Valentina Klimova

Tutor

Born in the town of Berezniki, Perm Region.

After graduating from the Perm Choreographic College (class of L. P. Sakharova), went on to work at the Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre from 1967 to 1970.

From 1970 to 1988, was principal dancer at the Choreographic Miniatures troupe.

Awarded the title of Honoured Artist of RSFSR on April 2, 1982.

In 1990-1991, worked as ballet master and director at the Leonid Yacobson Foundation.

In 1993-2012, was head tutor at the St. Petersburg State Academic Leonid Yacobson Ballet Theatre.

Currently teaches at Ilya Kuznetsov’s Children’s Ballet School.

As the star of the first Choreographic Miniatures cast and the custodian of the great ballet master's legacy, Valentina, together with her husband Valery Sergeyev, is engaged in restoring Leonid Yacobson’s original productions at the eponymous ballet theatre.

Credits:

Made her début as Swanilda in Coppélia. Other roles: Maria (The Fountain of Bakhchisarai); Odette, Pas de troix (The Swan Lake); Florina (The Sleeping Beauty); Phrygia (Spartacus); Grand pas (Raymonda).

Was the first to play the following parts and miniatures: Pas de troix to music by Gioacchino Rossini, Pas de quatre to music by Vincenzo Bellini, Organ Adagio (Exercise XX), The Dying Swan (all staged in 1971), Söyembikä (Shurale), Sextet, Phrygia (Spartacus), The Hunter and the Bird, Blind Girl, pas de deux to music by Frederic Chopin (all staged by Leonid Yacobson in 1974); Beauty (The Prodigal Son, 1978), Monologue (1983), Eurydice (Orpheus in the Underworld, 1983), all staged by Giorgi Aleksidze; Duo to music by Johann Sebastian Bach (1980, choreography by László Seregi); solo in Nocturne with Variations (1982, choreography by Aleksandr Polubentsev), Mary Stuart (Dances for the Queen, 1983, choreography by Aleksandr Polubentsev). Miniatures: The Kiss, Minotaur and Nymph, Taglioni’s Flight. Also appeared as Scheherazade in the eponymous ballet, choreographed by Pavel Šmok.