Ulyana Lopatkina

Ulyana Lopatkina
Lopatkina at the curtain call of Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House, 2009.
Born	Ulyana Vyacheslavovna Lopatknina (1973-10-23) 23 October 1973 (age 43) Kerch, Crimea, Ukrainian SSR
Education	Vaganova Ballet Academy
Occupation	Ballet dancer
Known for	Swan Lake, Giselle
Awards	Selected: Honored Artist of Russia (2000), People's Artist of Russia (2006)

Ulyana Vyacheslavovna Lopatkina (Russian: Ульяна Вячеславовна Лопаткина; born 23 October 1973) is a Russian ballet dancer, currently employed as Prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Ballet in St Petersburg, Russia. She studied at the Vaganova Academy with Natalia Dudinskaya. Upon graduation Lopatkina joined the Kirov/Mariinsky Theatre Ballet in 1991, and was promoted to principal dancer in 1995. Lopatkina had been married to Vladimir Kornev, architect and writer (divorced in 2010), and has one daughter (Masha, born 2002).

Lopatkina excels in classic and dramatic roles. She is a perfect example of the Russian (Kirov) school with long limbs, great strength and a classical purity of line, as well as noted musicality.

Her repertoire includes: Giselle (Giselle, Myrtha), Le Corsaire (Medora), La Bayadère (Nikia), Grand pas from Paquita, The Sleeping Beauty (Lilac Fairy), Swan Lake (Odette-Odile), Raymonda (Raymonda, Clemans), The Swan, Schéhérazade (Zobeide), The Fountain of Bakhchisarai (Zarema), The Legend of Love (Mekhmeneh Bahnu), Leningrad Symphony (The Girl), Pas de quatre (Маria Taglioni), Serenade (ballet), Piano Concerto No. 2 (Ballet Imperial), Symphony in C (2nd Movement), La Valse, Jewels (Diamonds), In the Night, The Nutcracker (highlights: Teacher and Pupil), Le Jeune Homme et la Mort, Goya-Divertissement, Le Baiser de la Fee (Fairy), Le Poeme de l´Extase, In the Middle.