Ekaterina Kondaurova
Ekaterina Kondaurova, , (born 20 August 1982) is a Russian ballet dancer, currently one of the stars of the Mariinsky Ballet from Saint Petersburg. Early life. Born in Moscow, Kondaurova is the daughter of an optician. She showed an early interest in gymnastics, piano and dance. After she failed to gain admission to the Bolshoi Ballet School, her mother was successful in having her accepted by the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in Saint Petersburg. After graduating in 2001, she immediately joined the Mariinsky. Career. While on tour to Frankfurt in 2003, Kondaurova was noticed by the choreographer William  Forsythe who the following year invited her to dance in the Mariinsky premiere of his "In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated". As a result of the excellent reviews she received, she soon starred in other contemporary works by Forsythe, Alexei Ratmansky and Kirill Simonov. Olga Chenchikova, her coach until 2007, ensured her success in classical ballet roles, for example with her personalized interpretation of Nikiya in "La Bayadère". Since 2007, her coach has been Elvira Tarasova. Kondaurova has also danced in several of George Balanchine's ballets including "Symphony in C" and "Jewels (ballet)". In 2008, Kondaurova married Islom Baimuradov, her  frequent Mariinsky dancing partner. She shares his interests in walking, gastronomy and interior decoration. She became a principal dancer at the Mariinsky Ballet in 2012. Repertoire Awards. Ekaterina Kondaurova has received the following awards: