Vakhtang Chabukiani

Vakhtang Chabukiani ( _ka. ვახტანგ ჭაბუკიანი) (February 27, 1910 – April 6, 1992) was a Georgian ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher highly regarded in his native country as well as abroad. He is considered to be one of the most influential male ballet dancers in history, and is noted for creating the majority of the choreography of the male variations which comprise the classical ballet repertory. This includes such famous ballets as "Le Corsaire" and "La Bayadère".

He is also noted for his and Vladimir Ponomarev's 1941 revival of the ballet "La Bayadère" for the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet, which is still retained in the company's repertory (often referred to as the "Soviet version". This version of the ballet has served as the basis for nearly every production staged outside of Russia, including Rudolf Nureyev and Natalia Makarova's versions.

Life

Born in Tbilisi to a Georgian father and a Latvian mother, he graduated from the local Maria Perini Ballet Studio in 1924, continuing his studies at the Leningrad Choreographic School between 1926 and 1929. He debuted at the Kirov State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Leningrad in 1929, and toured with the first Soviet ballets in Italy and the United States in the 1930s. He quickly established himself as a skilful artist, remaining a leading soloist with the Kirov Theatre until 1941 when he returned to Georgia and served as a chief dancer and choreographer at the Tbilisi Theatre of Opera and Ballet until 1973 when he headed the Tbilisi Choreographic School. He played a major role in developing ballet in Georgia and in the training of a new generation of dancers. He also worked on several films and staged ballets throughout the world. Throughout his career, Chabukiani received numerous awards and titles, including Honored Artist of the Russian SFSR (1939), Honored Artist of the Georgian SSR (1943), People's Artist of the USSR (1950), USSR State Prize (1941, 1948, 1951) and Lenin Prize (1958). [MacCauley, Martin (1997), "Who's Who in Russia Since 1900", p. 59. Routledge, ISBN 0415138981.] [Mikaberidze, Alexander (ed., 2007). [http://www.georgianbiography.com/bios/c/chabukiani.htm Chabukiani, Vakhtang] . "Dictionary of Georgian National Biography". Accessed on September 6, 2007.]

References

External links

* [http://chabukiani.iatp.ge/biografia_e.htm Website about V. Chabukiani]