Maria Yakovleva and Manuel Legris in Die Fledermaus

Maria Yakovleva and Manuel Legris in the fragment from Die Fledermaus (The Bat), music Johann Strauss, choreography by Roland Petit. Shot at Gala Dance Open 2016 on 25.4.2016 in Alexandrinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, Russia.

Check out all pieces from Gala Dance Open 2016

 

Check out all pieces from Gala Dance Open 2016

Maria Yakovleva is Prima Ballerina with Vienna State Opera Ballet. She was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia. She graduated from Vaganova Academy in 2004. In 2004/2005 she was a member of the Mariinsky Theatre where she was entrusted with solo roles of the classical repertory. In 2005 she was engaged as Soloist by the Ballett der Wiener Staatsoper und Volksoper – in 2010 she was appointed First Soloist (prima ballerina in Vienna) of the Wiener Staatsballett.

Manuel Legris is a French ballet dancer, born in Paris on October 10, 1964. He was a star dancer of the Paris Opera Ballet for 23 years. Since September 1, 2010, he has directed the Vienna State Ballet.He started ballet lessons at the age of 8 under a local ballet teacher, Yvonne Guba. In 1976 at age 11, he started with the Paris Opera Ballet School and joined the Corps de Ballet at 16 years old in 1980. In 1981 he became “Coryphee”, and was then promoted to “Sujet” in 1982. Exceptionally, Manuel Legris was appointed to the title “Etoile” on 11 July 1986, at age 21, by the Stage Director Rudolf Nureyev, bypassing the rank of “Premier Danseur.” On that day, the company performed Raymonda, choreographed by Nureyev, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and Legris danced the leading role of Jean de Brienne. At the end of the performance, he was named the principal dancer on the stage. He made his official farewell from the stage of the Opera Garnier on May 15, 2009, with the principal role of Onegin.

Photos by Jack Devant Ballet Photography with kind permission of the Dance Open, special thanks to Ekaterina Galanova and Adelia Mukhamedzhanova.