List of prima ballerinas
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2011) |
This is a list of people who have been awarded the title prima ballerina, the second highest title that can be awarded to a ballerina.[citation needed]
| Full name | First name | Last name | Year of birth | Year of death | Country of birth | Active dancer? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mademoiselle Ambroisine | Françoise-Ambroise | Acolet | 1811 | Unknown | France | No |
| Diana Adams | Diana | Adams | 1926 | 1993 | United States of America | No |
| Maria Alexandrova | Maria | Alexandrova | 1978 | Russia | Yes | |
| Nina Ananiashvili | Nina | Ananiashvili | 1963 | Georgia | No | |
| Elena Andreianova | Elena | Andreianova | 1819 | 1857 | Russia | No |
| Sonia Arova | Sonia | Arova | 1927 | 2001 | Bulgaria | No |
| Altynai Asylmuratova | Altynai | Asylmuratova | 1961 | Russia | No | |
| Melania Ballish Regueiro | Melania | Ballish Regueiro | 1975 | Brazil | No | |
| Irina Baronova | Irina | Baronova | 1919 | 2008 | Russia | No |
| Pati Behrs | Pati | Behrs | 1922 | 2004 | Russia | No |
| Christiana Bennett | Christiana | Bennett | United States | No | ||
| Leanne Benjamin | Leanne | Benjamin | 1964 | Australia | No | |
| Svetlana Beriosova | Svetlana | Beriosova | 1932 | 1998 | Lithuania | No |
| Natalia Bessmertnova | Natalia | Bessmertnova | 1941 | 2008 | Russia | No |
| Amalia Brugnole | Amalia | Brugnole | 1802 | 1892 | Italy | No |
| Deborah Bull | Deborah | Bull | 1963 | United Kingdom | No | |
| Norodom Buppha Devi | Norodom | Buppha Devi | 1943 | Cambodia | No | |
| Darcey Bussell | Darcey | Bussell | 1969 | United Kingdom | No | |
| Elisa Carrillo Cabrera | Elisa | Carrillo | 1965 | Mexico | Yes | |
| Fanny Cerrito | Fanny | Cerrito | 1817 | 1909 | Italy | No |
| Yvette Chauviré | Yvette | Chauviré | 1917 | France | No | |
| Ludmilla Chiriaeff | Ludmilla | Chiriaeff | 1924 | 1996 | Canada | No |
| Yvonne Chouteau | Yvonne | Chouteau | 1929 | United States of America | No | |
| Alina Cojocaru | Alina | Cojocaru | 1981 | Romania | Yes | |
| Alexandra Danilova | Alexandra | Danilova | 1903 | 1997 | Russia | No |
| Natalia Dudinskaya | Natalia | Dudinskaya | 1912 | 2003 | Russia | No |
| Aurélie Dupont | Aurélie | Dupont | 1973 | France | No | |
| Viviana Durante | Viviana | Durante | 1967 | Italy | No | |
| Marina Eglevsky | Marina | Eglevsky | United States of America | No | ||
| Lubov Egorova | Lubov | Egorova | 1880 | 1972 | Russia | No |
| Fanny Elssler | Fanny | Elssler | 1810 | 1884 | Austria | No |
| Suzanne Farrell | Suzanne | Farrell | 1945 | United States of America | No | |
| Norma Fontenla | Norma | Fontenla | 1930 | 1971 | Argentina | No |
| Carla Fracci | Carla | Fracci | 1936 | Italy | No | |
| Mara Galeazzi | Mara | Galeazzi | 1973 | Italy | No | |
| Rosina Galli | Rosina | Galli | 1892 | 1940 | Italy | No |
| Yekaterina Geltzer | Yekaterina | Geltzer | 1876 | 1962 | Russia | No |
| Marie-Agnès Gillot | Marie-Agnès | Gillot | 1975 | France | No | |
| Beryl Goldwyn | Beryl | Goldwyn | 1930 | United Kingdom | No | |
| Kathleen Gorham | Kathleen | Gorham | 1928 | 1983 | Australia | No |
| Diana Gould | Diana | Gould | 1912 | 2003 | United Kingdom | No |
| Lucile Grahn | Lucile | Grahn | 1819 | 1907 | Denmark | No |
| Cynthia Gregory | Cynthia | Gregory | 1946 | United States of America | No | |
| Beryl Grey | Beryl | Grey | 1927 | United Kingdom | No | |
| Carlotta Grisi | Carlotta | Grisi | 1819 | 1899 | Italy | No |
| Sylvie Guillem | Sylvie | Guillem | 1965 | France | No | |
| Evelyn Hart | Evelyn | Hart | 1956 | Canada | No | |
| Marcia Haydée | Marcia | Haydée | 1937 | Brazil | No | |
| Paloma Herrera | Paloma | Herrera | 1975 | Argentina | Yes | |
| Rosella Hightower | Rosella | Hightower | 1920 | 2008 | United States of America | No |
| Avdotia Istomina | Avdotia | Istomina | 1799 | 1848 | Russia | No |
| Rowena Jackson | Rowena | Jackson | 1926 | New Zealand | No | |
| Anna Johansson | Anna | Johansson | 1860 | 1917 | Russia | No |
| Karen Kain | Karen | Kain | 1951 | Canada | No | |
| Tamara Karsavina | Tamara | Karsavina | 1885 | 1978 | Russia | No |
| Allegra Kent | Allegra | Kent | 1937 | United States of America | No | |
| Julie Kent | Julie | Kent | 1969 | United States of America | No | |
| Ji-Young Kim | Ji-Young | Kim | 1978 | South Korea | Yes | |
| Gelsey Kirkland | Gelsey | Kirkland | 1952 | United States of America | No | |
| Daria Klimentová | Daria | Klimentová | 1971 | Czechoslovakia | No | |
| Irina Kolpakova | Irina | Kolpakova | 1933 | Russia | No | |
| Maria Kowroski | Maria | Kowroski | 1976 | United States of America | Yes | |
| Ninel Kurgapkina | Ninel | Kurgapkina | 1929 | 2009 | Russia | No |
| Doris Laine[1] | Doris | Laine | 1931 | Finland | Yes | |
| Margot Lander | Margot | Lander | 1910 | 1961 | Denmark | No |
| Maryon Lane | Maryon | Lane | 1931 | 2008 | South Africa | No |
| Moscelyne Larkin | Moscelyne | Larkin | 1925 | 2012 | United States of America | No |
| Tanaquil LeClercq | Tanaquil | LeClercq | 1929 | 2000 | France | No |
| Olga Lepeshinskaya | Olga | Lepeshinskaya | 1916 | 2008 | Russia | No |
| Agnes Letestu | Agnes | Letestu | 1971 | France | No | |
| Larissa Lezhnina | Larissa | Lezhnina | 1969 | Russia | Yes | |
| Emma Livry | Emma | Livry | 1842 | 1863 | France | No |
| Ulyana Lopatkina | Ulyana | Lopatkina | 1973 | Ukraine | Yes | |
| Lydia Lopokova | Lydia | Lopokova | 1892 | 1981 | Russia | No |
| Lauren Lovette | Lauren | Lovette | 1993 | United States of America | Yes | |
| Natalia Magnicaballi | Natalia | Magnicaballi | Argentina | Yes | ||
| Natalia Makarova | Natalia | Makarova | 1940 | Russia | No | |
| Tatiana Mamaki | Tatiana | Mamaki | 1921 | 2007 | Greece | No |
| Andrée Marlière | Andrée | Marlière | 1934 | 2008 | Belgium | No |
| Nikola Márová | Nikola | Márová | 1980 | Czechoslovakia | Yes | |
| Monica Mason | Monica | Mason | 1941 | South Africa | No | |
| Ekaterina Maximova | Ekaterina | Maximova | 1939 | 2009 | Russia | No |
| Patricia McBride | Patricia | McBride | 1942 | United States of America | No | |
| Sara Mearns | Sara | Mearns | 1986 | United States of America | Yes | |
| Magali Messac | Magali | Messac | 1952 | France | No | |
| Varvara P. Mey | Varvara P. | Mey | 1912 | 1995 | Russia | No |
| Galina Mezentseva | Galina | Mezentseva | 1952 | Russia | No | |
| Yvonne Mounsey | Yvonne | Mounsey | 1919 | 2012 | South Africa | No |
| Gillian Murphy | Gillian | Murphy | 1979 | United Kingdom | Yes[2] | |
| Nadia Nerina | Nadia | Nerina | 1927 | 2008 | South Africa | No |
| Bronislava Nijinska | Bronislava | Nijinska | 1891 | 1972 | Poland | No |
| Irma Nioradze | Irma | Nioradze | 1969 | Georgia | Yes | |
| Nathalie Nordquist | Nathalie | Nordquist | 1979 | Sweden | Yes | |
| Marianela Núñez | Marianela | Núñez | 1982 | Argentina | Yes[3] | |
| Evgenia Obraztsova | Evgenia | Obraztsova | 1984 | Russia | Yes | |
| Alla Osipenko | Alla | Osipenko | 1932 | Russia | No | |
| Natalia Osipova | Natalia | Osipova | 1986 | Russia | Yes | |
| Annette Page | Annette | Page | 1932 | United Kingdom | No | |
| Ludmila Pagliero | Ludmila | Pagliero | 1983 | Argentina | Yes | |
| Merle Park | Merle | Park | 1937 | Zimbabwe | No | |
| Anna Pavlova | Anna | Pavlova | 1881 | 1931 | Russia | No |
| Nadezhda Pavlova | Nadezhda | Pavlova | 1956 | Russia | No | |
| Ana Pavlovic[4] | Ana | Pavlovic | 1973 | Serbia | Yes | |
| Tiler Peck | Tiler | Peck | 1989 | United States of America | Yes | |
| Marie-Claude Pietragalla | Marie-Claude | Pietragalla | 1963 | France | No | |
| Élisabeth Platel | Élisabeth | Platel | 1959 | France | No | |
| Olga Preobrajenska | Olga | Preobrajenska | 1871 | 1962 | Russia | No |
| Ellen Price | Ellen | Price | 1878 | 1968 | Denmark | No |
| Roma Pryma-Bohachevsky | Roma | Pryma-Bohachevsky | 1927 | 2004 | Ukraine | No |
| Marie Rambert | Marie | Rambert | 1888 | 1982 | Poland | No |
| Tatiana Riabouchinska | Tatiana | Riabouchinska | 1917 | 2000 | Russia | No |
| Tamara Rojo | Tamara | Rojo | 1974 | Spain | Yes | |
| Ida Rubinstein | Ida | Rubinstein | 1883 | 1960 | Russia | No |
| Ekaterina Sankovskaya | Ekaterina | Sankovskaya | 1816 | 1878 | Russia | No |
| Luciana Savignano | Luciana | Savignano | 1943 | Italy | No | |
| Ludmila Semenyaka | Ludmila | Semenyaka | 1952 | Russia | No | |
| Polina Semionova | Polina | Semionova | 1984 | Russia | Yes | |
| Marina Semyonova | Marina | Semyonova | 1908 | 2010 | Russia | No |
| Lynn Seymour | Lynn | Seymour | 1939 | Canada | No | |
| Moira Shearer | Moira | Shearer | 1926 | 2006 | United Kingdom | No |
| Antoinette Sibley | Antoinette | Sibley | 1939 | United Kingdom | No | |
| Alla Sizova | Alla | Sizova | 1939 | 2014 | Russia | No |
| Mia Slavenska | Mia | Slavenska | 1916 | 2002 | United States of America | No |
| Alina Somova | Alina | Somova | 1985 | Russia | Yes | |
| Olga Spessivtseva | Olga | Spessivtseva | 1895 | 1991 | Russia | No |
| Ninette de Valois | Edris | Stannus | 1898 | 2001 | Ireland | No |
| Tatiana Stepanova | Tatiana | Stepanova | 1962 | Ukraine | No | |
| Mariia Surovshchikova-Petipa | Mariia | Surovshchikova-Petipa | 1836 | 1882 | Russia | No |
| Marie Taglioni | Marie | Taglioni | 1804 | 1884 | Sweden | No |
| Maria Tallchief | Maria | Tallchief | 1925 | 2013 | United States of America | No |
| Marjorie Tallchief | Marjorie | Tallchief | 1926 | United States of America | No | |
| Ludmilla Tchérina | Ludmilla | Tchérina | 1924 | 2004 | France | No |
| Veronica Tennant | Veronica | Tennant | 1946 | United Kingdom | No | |
| Ghislaine Thesmar | Ghislaine | Thesmar | 1943 | China | No | |
| Tamara Toumanova | Tamara | Toumanova | 1919 | 1996 | Russia | No |
| Vera Trefilova | Vera | Trefilova | 1875 | 1943 | Russia | No |
| Viengsay Valdés | Viengsay | Valdés | 1976 | Cuba | Yes | |
| Ambra Vallo | Ambra | Vallo | Italy | Yes | ||
| Ekaterina Vazem | Ekaterina | Vazem | 1848 | 1937 | Russia | No |
| Noralma Vera Arrata | Noralma | Vera Arrata | 1936 | Ecuador | No | |
| Violette Verdy | Violette | Verdy | 1933 | France | No | |
| Diana Vishneva | Diana | Vishneva | 1976 | Russia | Yes[5] | |
| Jocelyn Vollmar | Jocelyn | Vollmar | 1925 | United States of America | No | |
| Anastasia Volochkova | Anastasia | Volochkova | 1976 | Russia | Yes | |
| Doreen Wells | Doreen | Wells | 1937 | United Kingdom | No | |
| Wendy Whelan | Wendy | Whelan | 1967 | United States of America | No | |
| Belinda Wright | Belinda | Wright | 1929 | 2007 | United Kingdom | No |
| Zenaida Yanowsky | Zenaida | Yanowsky | 1975 | France | Yes | |
| Miyako Yoshida | Miyako | Yoshida | 1965 | Japan | No | |
| Svetlana Zakharova[6] | Svetlana | Zakharova | 1979 | Ukraine | Yes |
See also
References
- ^ The Oxford Dictionary of Dance. Oxford University Press 2010, p. 170.
- ^ http://www.abt.org/dancers/detail.asp?Dancer_ID=31
- ^ http://www.roh.org.uk/people/marianela-nunez
- ^ http://www.narodnopozoriste.rs/pavlovic-ana
- ^ http://www.abt.org/dancers/detail.asp?Dancer_ID=110
- ^ http://www.bolshoi.ru/en/persons/ballet/66/