Elza Leimane

Infobox Person


image_size = 150px
name = Elza Leimane
caption =
birth_date = 1984
birth_place = Latvia
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = Ballet dancer
partner = Raimonds Martinovs
parents = Aivars Leimanis
children =

Elza Leimane is a Latvian ballet dancer. She graduated from the Riga Choreography School in 2001 and has been a member of the Latvian National Ballet Company since her graduation. She has been a principal dancer with the company since 2004. Elza has had additional ballet training from the Paris Conservatoire (1999), Anaheim Ballet summer courses, USA (1999), International Batrolin Ballet seminar (2002 and 2003), Vienna Conservatory summer courses (2000), the St Petersburg Ballet Company, Maryinsky Theatre and Hamburg Ballet. She was a member of the European Youth Ballet in 2000, 2001 and 2004.

Elza comes from a very talented family, her grandmother is famous Latvian actress Baiba Indriksone, who at the age of 75 is still performing at the National Theatre, her grandfather was a film director and her parents were both dancers at the Latvian National Ballet. For over ten years her father Aivars Leimanis has been the Artistic Director of Latvia’s National Ballet. [cite news|url=http://www.citypaper.ee/a_day_in_the_life_of_a_prima_ballerina_elza_leimane/|title=A day in the life of a Prima Ballerina, Elza Leimane|last=Medene|first=Larisa|accessdate=2008-05-19|publisher=City Paper]

She has danced a wide variety of roles such as "Kitri" in Don Quixote, the title role in Giselle, "Juliet" in Romeo and Juliet, "Gulnara" in Le Corsaire, "Marquise de Mereuil in Les Liaisons Dangereuses and "Katarina" in Taming of the Shrew.

Elza has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Latvian Culture Ministry Award (1998, 1999), the Aldaris Prize 'Dancer of the year 2005' and the Theatre Prize 'Best Dancer in principle roles 2007'. She has also participated in the following international competitions:
* Rudolf Nureyev International Ballet Competition (Budapest, 1998) - Best Young Dancer Prize and Djagilev Special Prize
* International Ballet Competition (Yalta, Ukraine, 1998) - bronze medal
* Vienna International Ballet Competition (1999) - 1st prize
* Eurovision Young Dancers (France, 1999) - finalist
* New York International Ballet Competition (2005) - finalist
* South African International Ballet Competition (2008) - silver medal

She has toured extensively in Norway, Germany, France, Russia, Finland, England, Italy, Croatia, Israel, Portugal and Spain. She has been involved in the multimedia charity project, Underwater Photo Ballet and was a model for Kondrashins Personal Calendar in 2007.

For four years, Elza's dancing partner and partner has been Raimonds Martinovs, a fellow Latvian dancer.

References