Alexei Ratmansky

Alexei Ratmansky
Name	Alexei Ratmansky
Birth date	27 August 1968
Birth place	Leningrad, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Soviet Union
Nationality	Russian
Occupation	Choreographer, Dancer, Artistic director
Years active	1986–present
Known for	Revitalizing classical ballet, Artistic Director of The Royal Danish Ballet, Artist in Residence at American Ballet Theatre
Spouse	Tatiana Ratmanskaya

Alexei Ratmansky. He is a preeminent Russian choreographer, ballet dancer, and artistic director, widely regarded as one of the most significant figures in contemporary classical ballet. His work is celebrated for its profound musicality, inventive storytelling, and successful fusion of traditional ballet technique with modern theatricality. Ratmansky has held prestigious positions including Artistic Director of the Bolshoi Ballet and The Royal Danish Ballet, and serves as Artist in Residence at the American Ballet Theatre, creating a vast repertoire of original works and acclaimed reconstructions for major companies worldwide.

Early life and training

Born in Leningrad during the Soviet era, he began his dance training at the Moscow Ballet School, an affiliate of the renowned Bolshoi Ballet Academy. His early education was steeped in the rigorous Vaganova method, the dominant pedagogical system of the Soviet Union. Upon graduation, he joined the Ukrainian National Ballet in Kyiv, where he quickly rose to the rank of principal dancer, performing leading roles in classics like Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. During this period, he also began to explore choreography, creating his first pieces for the company in Kiev, laying the groundwork for his future career.

Career

His choreographic career gained international attention after he won the Gold Medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition in 1990. He served as the Artistic Director of the Bolshoi Ballet from 2004 to 2008, a tenure marked by ambitious new productions and a revitalization of the company's repertoire. Following his success in Moscow, he was appointed Artistic Director of The Royal Danish Ballet in 2008, where he engaged deeply with the Bournonville style. Since 2009, he has been the Artist in Residence at American Ballet Theatre in New York City, a fruitful partnership that has produced numerous original works. He has also created ballets for virtually every major international company, including The Royal Ballet, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and the Mariinsky Ballet.

Choreographic style and themes

His style is characterized by an exceptional responsiveness to classical music, often drawing from composers like Dmitri Shostakovich, Sergei Prokofiev, and Igor Stravinsky. He masterfully deconstructs and reimagines traditional ballet vocabulary, infusing it with a modern, sometimes quirky, physicality and complex partnering that reveals emotional depth. Thematically, his work frequently explores Russian history, Soviet life, and literary narratives, balancing dramatic weight with sophisticated humor and poignant character studies. This approach has been instrumental in moving narrative ballet forward while maintaining a deep respect for its academic foundations.

Major works and productions

Among his most celebrated original works are *Russian Seasons* for New York City Ballet, set to music by Leonid Desyatnikov, and *The Bright Stream*, a reconstruction of a suppressed Soviet ballet with a score by Dmitri Shostakovich. His full-length narrative ballets include *The Golden Cockerel* for the Royal Danish Ballet and *Whipped Cream* for American Ballet Theatre, featuring designs by Mark Ryden. He has also produced acclaimed reconstructions of Marius Petipa's *The Sleeping Beauty* and *Harlequinade*, and created significant abstract works like *Concerto DSCH* for New York City Ballet and *Songs of Bukovina* for American Ballet Theatre.

Awards and recognition

He is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including a Tony Award for Best Choreography for the Broadway revival of *On the Town*. He has been honored with multiple Benois de la Danse awards and the National Dance Awards in the United Kingdom. In 2013, he was named a MacArthur Fellow, commonly known as the "Genius Grant," in recognition of his transformative impact on ballet. His contributions have also been recognized with the Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts and the Harvard University Norton Professorship.

Personal life

He is married to former dancer Tatiana Ratmanskaya, who often assists him as a répétiteur and notator for his choreographic works. The couple has one son. Since 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he has been an outspoken critic of the war and the Government of Russia, leading to his being added to the Kremlin's list of so-called "foreign agents." He maintains residences in New York City and continues to work globally, championing the preservation of ballet heritage while innovating within the art form.

Category:Russian choreographers Category:Ballet dancers Category:1968 births Category:Living people