Three ballet masters will run the Alexandrinsky Theatre

Valery Fokin, Alexander Malich, and Ivan Vassiliev will lead the ballet company of the Alexandrinsky Theatre

From 1 September 2023, the ballet company of the Alexandrinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg will be led by three artistic directors: Valery Fokin, Alexander Malich, and Ivan Vassiliev. The names of the new artistic directors were announced by the director general of the Alexandrinsky Theatre, Gennady Zelenkov, at a press conference on 19 December 2022.

Valery Fokin was the artistic director of the Mariinsky Ballet from 1989 to 2008, and the director of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre from 2016 to 2022. Alexander Malich is the current artistic director of the Mikhailovsky Theatre Ballet Company. Ivan Vassiliev is a former principal dancer with the Mariinsky Ballet, and the director of the Ivan Vassiliev Ballet Academy in Saint Petersburg.

The Alexandrinsky Theatre is one of the oldest and most prestigious ballet companies in the world. It was founded in 1756 by Empress Elizabeth of Russia, and has been home to many of the greatest ballet dancers in history, including Marius Petipa, Anna Pavlova, and Rudolf Nureyev.

The appointment of three artistic directors is a new development for the Alexandrinsky Theatre. In the past, the company has been led by a single artistic director.

Valery Fokin

Valery Fokin was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 1946. He graduated from the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in 1968, and joined the Mariinsky Ballet the same year. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a principal dancer in 1973. Fokin is best known for his interpretations of the classical repertoire, including Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and Giselle.

Alexander Malich

Alexander Malich was born in Omsk, Russia, in 1970. He graduated from the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in 1989, and joined the Mariinsky Ballet the same year. He became a principal dancer in 1996. Malich is known for his athleticism and his charismatic stage presence. He has created many new roles in contemporary ballets, including Fokine's Firebird and Balanchine's Serenade.

Ivan Vassiliev

Ivan Vassiliev was born in Moscow, Russia, in 1987. He graduated from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in 2006, and joined the Mariinsky Ballet the same year. He became a principal dancer in 2009. Vassiliev is known for his technical virtuosity and his expressive dancing. He has created many new roles in contemporary ballets, including Wheeldon's Alice in Wonderland and Cranko's Onegin.