Diana Vishneva (born July 13, 1976) is a prima ballerina with both the Mariinsky Ballet (formerly the Kirov Ballet) in Russia, and American Ballet Theatre in the United States. She was born in St. Petersburg and was trained at the Vaganova Choreographic Institute and upon her graduation in 1995, joined the company of the Mariinsky Theatre. There, in 1996 she was promoted to the level of principal dancer and received the Prix Benois de la Danse. While at the Vaganova school, she scored the highest scores known to the school's history.
In 2008, Vishneva joined the Honorary Board of Directors of the Russian Children's Welfare Society (RCWS). [1] [2]
Vishneva's repertoire includes Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, La Bayadère, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and Giselle. She also performs the works of modern choreographers, especially those of George Balanchine, William Forsythe and Roland Petit. She has enjoyed critical acclaim for her interpretation of Rubies, (the second movement of Balanchine's evening-length, ballet, Jewels) Giselle, and Kenneth MacMillan's Manon. Her partners have included such well-known dancers as Angel Corella and Vladimir Malakhov.
In addition to dancing with the Kirov Ballet, Vishneva has made guest appearances with many ballet companies, including not only American Ballet Theatre, but also the Bolshoi Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet; she will perform at New York City Center in March 2012.
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