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 A few years ago, Anastasia Volochkova spent an evening at a restaurant to discuss some of her creative plans. She was distracted by a phone call. The New York Times reporters disturbed the high-life girl. They wanted at all means to measure the height of the disgraced ballet dancer. A surprised Volochkova could not refuse. Soon the press arrived. Having brought out a tape-measure, they recorded one meter and sixty-six centimetres. Anastasia objected because she has always considered herself to be 4 centimetres higher. Both parties agreed on a neutral meter, sixty-eight.
The future celebrity was born on January 20, 1976 in St. Petersburg.
At 18 years old she graduated with honours from the Vaganova Russian
Ballet Academy. In 1996 she took the first place and won the gold medal
at the II International Ballet Competition in Kiev. Prior to 1998, she
performed in the ballet troupe of the Mariinsky theatre where Anastasia
Volochkova played 14 leading parties. Vladimir Vasiliev, who included
his Swan Lake ballet version and sought a new performer that would be
able to add refinement and beauty, invited her to the Bolshoi theatre
of the capital city. More likely thanks to appearance, than techniques.
Volochkova performed Raymonda, Nikiya, Giselle and Empress in the
Russian Hamlet. She performs on tours in England: twelve
representations at the Royal Albert Hall, Palladium, Covent Garden,
Sadler.
However, in Moscow Anastasia does not live on ballet
alone. She organizes creative evening parties and benefit performances.
This is shocking for the conservative ballet audience. Her colleagues
began to turn away from her. Even her instructor Ekaterina Maximova is
deciding not to engage with her wilful student anymore. Her position as
a teacher will explain how misunderstandings displaced Anastasia's life
priorities. It is about the endless film shootings, variety shows and
taking part in advertisements. After all, the time spent on
high-society events adversely affects the quality of ballet work. The
management of the Bolshoi theatre did not renew their contract with
Volochkova, and the ballet dancer left for London.
Dancing
Karabos in the Sleeping Beauty ballet was a success. At one event she
met an eminent ballet master Yuri Grigorovich, with whom they are
familiar though the Kiev triumph of 1996. He proposed to her, of which
Volochkova could not refuse - the main role in the Swan Lake ballet of
the Bolshoi theatre. It is difficult to tell how Grigorievich was able
to return the disgraced premiere. But already in 2002, Anastasia
received a prestigious award - Benois de la dance.
Volochkova's
triumph was prolonged. Grigorovich departed from leading the Krasnodar
ballet theatre and the general director of Bolshoi Iksan came directly
with a protracted conflict. It was said that Anastasia demanded for the
opportunities to dance three Swan Lake ballets in Paris. In response,
the functionary accused the ballet dancer of overweight. The parties
did not spare on their mutual accusations, which was full of guesswork
and fiction. In particular, Volochkova was sure there is a treacherous
plank aimed at spoiling her career. Supposedly, the misfortunes that
have befell upon her, and besides the scandal with Iksan, legal actions
were initiated against the ballet dancer by a certain wealthy and
rejected fan as revenge. The general director of the Bolshoi theatre,
in turn, claimed that performers of such size have no suitable
partners. Then he stopped measuring and weighing Volochkova.
By
the way, about the fans and lawsuits. The two most scandalous topics
surrounding Volochkova are formulated as follows: for what is she
presented with very costly gifts and how come her apartment is almost
bigger in luxury than the Hermitage. The ballet dancer had one answer
for both questions. She works a lot and her creativity is on demand.
Therefore, wealthy people express their admiration to her. She cannot
prevent them from doing so.
Moreover, the lawsuits arose on a
house issue. St. Petersburg designers said that Volochkova underpaid
them 76 000 dollars for their work. And a former owner of a Moscow
apartment, from which the real estate was purchased in 2001, insisted
on terminating the contract. Recently, Volochkova is not that disturbed
by the public opinion. Marriage, giving birth and raising a daughter
could not but affect the life of the celebrity. But she will never stop
being a society person and she will not allow producers and the
paparazzi to leave in the shadow of such a known personality. Filming a
movie, a new concert program, participation in the Ice Age ballet,
writing an autobiographical book, high-life parties - can one stop at
what has been accomplished?..
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