Gizela Bravničar (20 February 1908 – 3 February 1990) was a Slovenian

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

dancer, teacher, and choreographer.

Biography

Gizela Bravničar was born Gizela Bravničar in

Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...

on 20 February 1908. She was privately tutored in ballet by

Marija Tuljakova Marija is a feminine given name, a variation of the name Maria, which was in turn a Latin form of the Greek names Μαριαμ, or Mariam, and Μαρια, or Maria, found in the New Testament. Depending on phonological rules concerning consecuti ...

and

Peter Gresserov Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

. She married

Matija Bravničar Matija Bravničar (24 February 1897 in Tolmin – 25 November 1977 in Ljubljana) was a Slovenian composer. Bravničar was one of the first Slovenian symphonic composers. He composed four symphonies, two operas, several symphonic poems, chamber mu ...

in 1932. She was a member of the

Ljubljana Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet The Ljubljana Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet (, ), or shortly Ljubljana SNG Opera and Ballet, is Slovenia's national opera and ballet company. Its seat is the Ljubljana Opera House at 1 Župančič Street () in Ljubljana. The Ljubljana ...

's troupe from 1927 to 1952. Bravničar danced most of the title roles whilst with the National Ballet, proving popular with audiences. Her best roles at the stage were ''Scheherezade'' by Rimsky Korsakov, a ballerina in ''

Petrushka Petrushka ( rus, Петру́шка, p=pʲɪtˈruʂkə, a=Ru-петрушка.ogg) is a stock character of Russian folk puppetry. It was first introduced by traveling Italian performers in the first third of the 19th century during a period of W ...

'' by Stravinskiy. From 1964 she became the Principal of the Secondary Ballet School in Ljubljana (now

Ljubljana Music and Ballet Conservatory , image_flag = Flag of Ljubljana.svg , image_shield = Blason ville si Ljubljana (Slovénie).svg , map_caption = Interactive map of Ljubljana , image_map = {{maplink , frame = yes , plain ...

). Bravničar had one child with Matija,

Dejan Bravničar Dejan Bravničar (October 1, 1937 in Ljubljana, – March 21, 2018) was a Slovenian violinist. His father was the composer Matija Bravničar, and his mother was the ballet dancer and teacher Gizela Bravničar. He studied at the Music School in L ...

. She died in Ljubljana on 3 February 1990.

References

1908 births 1990 deaths Slovenian ballerinas Slovenian choreographers Slovenian women choreographers {{Slovenia-bio-stub

External links

* ''Osebnosti: veliki slovenski biografski leksikon''. Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga, 2008.