Bogdanova, Nadezhda

Bogdanova, Nadezhda Konstantinovna

 

Born 1836 in Moscow; died Sept. 3, 1897, in St. Petersburg. Russian ballerina.

Bogdanova studied in Moscow with her father K. F. Bogdanov, a dancer and ballet master at the the Bolshoi Theater. From 1848 to 1850 she toured Russian provincial cities. In 1851 she perfected her dancing in Paris under the ballet master A. Saint-Léon and danced at the Grand Opera. In 1855 she returned to Russia and performed in Moscow and St. Petersburg until 1864. Her lyrical and inspired dancing, extraordinary acting talent, and virtuoso technique enabled Bogdanova to become an outstanding performer of principal roles in such romantic ballets as J. Schneitzhoeffer’s La Sylphide, A. Adam’s Giselle, and C. Pugni’s Esmeralda. After a conflict with a court office, Bogdanova left Russia and toured Paris, Vienna, Warsaw, and other cities. Bogdanova was one of the first Russian dancers of the 19th century who earned world fame for Russian ballet.

REFERENCE

Krasovskaia, V. M. “Tantsovshchitsa Nadezhda Bogdanova.” In Uch. zap. nauchnoissledovatel’skogo instituta teatra i muzyki, vol. 1. Leningrad, 1958.