Lyudmila Semenyaka was the legendary prima of the Bolshoi Theater for a quarter century. Graceful, incredibly light, she did not seem to dance, but soared above the stage. Her talent conquered many lovers of classical ballet. None of the dancers could repeat her impetuous fouet. Lyudmila Semenyaka entered the galaxy of stars representing the school of Russian ballet.
The birth of a future legend
Back in 1952, on January 16, a girl was born in the family of an engraver of the Pravda publishing house and an apparatchik in a chemical laboratory. They decided to call the newborn Lyudmila. Despite the grueling work at the enterprise, the girlâs dad, nevertheless, found time to take his daughter to a choreographic circle at the Zhdanov Palace of Pioneers. Mom, Maria Mitrofanovna, developed a love for literature and art in little Lucy. The girl eagerly absorbed new information. But her heart was given to the dance. Lucy began to show her talent for choreography from an early age. She constantly, not tired, rhythmically moved to the music, repeating the dances of adults. Sometimes, in the usual series of steps, the girl introduced new ones that she invented. Parents who watched their daughter's fantasies decided to enroll her in a choreographic circle.
The first steps in ballet
The creative biography of Lyudmila Semenyaka begins with her admission to the choreographic school named after Agrippina Vaganova in her native Leningrad. The girl at that time was barely ten years old. Despite her tender age, Lyudmila possessed perseverance, perseverance and fearlessness. It was a remarkable courage that a future student needed when passing the entrance exams. The test had to pass without the support of your beloved parents.
Father, Ivan Yakovlevich, was hospitalized. Maria Mitrofanovna was forced day and night to be on duty at her husband's bedside. An independent girl, who came to all stages of the selection without any accompaniment, extremely liked the examination committee. Quite mediocre data more than offset by great diligence and perseverance. The girl decided to enroll in the class of ballerina and teacher Nina Viktorovna Belikova. For a long eight years, Lyudmila Semenyaka traveled to study through the whole of Leningrad. But the long road was a familiar girl. She has already experienced this experience while attending classes in a choreographic circle. So the fate of the future ballerina was formed - the path to each intended goal turned out to be extremely long, but surmountable.
Loving parents tried their best to support her daughter in all her endeavors. A recovering father, raising his daughter's stamina, every Sunday overcame with her on Sundays on a ski path, 16 kilometers long. Mom talked with Lucy's teachers, delving into all the educational issues. The joint efforts of adult mentors built a working regime and developed the abilities of the future star of the Bolshoi Theater.
First ballet role
The ballerina Lyudmila Semenyaki made her debut in 1964 on the stage of the Leningrad Kirov Opera and Ballet Theater. The role of little Marie in Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovskyâs ballet The Nutcracker was a success. The young dancer had bright prospects.
In 1969, at the First International Ballet Competition, the girl won the third prize. Due to the triumph, Lyudmila Semenyaka was noticed by the leading choreographer of the Bolshoi Theater, Yuri Grigorovich. The master made remarkable efforts to lure the young talent into his theater. Two years after graduating from college, having worked on the stage of the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theater, the ballerina Lyudmila Semenyaka moved to Moscow, where she was to become the prima of the most famous theater in the world.
The Bolshoi Theatre
In 1972, another important turn occurred in the fate of the young ballerina Lyudmila Semenyaki. The girl took second place at the All-Union competition of choreographers and ballet dancers in the capital of the USSR, Moscow. Lusia shared the silver award with the young dancer Valentina Ganibalova. The competition opened a real ballet sensation in the face of a young talent - fifteen-year-old Nadezhda Pavlova.
Soon after the performance, Lyudmila again received an invitation from the choreographer Yuri Nikolayevich Grigorovich to become part of the famous Bolshoi Theater troupe. This time, the girl happily agrees and moves to the capital.
Subsequently, being the prima of the theater, Lyudmila Ivanovna Semenyaka performed the main parts in ballet productions. Odile and Odette in Swan Lake, Giselle in the ballet of the same name A. Adan, Nikia in La Bayadere, Anastasia in Ivan the Terrible, Phrygia in Spartak ... All the roles performed by Lyudmila Semenyaka were different in their original approach, combined with classical traditions Russian ballet.
Mentors
Having entered the service at the Bolshoi Theater, the young ballerina first danced in mass scenes. However, this did not last long. Soon, fate brought her another surprise. Due to the sudden illness of the two soloists, the new dancer was forced to play the main role in Swan Lake. The party was so successful for Lyudmila that not only the audience applauded her, but also her colleagues.
While studying at the Vaganova School, the young ballerina comprehended not only the secrets of choreography. The subjects also included foreign languages. Diligent Lyudmila Semenyaka mastered French so successfully that Parisian journalists were amazed at the ease with which she gave interviews in their native language.
At the Bolshoi Theater, the ballet legend Galina Sergeevna Ulanova became the mentor of the young dancer. At first, Lucy literally reverence for the image of the great Ulanova. But the former prima in communication was so accessible that the girl switched her attention from reverent awe to comprehending the experience of a mentor.
First marriage
Nina Viktorovna Belikova remained the favorite teacher of Semenyaka at the Leningrad school. In addition to the fact that she taught her ward the basics of choreography, the former ballerina played a fateful role in the fate of Lyudmila. The famous dancer Elena Georgievna Chikvaidze, a longtime friend of Nina Viktorovna, lived in the capital. The son of the famous ballerina was the soloist of the Bolshoi Theater Mikhail Leonidovich Lavrovsky. Pretty diligent Lyudochka immediately liked Elena Georgievna. Despite the age difference between the girl and Mikhail, the ex-ballerina decided to marry young people. Frequent invitations to visit, affectionate treatment and delicious treats soon did their job. There were several dates before the wedding. And yet this turned out to be enough to make Lyudmila interested in Mikhail. Marriage seemed an incredible success. Shortly after the romantic proposal of the future spouse in the wings of the Big couple got married. The wedding was played in a modest setting without numerous guests. There was no traditional honeymoon: the very next day the newlyweds rehearsed their parts in the hall again.
Despite the fact that at first the relationship between the spouses was the best possible, soon in a young family there was a nuisance. Having become pregnant, Lyudmila was forced to get rid of her unborn child. The birth of the first-born could put an end to the successful career of both mother and father. This incident marked the beginning of an end to family happiness. In addition, love and respect between spouses were not mutual. Lyudmila gave herself to the flushed feelings without a trace. Restrained Michael could not show his feelings with sincere zeal. Soon, the husband fell in love with another woman. Ironically, the rival turned out to be Lyudmila's colleague and close friend. Having lost two close people at once, the ballerina decided to file for divorce. After four years of marriage, Lyudmila left her spouse. On stage, performing the main parts, they continued to portray romantic feelings and passions. Saved Semenyaka from depression Galina Ulanova. Her words âOnly ballet can save from griefâ became the guiding light of the ballerina. The teacherâs advice, together with the main roles, helped Semenyaka survive the separation without painful consequences.
Lyudmila plus Andris
Endless rehearsals and performances occupied almost the entire personal space of the actress. However, the personal life of Lyudmila Semenyaka was in full swing. Another passion of the ballerina was the blond prince, the heir to the ballet dynasty Andris Liepa. The young man was subdued by the grace of his fatherâs partner, the legendary Maris Liepa. Over time, simple worship of talent grew into a real feeling and Andris ventured to take decisive steps. Persistent and romantic courtship soon did their job. Lyudmila could not resist the onslaught and surrendered to the mercy of the winner.
Soon, despite the resistance of Liepa's mother, the couple officially formalized their relationship. The union of the novice dancer and the brilliant ballerina was short-lived. In less than a year, the couple filed for divorce. The marriage has come to an end. But this did not mean the end of the relationship. For a long six years, the couple converged, then diverged. Stormy quarrels and reconciliations only fueled the passion of lovers. Who knows, maybe this would go on. But two miscarriages that occurred during this period put an end to the relationship.
The best performance
In the photo, Lyudmila Semenyaka, like every actress, looks great, despite the emotions boiling inside. Having become a celebrity, a person dooms himself to constant close attention from others. The image of celebrity personifies a happy and carefree person. In fact, the dancer had enough worries and troubles. Endless tours were exhausting physically, and Lyudmila Semenyakiâs failed personal life was eaten from the inside. The balletâs most cherished dream was to realize herself not only in the creative field. Like any woman, Lyudmila Ivanovna wanted quiet family happiness with a faithful husband and wonderful kids. And if men in Semenyakaâs life happened from time to time, for some reason the children didnât succeed. The ballerina had already come to terms with the fact that she was not allowed to be a mother. However, in 1988, on a tour in Greece, the prima learned about the main event of her life: she would soon have a son. Lyudmila Semenyaka was in seventh heaven with happiness. It does not matter that the baby is born out of wedlock. The main thing is he will. The ballerina hides the name of the father of the child to this day. It is only known that a man supports her and his son both morally and financially.
The dancer who recorded the baby was recorded by Ivan Semenyaka in the certificate. The son of Lyudmila Semenyaka is very similar to her mother - the same soft look and a sweet smile. Just after studying for some time at the choreographic school of the Academy of Natalia Nesterova and the acting and directing course of Elena Tsyplakova, the young man flatly refused to follow in the footsteps of his mother. Acting and directing is not interesting to him. The heart of the youth belongs to heaven. More than anything, Ivan wants to fly. Despite Lyudmila's timid objections, the young man entered the flight attendant school. Today, he has dozens of flights behind him.
With the advent of her son, the personal life of Lyudmila Semenyaka changed. The doors of her house are cordially open to all Ivanâs friends. The ballerina herself is visited only by people who are close to her in spirit. Among them is the ex-husband of the dancer Mikhail Leonidovich Lavrovsky, with whom Lyudmila maintained friendly relations and even invited him to become godfather Vanya, whom he calls the best performance in her life.
Filmography of the actress
Being the prima of the Bolshoi Theater, Lyudmila Semenyaka was a lot and actively starred in films and television. In addition to acting, the ballerina was the author of original designs for stage costumes and choreographic solutions to episodes. She is the director of the performances "The Bakhchisarai Fountain" in Astrakhan, "Giselle" and "Swan Lake" in Yekaterinburg.
Films with the participation of Lyudmila Semenyaki are still popular with the audience. âThis cheerful planetâ, âMy Giselleâ, âThe World of Ulanovaâ, âChoreographic Novelsâ, the film ballet âIvan the Terribleâ and many other productions were successfully shown on television in different years. The episodes of the brilliant talent of Lyudmila Semenyaka were the decoration of even serious documentary films.
Victories and Awards
In different years, Lyudmila Semenyaka personally won prizes at competitions. The first victory was the third place at the First International Ballet Competition in Moscow. The young winner was only 17 years old.
Subsequently, the creative fate of the actress was a victory at the All-Union and International Ballet Competitions. Lyudmila Ivanovna became the owner of the title âDance Masterâ, received the âCrystal Rose of Donetskâ and the Evening Standart award for outstanding services in the field of choreographic art. The awards named after Anna Pavlova and Elena Smirnova also entered the treasury of the achievements of the great ballerina.
Life today
Currently, the ballet legend is engaged in patronage. In 1989, the first charity event in the form of a large gala concert âInvites Lyudmila Semenyakaâ took place.
Since 2002, Lyudmila Ivanovna is a teacher-tutor of the Bolshoi Theater. The parties of young ballerinas and dancers, prepared under the guidance of a celebrity, are distinguished by grace and an original approach.
Despite the miniature height and weight, Lyudmila Semenyaka is extremely active. In 2000-2004, the former ballerina served as an actress of the Moscow Theater. The dramatic roles in the plays The Seagull, The Beautiful Cure for Longing, and others were successful by Lyudmila Ivanovna brilliantly.
In addition, the ballerina also acts as a member of the jury at international competitions (âFouet Artecâ, named after Serge Lifar, âBenoit de la Danceâ, etc.). Despite his venerable age, Lyudmila Ivanovna Semenyaka is energetic and full of creative plans.