Nina Kirsanova (1898 – 3 February 1989) was one of the most important ballet artists in
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
, who distinguished herself as a lead principal dancer, choreographer, head of ballet and ballet teacher.
She also spent time as a nurse, archaeologist and actress.
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Early life
Nina Vasilievna Kirsanova was born in Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
in 1898, to Vasil and Zinaida Vaner. The name "Kirsanova" was used as a stage name. She started her ballet education rather late, at the age of 13, due to her father's disapproval. In 1919 she finished her education in Moscow and the same year married Boris Popov, an opera soloist at The Bolshoi Theatre. Under his influence, she applied for and passed an audition at The Bolshoi Theatre. She never had a chance to perform on the stage of the famous theatre since she fled with her husband to Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
in 1920, and then from there to Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
in 1923.[Beogradski stranci, Turistička organizacija Beograda, 2009.]
Career
Upon her arrival in Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
her talent didn't go unnoticed, and soon she became a member of The Manjež Theatre, and then the National Theatre in Belgrade
The National Theatre ( sr-cyr, Народно позориште, Narodno pozorište) is a theatre located in Belgrade, Serbia.
Founded in the later half of the 19th century, it is located on the Republic Square, at the corner of Vasina and Fra ...
, where she gave her best performances in ballets "Giselle", "Coppelia" and "Madame Butterfly". Although Belgrade audience adored her, the temptation to go to France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
was too strong, so she went to Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
in 1926, to one of the best ballet schools in the world.
After joining the company of the famous Anna Pavlova
Anna Pavlovna Pavlova ( , rus, Анна Павловна Павлова ), born Anna Matveyevna Pavlova ( rus, Анна Матвеевна Павлова; – 23 January 1931), was a Russian prima ballerina of the late 19th and the early 20th ...
, she got the confirmation of her great talent. She performed as a principal dancer in all the continents (1927–1931). In 1931 Anna Pavlova died, and the company was dismissed. Although she performed all over the world, her love for Belgrade brought her back to Serbia where she became a head of ballet, choreographer and director at The National Theatre in Belgrade. Under her leadership The National Theatre ballet had its first performance abroad, in Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
. During that period she did 28 ballet and opera choreographies, and 18 roles as a lead principal dancer. Further more, once again she decided to pursue her international career. From 1934 until 1937 she worked in Monte Carlo Opera
Monte may refer to:
Places Argentina
* Argentine Monte, an ecoregion
* Monte Desert
* Monte Partido, a ''partido'' in Buenos Aires Province
Italy
* Monte Bregagno
* Monte Cassino
* Montecorvino (disambiguation)
* Montefalcione
Portugal
* Mont ...
, as a head of ballet, choreographer and lead principal dancer. After that she spent one year at The Lithuanian Opera.
The Second World War
When World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
started she decided to return to her one and only home - Belgrade. She settled down in Dorćol, where she opened her own ballet studio and commenced very successful career as a ballet teacher. During the war years she managed to keep the ballet ensemble in session, although the building of The National Theatre was heavily damaged in bombing attacks in 1941. Upon Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
's arrival in Belgrade many Russian ballet dancers left the city for fear or reprisal. Immediately after the bombing in 1945, Nina Kirsanova volunteered as a nurse, looking after the wounded and assisting in the operation rooms. Growing up next to her mother, who was a doctor, she knew a lot about medicine.
End of career and a new beginning
After the war, she founded the ballet studio at The National Theatre in Belgrade, which became, together with the ballet department at The Music Academy, The National Ballet School. Her ballet engagement at The National Theatre ended on 18 December 1951 with the farewell performance of the "Swan Lake" with her as a director and choreographer. On that evening she celebrated 35 years of work and appeared as a principal dancer for the last time.
After retiring she continued with the ballet, but she also found the time to fulfil an old desire and enrolled and finished Archeology at Belgrade University
The University of Belgrade ( sr, / ) is a public university in Serbia. It is the oldest and largest modern university in Serbia.
Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it merged with the Kragujevac-ba ...
. At the age of 70 she got a master's degree, and then travelled on the scientific expeditions around the Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
. As if all of that wasn't enough, she tried herself as an actress at the age of 85, and appeared in Srđan Karanović
Srđan Karanović ( sr-Cyrl, Срђан Карановић, , born 17 November 1945) is a Serbian film director and screenwriter. He has directed 17 films since 1968. His film '' Miris poljskog cveća'' won the FIPRESCI prize at the 1978 Can ...
's movie "Something in Between". Last years of her life she spent, living very modestly in a bedsit, at Čubura. She died in 1989, at the age of 91, and was buried in the Alley of Distinguished Citizens at New Cemetery.
The City of Belgrade named a street after her. There is also an exhibition in her honour at The Museum of Theatrical Arts of Serbia.
References
External links
*
Nina Kirsanova - primabalerina i arheolog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirsanova, Nina
1898 births
1989 deaths
Female wartime nurses
Ballerinas from the Russian Empire
Dancers from Moscow
20th-century ballet dancers
University of Belgrade alumni
People from Belgrade
Ballet choreographers
Ballet teachers
Women in World War II
Soviet emigrants to Yugoslavia