due to the fact that the ballerina had to perform completely not recovering, she exacerbated the spinal injury. This time everything turned out to be much more serious. For several months, Catherine practically did not move. Doctors doubted whether she could ever walk at all.
Triumphant return
But Maximova not only got on her feet, but a year later she again went on stage. In the spring of 1976, she performed the part in Giselle at the Bolshoi Theater. It seemed that the suffering that the ballerina had to endure filled the image of her heroine with additional sensuality and tragedy. The frivolous Giselle, whom she was before, became strong and wise.
In the same year, another premiere took place - prima played the role of Eola in the production of Icarus. It was the debut of Vladimir Vasiliev as a choreographer.
Work on television
At that time, the artists had the task not only to perform on stage, but also to bring art to the general public. For this, Maksimova and Vasiliev more than once participated in television shows.
In the ballet film "Trapeze" the heroine of the article played the role of the Girl, which brought her great success. The paintings “My Fair Lady”, “Galatea”, “Hussar Ballad”, “Old Tango” followed. In 1983, Vasilyeva starred in the film "La Traviata" directed by Franco Zeffirelli.
The last premiere of her career came in 1986. Maximova performed in the ballet Anyuta staged by her husband Vasilyev. It was a real triumph - the audience was delighted with the new work of the ballerina.
At the end of a career
Despite this, two years later, Grigorovich retired Maximov, who at that time was 49 years old. Maya Plisetskaya, Vladimir Vasiliev, Nina Timofeeva left the Bolshoi with her. The official order reported that they all did not pass the creative competition.
A few years before her dismissal, the artist received a diploma of a choreographer, having graduated from a theater university. Since 1982, she taught choreography at GITIS. In 1990, she was invited to the Kremlin Palace of Congresses as a tutor.
In 1998, Maximova returned to the Bolshoi Theater as a tutor, when Grigorovich was replaced by Vasilyev as choreographer.
Personal life
The bright creative duet of Maximova and Vasiliev eventually developed into a novel. The couple had known each other since studying at the choreographic school, but then they were not close. When we ended up at the Bolshoi Theater, at first everyone went their own way. Feelings between lovers broke out in the mid-60s. In 1966 they played a wedding.
The couple had no children. Repeated pregnancies of Maximova regularly ended in miscarriages. This was a real tragedy for her. Having found out that she practically has no chance to give birth to a normal and healthy child, she finally refused the idea of becoming a mother.
For many years, Maksimova called her Japanese daughter Yukari Saito her daughter. Ekaterina Sergeevna even became her godmother when an Asian woman decided to convert to Orthodoxy. Also, her children, Maximova called all her students, without exception.
Death
The death of ballerina Ekaterina Maximova occurred on April 28, 2009. At that time she was 70 years old. All the leading domestic media outlets came out with detailed materials that talked about the biography and cause of death of the ballerina Ekaterina Maximova. The troupe of the Bolshoi Theater, relatives and friends of the heroine of the article were in mourning because of her death.
The cause of death of the ballerina Ekaterina Maximova is heart failure. In the early spring morning, the dead daughter was discovered by her 94-year-old mother, who was once the very first to consider her talent. Death occurred in Ekaterina Sergeevna’s own apartment in Moscow when the ballerina was asleep.
The artist was buried in the Novodevichy cemetery. An uncouth red granite stone is installed on her grave, on which the name of prima and the years of her life are embossed. The cause of death of the ballerina Maximova was a surprise for many, as she took care of her health throughout her career. But still, the years have taken their toll.
Her husband Vladimir Vasiliev is now 78 years old. He regularly appears in public. In 2014, he performed at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, performing the role of Ilya Rostov in the mini-ballet “Natasha Rostova's First Ball”.