Natalia Osipova interview: ‘I’m not interested in diamond tiaras on stage’

‘I am not interested in sporting diamond tiaras on stage, or having my point shoes cooked and eaten by my fans,’ muses Natalia Osipova, referring to two old ballet anecdotes.

‘Ballet has evolved and the ballerina figure with it. The world around us offers new challenges, new stimuli and new opportunities, and I believe that it is the responsibility of every artist to be constantly ready to respond to these. There is simply no reason, nor time, to perpetuate century-old clichés, such as the remote, semi-divine figure of the 19th-century ballet star.’

Osipova, now a Royal Ballet principal, is still remembered by many as the Bolshoi Ballet’s soloist, who, only a few years ago,  dazzled dance-goers all over the world. Her unique approach to the classics, together with her technical abilities, helped to revitalise the languishing art of ballet and, more significantly, to change the image of the ballerina — an image that is still shrouded in bias and misconception. She is the last in an illustrious line of Russian artists — Galina Ulanova, Maya Plisetskaya, Ekaterina Maximova and Galina Mezentseva are among the ones she mentioned — who were and still are legends but never ‘divas’. ‘Their art, and their devotion to their art in particular, was and still is at the core of my artistic creed. I was also inspired by their eclecticism, and their desire to engage with diverse choreographic styles and genres.’

Indeed, artistic versatility is at the core of Solo for Two, in which Osipova will appear with the equally dazzling Ivan Vasiliev, her partner on stage and in life. ‘It is a performance of modern works, works that were carefully chosen for the range of stimulating challenges they offer, challenges that we both wish to confront.’

The choice might look bold to some, as the performance moves away dramatically from what the public has learnt to associate with the couple.