Evgenia Obraztsova

Evgenia Viktorovna Obraztsova (; born 18 January 1984) is a Russian ballerina. She is a prima ballerina with the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, and with the Mariinsky Ballet. Early life Evgenia Obraztsova was born into a family of dancers, as her mother studied under Natalia Dudinskaya and was a member of the company at the Moussorgski Theatre. Obraztsova discovered her dance talents early and passed the entrance exams for the Vaganova School, which trains young dancers in preparation for joining the Mariinsky troupe. Mariinsky ballet Evgenia Obraztsova graduated from the Vaganova Academy in 2002, having studied with Marina Vasilieva, before joining the Mariinsky company and rapidly proceeding through the ranks, protected and guided by a previous ballet star, the renowned Ninel Kurgapkina. Obraztsova soon learned by reading one of the theater brochures that she had been promoted from "Corps de ballet" to "Coryphée" (demi-soloist) - no one at the theater had informed her of her promotion. In 2003, Obraztsova became the youngest dancer in the history of the Mariinsky to interpret the role of Juliet and it became one of her favorite roles.