Irina
Kolesnikova

Benois de la Danse nominee

Irina Kolesnikova was born in St. Petersburg in 1980.She studied in Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. Her main teachers were E. Kokorina, S. Efremova and L. Kunakova.
Since December, 1998 she has been the leading soloist of St. Petersburg K. Tachkin Ballet Theatre. Nowadays she is the principal dancer of the company.

Her repertoire includes Odette-Odille (Swan Lake), Masha (Nutcracker), Avrora (Sleeping Beauty), Kitry (Don Quixote) and Giselle. She has toured with the theatre in such countries as the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Irina Kolesnikova has won many va╛ri╛ous international awards: the Second Award at the International Dance Com╛petition Rietty-2001; Natalia Makarova Prize for the best performance of Grand Pas de Deux of Zigfrid and Odille (Swan Lake); Silver medal at the Ara╛besque-2002 Russian Ballet Compe╛ti╛tion; Silver medal at the 2002 Interna╛tional Ballet Competition in Varna; Gold medal at 2002 International Ballet Com╛petition in Prague.

The international press has consistently lauded her spirit of expression and impressive technical skills.

Gallery