Dublin Core
Title
Lopatkina's Injury
Description
In 2001, Ulyana Lopatkina suffered a serious injury that forced her to stop dancing for two years, during which time she married and had a daughter. Interestingly, it was Mikhail Baryshnikov—one of the greatest ballet dancers alive and a former Kirov dancer before his defection—arranged the operation that Lopatkina had on her leg to correct her injury (Yudina). Lopatkina’s return to ballet following her injury-prompted sabbatical demonstrates an extreme sense of determination and dedication, especially when one considers the fact that most ballerinas do not return to dance once they have had a baby. Yet the story of Lopatkina’s injury, which is tied up with the moment in which she became a mother, contains a deep sense of melancholy, which is extremely pertinent to the idea of Russianness presented in this exhibit. In an interview following her return to the stage—where she is still considered one of the best ballet dancers in the world—Lopatkina says, “I am terrified what resonance [my return to ballet] will have for the future of my child. I imagine myself at my death, thinking, did my child see me do the best thing for her, did I live my life right? Those sort of thoughts are always with me now […] Even if I have the opportunity to have another child, I will not be able to detach myself from my life in art. This is how I feel today” (Lopatkina qtd. Brown).
Word Count: 242
Word Count: 242
Source
Brown, Ismene. “Ulyana Lopatkina: The Beanpole Who Became the Soul of Russia.” ArtsDesk.com. The Arts Desk Ltd., 9 Jul. 2005. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
Kirov Ballet. “Uliana Lopatkina as Odile in Swan Lake.” Photograph. Ballet.magazine. N.p., 1 Jun. 2005. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
Ross, John. “Uliana Lopatkina—La Valse.” Photograph. Ballet.co Galleries. N.p., 25 May 2004. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
Yudina, Anna. “Prominent Russians: Ulyana Lopatkina.” Russiapedia. TV-Novosti, 2011. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
Kirov Ballet. “Uliana Lopatkina as Odile in Swan Lake.” Photograph. Ballet.magazine. N.p., 1 Jun. 2005. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
Ross, John. “Uliana Lopatkina—La Valse.” Photograph. Ballet.co Galleries. N.p., 25 May 2004. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
Yudina, Anna. “Prominent Russians: Ulyana Lopatkina.” Russiapedia. TV-Novosti, 2011. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
Date
Summer 2001
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