Ekaterina Maximova
Her maternal grandfather was Gustav Shpet, a Russian philosopher, historian of philosophy, psychologist, art theoretician, and interpreter (he knew 17 languages) of German-Polish descent.
Her mother Tatiana Maximova (née Shpet) was a journalist and publishing house editor and her father Sergey Maximov was an engineer.
[2] The American press called her "a little elf" and complemented her technique, grace and artistic style[3] even though legendary Galina Ulanova was the real sensation of that tour.
In 1961, as a young ballerina Maximova starred along with Vladimir Vasiliev in the film for European and American viewers The USSR with an Open Heart, where they played ballet dancers.
She started as a lyrical ballerina dancing title roles in classical ballets Giselle, Nutcracker (Marie), Fountain of Bakhchisarai (Maria), Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty (Aurora), but extended her breathtaking artistic talent and technical virtuosity through her hard work and devotion to her art.
She was one of the Bolshoi stars who danced in the last program presented at the old Metropolitan Opera House on Thirty-ninth Street and Broadway on 8 May 1966.
Maximova and Vasiliev were the founding organizers for the Arabesque ballet competition in Perm, Russia in 1990 and established their prize for "The best duet" there in 1992.
Over the years, Maximova has received many of the most prestigious Soviet, Russian and foreign prizes, orders, medals and highest awards of the countries.
She and her husband also gained wide exposure for their appearances in Franco Zeffirelli's filmed version of Giuseppe Verdi's opera La Traviata (1982).
Selected ballet roles in the Bolshoi Theater (the first interpreter* and the first interpreter in the Bolshoi **)[15] Leading ballet roles with other ballet companies (first interpreter in Russia*)[6] Ballet, Theater and Film awards[15] 1957 Gold medal All-Union Ballet competition Moscow, USSR 1959 1st prize and Gold medal VII International Youth Festival Vienna, Austria 1964 1st prize 1st Varna International Ballet Competition, Bulgaria[16] 1969 Anna Pavlova Prize "The Best Dancer of the World" from Paris Dance Academy, France 1972 Marius Petipa Prize "The Best Duet of the World" with Vladimir Vasiliev from Paris Dance Academy, France 1980 InterVision Prize for the best actress in the leading role for TV film "Old tango" at International Festival "Zlata Praha", Czechoslovakia 1984 Premio SIMBA, Accademia SIMBA, Italy 1984 Vasilyev Brothers State Prize of the RSFSR for the leading role in TV film-ballet "Anyuta" 1989 Gino Tani Prize for the Art of Dance (Premio Internazionale Gino Tani, Italy) for "The Best Duet" with Vladimir Vasiliev 1990 Sergey Dyagilev Prize, Russia 1993 Leonide Massine Prize for Art of Dance (Positano Premia la Danza Leonide Massine), Italy[17] 1993 Crystal Turandot Award for theater arts with Vladimir Vasiliev (Golden Duet) Russia[18] Honorary Soviet, Russian and International awards[15] 1964 Honored Artist of the RSFSR 1969 People's Artist of the RSFSR 1971 Order of the Red Banner of Labour, USSR 1973 People's Artist of the USSR 1976 Order of Lenin, USSR 1981 Order of Friendship of Peoples, USSR 1981 USSR State Prize 1989 Member of International Academy of Creative Endeavors- Russian Section 1990 UNESCO Pablo Picasso Medal[19] 1990 Member of the Executive Committee of Counseil International De La Danse, UNESCO (International Dance Council) 1991 Glinka State Prize of the RSFSR 1992 -2009 Jury member for Russian Independent Theater Award "Triumph" 1994 Second Order of Friendship of Peoples, Russia 1995 Honorary Professor, Moscow State University, Russia 1995 Academician of the Russian Academy of Arts 1999 Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 3rd class 2004 Order of Rio Branco, Brazil 2004 Soul of Dance Award, Russian Magazine "Ballet" 2008 Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class List of leading roles in full length ballet videos 1970 Phrigia in Spartacus, A. Khachaturian, choreography Grogorovich, Bolshoi Theater 1974 Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, S. Prokofiev choreography, Lavrovsky, Bolshoi Theater 1978 Masha in Nutcracker, P. Tchaikovsky, choreography Grigorovich, Bolshoi Theater 1978 Katerina in the Stone Flower, S. Prokofiev, choreography Grigorovich, Bolshoi Theater 1980 Title role in Nathalie or Swiss Milkmaid, A. Gyrowetz, choreography Talioni/Lacotte, Moscow Classical Ballet 1987 Masha in Nutcracker, P. Tchaikovsky, choreography Grigorovich, Bolshoi Theater[20] 1994 Title role in Cinderella, S. Prokofiev, choreography Vasiliev, Kremlin Ballet List of selected appearances in TV film ballets, musical films and documentaries Leading roles in movies Stella Cotman in Gigolo and Gigolette, director A. Belinsky, choreography V. Vasiliev, Central TV, USSR 1980 Elena Knyazeva in Fuete, (Fouetté) director B. Yermolaev, choreography for ballet excerpts V. Vasiliev, Lenfilm, USSR 1986 Nalalia Davydovna in Klassnaya Dama, director A. Belinsky, Lentelefilm, Russia, 1994 Documentaries and books about Ekaterina Maximova Composition of dances Part II, documentary, director Y. Aldokhin, Tsentrnauchfilm, USSR 1967 Duet: Ekaterina Maximova Vladimir Vasiliev, TV film, director F. Slidovker T/O Ekran, USSR 1973 N Avaliani, L Jdanov.
Maximova & Vasiliev at the Bolshoi, photo album (London: Dance Books, 1995)[25] Katya, documentary, director N. Tikhonov, Bolshoi Theater video studio, Russia, 1999 E. Fetisova Ekaterina Maximova Vladimir Vasiliev, photo album (М., 1999)[26] Ekaterina Maximova: When dancing becomes one's life, documentary, director N. Tikhonov, Bolshoi Theater video studio, Russia, 2004 Fouette along the life, documentary, director N. Tikhonov, Bolshoi Theater video studio, Russia, 2009 Vasiliev Maximova: Dance of fate, TV documentary, Central TV, Russia, 2010 Katya.
A letter from the past, documentary, director V. Vasiliev, Russia-K, Russia, 2019 1980 An asteroid that was discovered by Crimea Astrophysical Observatory was named MAXIMOVA in her honor.
Maximova's students S. Lunkina, M. Ryzhkina and others from the Bolshoi Theater and N. Balakhnicheva and Z. Bogoroditskaya from the Kremlin Ballet took part in the festival in the following years.
2008 The Bolshoi Theater celebrated Maximova's and Vladimir Vasiliev's "50 years on stage" with a five day festival of gala performances in their honor.
