SVETLANA  LUNKINA

Prima Ballerina with Bolshoi Theatre of Russia (1997-2012)

Principal Dancer with the National Ballet of Canada (since 2013)

Artistic Director of the International “Canada All-Star Ballet Gala”

Artistic Director of the “Canada Ballet Art Project”

(Charitable organization)

Svetlana Lunkina was born in Moscow, Russia, and trained at the Moscow Choreographic Academy. Upon her graduation in 1997, she joined the Bolshoi Ballet, where her teacher became illustrious Ekaterina Maximova. During her first year at the Bolshoi, she performed the title role in a new production of the great Romantic classic Giselle (The world premiere took place on December 25, 1997: choreography by Vladimir Vasiliev, consultant Galina Ulanova, music by Adolphe Adam, costume design by Hubert de Givenchy). Just 18 years of age, Svetlana Lunkina thus became the youngest Giselle in the history of the Bolshoi Ballet. 

In 1999, during the Bolshoi Ballet’s tour in London, immediately after her performances in Giselle and debut as Kitri in Don Quixote on the stage of the Royal Opera House, critics hailed Svetlana Lunkina as a prodigy of the Bolshoi. The advances given to her at that time by British ballet reviewers were unprecedented: “She must become the Great, because she is already outstanding now.”

In 2000, French choreographer Pierre Lacotte staged the world premiere of The Pharaoh’s Daughter at the Bolshoi Theatre. He invited the entire management of the Paris Opera to a performance of the young Svetlana Lunkina in the ballet, and they all travelled to Moscow to see her, including artistic director Brigitte Lefèvre. It was an extraordinary occasion.

In 2005, during the Bolshoi Ballet’s tour to New York, artistic director Alexei Ratmansky announced directly from the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House, in front of a packed auditorium of four thousand spectators, that Svetlana Lunkina had been promoted to the rank of prima ballerina. 

In 2006 and 2008, the legendary Italian ballerina Carla Fracci, who was choreographer and artistic director of the Rome Opera Ballet Company at the time, invited Svetlana Lunkina to give three performances of Giselle and two performances of Raymonda in the world-premiere runs of new productions of these ballets.

In 2010, Svetlana Lunkina was awarded the professional ballet prize Ballerina of the Decade.

Over her 25-year career, Lunkina has developed her artistry and reached the highest achievements in world ballet. As of today, she has performed around 100 leading roles in the classical and modern ballets. Her classical repertoire includes the principal roles in such masterpieces as Swan Lake, La Bayadère, Raymonda, Spartacus, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Giselle, La Sylphide, Le Corsaire, Carmen, La Fille du Pharaon and others.

The world’s leading choreographers, when staging their productions at the Bolshoi Theatre, took note of the natural dramatic and exceptional physical abilities inherited by Svetlana Lunkina. Alexander Grant chose her to dance the role of Lise in Frederick Ashton’s ballet La Fille mal gardée in its Bolshoi premiere. Roland Petit chose her to dance the roles of Liza in his ballet Pique Dame and Esmeralda in his ballet Notre-Dame de Paris in their Bolshoi premieres. Christopher Wheeldon chose her to lead the world premiere of his Misericordes at the Bolshoi. Wayne McGregor gave her two different leading roles in his Chroma at its Bolshoi premiere. Just for Svetlana Lunkina, Roland Petit updated his ballet La Rose Malade, the first revision of the ballet since Maya Plisetskaya danced it.

Being a disciple of the great Ekaterina Maximova, who in turn was a disciple of the great Galina Ulanova, Svetlana Lunkina is a recognized connoisseur, bearer and custodian of the true, age-old traditions of the Bolshoi Ballet of Russia.

Svetlana Lunkina is often invited as a guest star by the world’s leading ballet companies. She danced with Vladimir Malakhov at the Berlin State Opera and Vienna State Opera. Lunkina danced at the Rome Opera House and gave a number of performances as principal guest artist on the legendary stage of the Paris Opera.

Lunkina has a unique career achievement – with different companies around the world (including as a guest artist), she has danced the lead role in 9 different classical productions of Giselle and in 9 different classical productions of Swan Lake. These two ballets define the “who’s who” among international ballerinas. Lunkina has performed her signature part of Giselle 99 times.

In 2011, Lunkina became the face of the re-opening of the historic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, after its lengthy renovation.

In 2012, she left Russia with her family.

In 2013, Svetlana Lunkina joined the National Ballet of Canada. With the company, her repertoire has expanded by more than 40 debuts and world premieres, including roles such as Tatiana in John Cranko’s Onegin and several ballets choreographed by John Neumeier: as Romola de Pulszky in Nijinsky, Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire and the title role in Anna Karenina. In addition, she has performed multiple ballets by George Balanchine, Kenneth MacMillan, Rudolf Nureyev, Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, Christopher Wheeldon, Wayne McGregor, and Crystal Pite. Every season her repertoire continues to grow with personal debuts and Canadian and world premieres, averaging some 30 performances per season.

She has also continued to appear as a guest artist. In 2014, she performed Roland Petit’s Le Jeune Homme et la Mort at the London Coliseum. That year, she was invited as a guest artist in South Korea, and in 2015, she performed in Taiwan.

In 2016, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Asami Maki Ballet Tokyo, Lunkina was invited to appear in the company’s production of Swan Lake and in a new production of Asami Maki’s signature ballet Asuka at the New National Theatre Tokyo. (A seminal figure in the history of Japanese ballet, the late Asami Maki’s company enjoys the patronage of Japan’s emperor).

In 2019, she danced Anna Karenina with the Hamburg Ballet in Germany.

Her performance as Tatiana with the acclaimed Evan McKie in the National Ballet of Canada’s production of John Cranko’s classic Onegin was recognized as definitive. Her interpretations in Toronto of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire and the title role in Anna Karenina by the great John Neumeier are balletic masterworks. These ballets, like many others performed by Svetlana Lunkina, have been recorded in high-definition video and hopefully will be screened for the general public in the future.

Svetlana Lunkina has graced the covers of numerous international dance publications, including Dance Magazine, Pointe, and Dancing Times.

In 2002, Svetlana Lunkina played one of the main characters in the film St. Petersburg-Cannes Express, by American director John Daly. (The world premiere took place in 2003 in Palm Springs, California, USA.)

In 2004, the renowned Japanese portrait photographer Eichiro Sakata, an acknowledged leader in his field, included Svetlana Lunkina in his photo-gallery of outstanding personalities titled Piercing the Sky.

In 2013, the Music Department of Princeton University (USA) invited Svetlana to participate in its seminars and to teach masterclasses.

In 2013-14 Svetlana Lunkina became the main attraction and the objet d’art of the European art exhibit Sveta in Paris, France, and Cologne, Germany, created by the internationally acclaimed artist Anna Gaskell.

Information about Svetlana Lunkina is included in the Canadian high-school textbook Making Connections.

Svetlana Lunkina is behind the ballet training app 1on1 Ballet designed for all ages and levels of proficiency. She has developed and successfully uses her own method of preparing muscles for rehearsals of any complexity, as well as for performances of any duration and style, from classical to avant-garde.

Svetlana is the artistic director of the Canada All-Star Ballet Gala. Its first performance took place in 2017 in Toronto in order to present all five schools (styles) of classical dance – French, Danish, Russian, British, and American, featuring principal dancers from the world’s leading ballet companies. The Gala was warmly supported with welcome letters from the Queen Elizabeth II, members of the Royal Family, and the Prime Minister of Canada. 

In March 2014, immediately after the Russian-Ukrainian war began, Svetlana Lunkina publicly expressed solidarity with the Ukrainian people following Russia’s occupation of Crimea. In response to the Russian occupation of eastern Ukraine, she gave a charity performance of Giselle at the Odesa Opera and Ballet Theater in 2015. In 2016, she returned there to dance Odette-Odile in Swan Lake. In 2022, she performed at a benefit gala in Toronto for Ukrainian war relief. She has also provided material assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Since 2023, she has taught ballet masterclasses in Paris for professionals and amateurs. She also works in Toronto as a teacher with aspiring ballet dancers, teaching variations, preparing them for competitions and auditions, and guiding them towards the mastery of their art.

Hobbies: playing the piano and guitar, singing, dressage, tennis and bowling.

She is the proud mother of Maxim, born in January 2004, and Eva, born in April 2009.

Repertoire:

• La Sylphide (choreography by Elsa-Marianne von Rosen, after August Bournonville): Sylph
• La Sylphide (choreography by Johan Kobborg, after August Bournonville): Sylph
• Giselle (choreography by Vladimir Vasiliev, after Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot): Giselle (world premiere)
• Giselle (choreography by Yuri Grigorovich, after Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot): Giselle
• Giselle (choreography by Patrice Bart, after Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot): Giselle
• Giselle (choreography by Konstantin Sergeev, after Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot): Giselle
• Giselle (choreography by Carla Fracci, after Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot): Giselle (world premiere)
• Giselle (choreography by Elena Tschernischova, after Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot): Giselle
• Giselle (choreography by Sergei Vikharev, after Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot): Giselle
• Giselle (choreography by Nadia Fedorova, after Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot): Giselle
• Giselle (choreography by Peter Wright, after Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot): Giselle
• Don Quixote (choreography by Alexei Fadeyechev, after Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky): Kitri
• La Bayadère (choreography by Yuri Grigorovich, after Marius Petipa): Nikiya, D’Jampe
• Swan Lake (choreography by Yuri Grigorovich, after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov): Odette-Odile, Russian Bride
• Swan Lake (choreography by Dimitrije Parlić, after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov): Odette-Odile
• Swan Lake (choreography by Galina Samsova, after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov): Odette-Odile
• Swan Lake (choreography by Ray Barra, after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov): Odette-Odile
• Swan Lake (choreography by  Gheorghe Iancu, after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov): Odette-Odile
• Swan Lake (choreography by James Kudelka, after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov): Odette-Odile
• Swan Lake (choreography by Kyozo Mitani and Terry Westmoreland, after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov): Odette-Odile
• Swan Lake (choreography by Yuri Vasyuchenko, after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov): Odette-Odile
• Swan Lake (produced by Karen Kain, after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, with additional choreography by Erik Bruhn, Robert Binet and Christopher Stowell): Odette-Odile (world premiere)
• The Sleeping Beauty (choreography by Yuri Grigorovich, after Marius Petipa): Princess Aurora, Fairy of Tenderness, Silver Fairy
• The Sleeping Beauty (choreography by Rudolf Nureyev, after Marius Petipa): Princess Aurora
• The Nutcracker (choreography by Yuri Grigorovich): Marie
• The Nutcracker (choreography by Rudolf Nureyev): Clara
• The Nutcracker (choreography by James Kudelka): Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Queen
• Raymonda (choreography by Yuri Grigorovich, after Marius Petipa): Clemence
• Raymonda (choreography by Carla Fracci, after Marius Petipa): Raymonda (world premiere)
• Le Corsaire (choreography by Alexei Ratmansky and Yuri Burlaka, after Marius Petipa): Medora (world premiere)
• Esmeralda (choreography by Yuri Burlaka and Vasily Medvedev, after Marius Petipa): Esmeralda
• La Fille mal gardée (choreography by Frederick Ashton): Lise (first interpreter at the Bolshoi)
• La Fille du Pharaon (choreography by Pierre Lacotte, after Marius Petipa): Aspicia (world premiere)
• Notre-Dame de Paris (choreography by Roland Petit): Esmeralda (first interpreter at the Bolshoi)
• Spartacus (choreography by Yuri Grigorovich): Phrygia
• Anyuta (choreography by Vladimir Vasiliev): Anyuta
• Asuka (choreography by Asami Maki): Sugaru-Otome (world premiere)
• Onegin (choreography by John Cranko): Tatiana
• Manon (choreography by Kenneth MacMillan): Lescaut’s Mistress
• Nijinsky (choreography by John Neumeier): Romola de Pulszky, Eleonora Bereda
• A Streetcar Named Desire (choreography by John Neumeier): Blanche DuBois
• Anna Karenina (choreography: John Neumeier): Anna Karenina (first interpreter at the National Ballet of Canada)
• The Bright Stream (choreography by Alexei Ratmansky): Zina
• Illusions perdues (choreography by Alexei Ratmansky): Coralie (world premiere)
• Romeo and Juliet (choreography by Alexei Ratmansky): Juliet
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (choreography by Christopher Wheeldon): Alice’s Mother/Queen of Hearts
• The Winter’s Tale (choreography by Christopher Wheeldon): Paulina
• Le Petit Prince (choreography by Guillaume Côté): The Snake (world premiere)
• MADDADDAM (choreography by Wayne McGregor): Oryx (world premiere)
• Le Jeune Homme et la Mort (choreography by Roland Petit): la Mort
• La Dame de Pique (choreography by Roland Petit): Liza (first interpreter at the Bolshoi)
• Carmen Suite (choreography by Alberto Alonso): Carmen
• The Lesson (choreography by Flemming Flindt): Pupil
• Les Sylphides (Chopiniana; choreography by Michel Fokine): Prelude and 7th Waltz
• Le Spectre de la Rose (choreography by Michel Fokine)
• The Dying Swan (choreography by Michel Fokine)
• Gaîté Parisienne (choreography by Léonide Massine): Glove Seller (first interpreter at the Bolshoi)
• Les Présages (choreography by Léonide Massine): Passion
• Apollo (choreography by George Balanchine): Terpsichore
• Serenade (choreography by George Balanchine): Waltz Girl
• Symphony in C (choreography by George Balanchine): First Movement, Second Movement
• The Four Temperaments (choreography by George Balanchine): Sanguinic
• Jewels (choreography by George Balanchine): “Emeralds”, “Diamonds”
• Pas de Quatre (choreography by Anton Dolin): Carlotta Grisi
• Suite en Blanc (choreography by Serge Lifar): La Cigarette, Adage (first interpreter at the National Ballet of Canada), La Flûte (first interpreter at the National Ballet of Canada)
• Afternoon of a Faun (choreography by Jerome Robbins): Young Girl (first interpreter at the Bolshoi)
• La Rose Malade (choreography by Roland Petit)
• Passacaille (choreography by Roland Petit): soloist (first interpreter at the Bolshoi)
• Concerto (choreography by Kenneth MacMillan): Second Movement
• Elite Syncopations (choreography by Kenneth MacMillan): Stop-Time Rag
• Sentimental Waltz (choreography by Vladimir Vasiliev)
• Petite Mort (choreography by Jiří Kylián)
• Approximate Sonata 2016 (choreography by William Forsythe; first interpreter at the National Ballet of Canada)
• The Collective Agreement (choreography by Alonzo King)
• Jeu de cartes (choreography by Alexei Ratmansky, world premiere)
• Piano Concerto no. 1 (choreography by Alexei Ratmansky; first interpreter at the National Ballet of Canada)
• After the Rain (choreography by Christopher Wheeldon): Third Couple
• Misericordes (choreography by Christopher Wheeldon; world premiere)
• Chroma (choreography by Wayne McGregor; first interpreter at the Bolshoi)
• Genus (choreography by Wayne McGregor)
• Dream of Dream (choreography by Jorma Elo; world premiere)
• …black night’s bright day (choreography by James Kudelka; world premiere)
• Passion (choreography by James Kudelka): Contemporary Woman (first interpreter at the National Ballet of Canada)
• Emergence (choreography by Crystal Pite)
• Angels’ Atlas (choreography by Crystal Pite; world premiere)
• Watch her (choreography by Aszure Barton)
• Unearth (choreography by Robert Binet)
• The Dreamers Ever Leave You (choreography by Robert Binet)
• Orpheus Alive (choreography by Robert Binet): Final Apparition (world premiere)
• Being and Nothingness (choreography by Guillaume Côté; world premiere)
• Dark Angels (choreography by Guillaume Côté; world premiere)
• On Solid Ground (choreography by Siphesihle November; world premiere)

International  Guest  Star  Invitations:

Paris Opera

Berlin State Opera

Vienna State Opera House

Rome Opera House

  Mariinsky Theater (St. Petersburg, Russia)

National Ballet of Japan

National Ballet of Canada

       Bavarian State Ballet (Munich, Germany)

Hamburg Ballet (Germany)

        Bucharest Opera and Ballet Theater (Romania)    

 Polish National Opera (Warsaw, Poland)

Odessa Opera and Ballet Theatre (Ukraine)

 Asami Maki Ballet (Tokyo, Japan) 

International  Ballet  Galas:

“Tribute to Galina Ulanova”- Paris

  “Malakhov and Friends”- Japan

 “Stars of the 21^st Century”-  New York, Paris, Toronto

 “Tribute to Yuri Grigorovich”-  London, Royal Opera House

       “Stars of the Russian Ballet”-  Tokyo, Japan

         “Roland Petit and his Stars”-  Athens, Greece

 “Roland Petit and his Stars”-  Geneva, Switzerland

 “Kremlin Gala”, Moscow, Russia

“Russian Ballet Icons’ Gala”, London, Coliseum

“Canada All-Star Ballet Gala”, Toronto, Sony Centre

Awards:

 Honorary Diploma from the Moscow Government

Youth award “Triumph”,  Moscow

 “Star of the 21^st Century”,  New York

Special award of the Moscow Government

“Benois de la Danse”, Laureate,  Moscow

“Brilliance of the 21^st Century”,  New York

 “Ballerina of the Decade”, Moscow, Russia

Meritorious Artist of Russia

Professional media`s quotes

“She’s at the top of her game. There isn’t anything she couldn’t do.” – Dance Magazine

“Lunkina is natural aristocrat of the ballet.” – The Star

“Svetlana Lunkina become the public`s instant darling. It was her triumph to convey a visual and emotional beauty rooted in classical style, to hark back to Gautier`s version. Her Giselle absorbs the best of traditions.” – The New York Times

“Svanlana Lunkina Has The Most Insane Flexibility Workout We`ve Never Seen.” –  Point Magazine

“Svetlana Lunkina triumphed as Anna Karenina; a detailed, insightful performance that earned one’s sympathy for a complex character”. – Toronto Star

“Lunkina is a dancer who embodies the Romantic ideal of appearing lighter than air while simultaneously being strong as steel.” – Globe and Mail

“Svetlana Lunkina is an artist of rare genius, which she wholeheartedly delivered in this, her finest role of Giselle. She gave a performance of unfathomable depth and beauty.” – Fjord review

“Svetlana Lunkina brings love back to National Ballet’s Swan Lake.” – Toronto Star

“Ms. Lunkina is an unforgettable dancer, and represents yet another stunning principal artist thriving in National Ballet’s fold.  I could watch her forever.” – Musical Toronto

“Lunkina’s ability to move weightlessly through complex grande allegro, her back leg lifting high on reflex, is a feat to witness. Drifting into the sleepy third arabesque so distinct to Giselle (the dancer nearly rests her head on her upper arm), Lunkina’s body seems to float on air.” – Globe and Mail

“On opening night, Svetlana Lunkina in the title role (Giselle) gave one of those unique performances in which the ballerina completely disappears into her heroine, putting her entire living self into the role. To watch her dance was to witness a consummate artist in top form, whose dancing and acting took the audience deep inside the dramatic logic of the ballet – a thrilling and unforgettable theatrical experience”.  – Dance Tab

 

TESTIMONIES

“Svetlana Lunkina is a treasure, she is a pearl. She is beautiful, fresh, cheerful, agreeable; she emanates poetic light; she is talented and wholesome. She is ready to dance with everyone. She does not stoop to anger, because she is above it. She dwells on a cloud, above the quotidian, which protects her from its filth”. Pierre Lacott, classical style choreographer

“She’s my favorite ballerina”. Rolan Petit, neoclassical style choreographer

“Svetlana Lunkina is unbelievable. She is completely fearless. Her experience, her history, the roles she has danced strengthen her. Somehow she brings all of this to my ballet. I entrusted her with two completely different roles in different casts. She was superb in both. Before her no other ballerina had done this”. Wayne McGregor, contemporary style choreographer

Filmographie

Giselle (choreography by Vladimir Vasiliev), Bolshoi Theatre,1998

La Dame de Pique (choreography by Roland Petit), Bolshoi Theatre, 2001

Passacaille (choreography by Roland Petit), Bolshoi Theatre, 2001

Notre-Dame de Paris (choreography by Roland Petit), Bolshoi Theatre, 2003

Giselle (choreography by Yuri Grigorovich), Bolshoi Theatre, 2011

Le Corsaire (choreography by Alexei Ratmansky and Yuri Burlaka after Marius Petipa), Bolshoi Theatre, 2012

The Bright Stream (choreography by Alexei Ratmansky ), Bolshoi Theatre, 2012