Veronica Part became a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in 2009. Her roles at ABT have included the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Snow Queen in
"The Nutcracker," Lady Capulet in
"Romeo and Juliet" and Odette-Odile in
"Swan Lake."Early Life of Veronika Part:
Veronika part was born in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1978. As a child, she had lots of exposure to ballet, visiting the Mariinsky Theater quite often. She trained and thrived in artistic gymnastics, even winning a prize. At the age of 10, however, she decided to give ballet a try, enrolling at the legendary Vaganova Academy in 1988. There she studied with famous Russian dancers Inna Zubkovskaya and Elena Evteyeva. She then joined the Mariinsky Ballet (Kirov Ballet) and was soon promoted to soloist in 1998, at the age of 20.
Veronika Part's Roles With Kirov Ballet:
Veronika Part had several major roles as a member of the corps de ballet of the Kirov Ballet. Her roles included Nikiya in
"La Bayadere," the Queen of the Dryads in
"Don Quixote," Myrta, Moyna and Zulma in
"Giselle," Raymonda in "Raymonda," the Lilac Fairy in
"The Sleeping Beauty," and Odette/Odile in
"Swan Lake." She also danced in George Balanchine's "Apollo (Terpsichore)," Jewels (Emeralds and Diamonds), Symphony in C (second movement), and Serenade, and in John Neumeier's "The Sounds of Empty Pages."
Veronika Part's Roles With American Ballet Theatre (ABT):
Since joining ABT in 2002, Veronika Part has reprised several roles, including Odette/Odile and Raymonda, and added new ones, including Mercedes in "Don Quixote," the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Snow Queen in "The Nutcracker," and Lady Capulet in "Romeo and Juliet." She created a leading role in "Within You Without You: A Tribute to George Harrison." During the spring of 2007, she danced as Aurora in ABT's "The Sleeping Beauty." ABT promoted her to Principal Dancer in 2009.
Veronika Part's Advice for Young Dancers:
Many young ballerinas look up to Veronika Part and strive to be like her. Her words of advice for young dancers pursuing their dream of becoming accomplished ballerinas? Veronika says, "Ballet is a very difficult and complex profession. To gain even a measure of success is very tough. It is a culmination of many factors: physical abilities, emotional commitment, dancing ability, stubbornness, sheer will, belief in yourself, and the right frame of mind to succeed (even when the world seems to crumble around you)."
