Ivan Vasiliev

Ivan Vasiliev
Ivan Vasiliev in an extract from Spartacus, at the re-opening gala of the Bolshoi Theatre 28 October 2011
Born	(1989-01-09) 9 January 1989 (age 28) Vladivostok, Russia
Occupation	ballet dancer
Current group	Mikhailovsky Theatre
Former groups	Bolshoi Ballet

Ivan Vladimirovitch Vasiliev is a Russian ballet dancer. Born in Vladivostok, in 9 January 1989, he graduated from the Bielorussian Ballet School in 2006.

Early on, he won prizes that include First Prize and Best Dancer Prize at the Arabesque-96 Ballet Competition in Perm in 2005, First Prize at the Moscow International Ballet Competition in 2006, Special Distinction of the Varna International Ballet Competition in 2006, Rising Star of Soul of Dance Award in 2008, one of "25 to Watch" of Dance Magazine 2008, Benois Prix de la Danse in 2009, Virtuosity Prize of International Dance Open in Saint Peterburg in 2010, followed by the Grand Prix the following year, Best Dancer of 2011 UK Critic's Award. In 2014 he was granted the tiltle of "Honoured Artist of Russia". In 2015, by public poll, the was awarded Discovery of the Year QG Prize, for his first ballet evening as choreographer.

Vasiliev joined the Bolshoi Ballet in the end of 2006, as first soloist. When 2010 came to an end he had already performed the leading roles in Le Corsaire, Flames of Paris, Don Quixote, Giselle, La Fille Mal-Gardée, Spartacus, Petrouchka, The Nutcracker, La Esmeralda, La Bayadére and been promoted to the rank of principal of Bolshoi Ballet; he was the last dancer to be coached by Roland Petit in the role of Le Jeune Homme, and had joined The Kings of The Dance international group of male dancer stars.

Ivan Vasiliev and Natalia Osipova, his then-fiancée left their company in the end of 2011, in the search for wider artistic horizons. They both became principals of Mikhailovsky Theatre, in Saint Petersburg, with plenty of freedom to perform worldwide as guests. Vasiliev became regular guest principal in Amerian Ballet Theatre, La Scala di Milano and Bolshoi. He also performed leading roles in Mariinsky Theatre, Stanislavsky Theatre, Novosibirsk Theatre, English National Ballet, Bayrisches Staatsballet, Australian Ballet. The Kings of The Dance initiative brought him through many countries during 5 years. In 2015 he became regular principal also in the Novosibirsk Theatre.

A comprehensive list of ballets and choreographers he has performed until the end of 2016 can be seen below.

Beginning in 2015, Vasiliev started to dedicate himself to choreography too. He staged an evening in the spring of 2015 with short pieces, an evening with 3 one-act ballets in the spring with 2016, and a full length Christmas ballet the following winter. In May 2016, one more one-act ballet was presented in the scope of Project for Young Choreographers in Bolshoi.