The Prince of Asturias Foundation
Maya Plisetskaya
Maya Plisetskaya, considered to be the twentieth century's greatest dancer, has achieved the most prestigious position that an artist in this speciality can ever achieve: "Absolute Prima Ballerina". She continues to work in what has been her lifetime devotion, giving classes to young artists from around the world. Born in Moscow in 1925 and a nationalised Spaniard since 1993, Maya Plisetskaya set out in the world of dance at the tender age of three. In 1934 she joined the Moscow School for Dance and at the age of eighteen graduated from the Choreography School of the Bolshoi Theatre, which she went on to join just months later, and where she rose to become prima ballerina. She began her professional career there dancing in 'Swan Lake'.
Plisetskaya is considered the stage's most dynamic ballerina since Ana Pavlova, and an exponent of classical dance. The critics themselves have acknowledged her dynamic personality and unique personal style. From the outset she was dubbed 'The Queen of the Air'. 'Swan Lake', which she danced for the first time in 1947 and repeated over 500 times is outstanding amongst the characters she has interpreted on stages around the world. Such is her versatility that she has been able to interpret such characters as Tzarina in 'The Fountain of Bakhchisarai', the perverse Kitri in 'Don Quijote' and the heroic Laurencia in the ballet of the same name. In 1967 she premiered 'Carmen' and in 1972 'Ana Karenina' with a score written by her husband, the composer and pianist Rodion Shchedrin. Plisetskaya took on the roles of scenographer and coreographer. In 1973, Roland Petit composed 'La rose malade' for her and some years later Maurice Béjart wrote 'Isadora'. She has directed the Opera Ballet of Rome and between 1987 and 1990 was director of Spain's National Lyric Ballet Company. In 1994 she founded the Russian Imperial Ballet, as well as presenting her memoirs in Moscow, entitled 'I, Maya Plisetskaya', since translated into fourteen languages, including Japanese, German, Italian and Serbian. In 2000, she and her husband founded the International Maya Plisetskaya and Rodion Shchedrin Foundation in Maintz, Germany, to conserve, document and facilitate access to the artistic work of them both.
The USSR´s People´s Prize (1959), Paris´ Ana Pavlova (1962), the Lenin Prize (1964), France´s Legion of Honour (1986), Spain´s Gold Medal for the Fine Arts (1991) and her country´s highest accolade, the Medal for Service to the Russian state, which she has received twice (1995 and 2000) all figure outstandingly amongst the acknowledgement she has received. She is doctor honoris causa at Moscow´s Lomonosov University and the Paris Sorbonne.
Tamara Rojo
With an innovative dance style of extraordinary beauty, Tamara Rojo combines contemporary and classical ballet styles. Born in Montreal, Canada, in 1974, and of Spanish nationality, she has been the London Royal Ballet's prima ballerina since 2000. She set out in the world of art at the Victor Ullate Dance Centre (1983 - 1991), and completed her training under David Howard and Renatto Paroni.
After first working with the Ullate Company (1991 - 1996), her career became international under the aegis of Galina Samsova, who invited her to join the Scottish Ballet (1996 - 1997). She danced 'Swan Lake', 'The Nutcracker Suite' and 'Romeo and Juliet' amongst other works with the company. She went on to become the English National Ballet's prima ballerina (1997 - 2000), and then joined London's Royal Ballet at the invitation of Sir Anthony Dowell in July 2000 in the same position, thereby becoming the first Spaniard to be a member of the United Kingdom's premier company and one of the most prestigious in the world. She was also the youngest artist in the history of ballet to become prima ballerina. She has performed with the Milan's La Scala Theatre Ballet, the Opera of Nice Ballet, the Arena of Verona, Cuba's National Ballet, and Berlin's Opera Ballet, and has taken part in numerous international galas. From the beginning of her career, Tamara Rojo has performed a gamut of different roles, each one hallmarked by the enormous maturity of her performing art. Her neo-classical choreography of the Dutch School and Ullate's Spanish-inspired choreography, seen in such works as 'Volando hacia la luz' (Flying towards the Light) and 'Concert for Three', are outstanding, as also is the revival choreography of Derek Deane in works such as 'Romeo y Juliet'.
Her career has been graced with a range of accolades, including the Gold Medal and Jury's Award at the 1994 Paris International Dance Competition, which she won at the age of barely twenty, the Italian Critics' Award (1996), the accolade of Ballerina of the Year from the Times of London and Spain's Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts (2002). In 2001, she received the National Dance Awards' Best Ballerina Award from U.K.'s Critics' Circle, as well as the 'Leonid Massine' award. She was also appointed ambassador for Denmark's Hans Christian Andersen Foundation.
