'We have this craving to keep dancing': Russian ballerina Anna Nevzorova on coming to Cork
Anna Nevzorova dances with Cork City Ballet in their annual show, from November 5-7. Picture: Isabella Turolla
Anna Nevzorova has danced in some of the world’s most beautiful venues, from La Scala in Milan to the Royal Albert Hall in London. Next on the list for the Russian ballerina is Cork Opera House, where she will take to the stage as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Cork City Ballet’s production of
The iconic role is one that is close to her heart, going back to her days training at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow.
“It is where my journey started, it was my first role ever ‘in tutu’, with a partner, when I was 14 or 15. It brings me back to that magical moment, where I am again a girl dancing to this beautiful music,” she says.
Nevzorova is currently first soloist with English National Ballet and has been juggling preparations for Tchaikovsky’s festive classic with her touring commitments. However, having worked her way back from some serious injury in recent years, she is careful not to push herself too hard. The right physical and mental preparation is key, she says.
“As dancers, we have this craving to keep dancing. We want to dance on stage because nothing beats that feeling. Sometimes it is really hard to listen to your body because you always want to push further. For me, the most important rules are to sleep, eat well and listen to my body. Also, as I discovered not so long ago, to be positive. Because I have had serious injuries and it helps me to be positive and avoid a negative outlook.”
It is no secret that pursuing a career as a professional ballet dancer is not for the faint-hearted. When asked what it was like to train at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious ballet schools, she chuckles.
“It is a big experience. What you hear in the ballet world is probably true, it is really really hard there. The Bolshoi Ballet Academy, and the Vaganova in St Petersburg, I call them the factories of the ballet dancers. I was lucky because I always had the best teachers and I trained specifically for this kind of repertoire — It has always been my strongest foundation as a dancer. Every time I perform these ballets, I feel like a fish in water.”
Nevzorova felt more out of her comfort zone when she moved to England to be part of English National Ballet in 2023, having previously danced with the Semperoper Ballett in Dresden and the Bavarian State Opera and Ballet in Munich.
“It took me a while to settle but now it feels like my second home,” she says. “One of the things I appreciate about life at the ENB is the balance between rehearsals and performances and that we get the opportunity to perform as guest artists around the world.”
Loyal audiences flock every year to Cork City Ballet’s legendary November show produced by artistic director Alan Foley — anyone who has ever seen one of their productions will testify to the power of watching the pure physicality and artistry of the dancers in motion. There will also be a connection to home for Nevzorova in the form of choreographer and long-term associate of Cork City Ballet, Yury Demakov, who also trained at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. This will be Nevzorova’s first time in Ireland and she says it will be a ‘special’ experience.
“I can’t wait to come to Cork because I am really curious about it. I am looking forward to performing for the Cork audience. As a ballet dancer, one of the most important things is when you do the bow — it is when the audience show their appreciation for the happiness you have given them. I think it is the most amazing thing, what we can do as ballet dancers.”
She says live performance cannot be matched when it comes to making memories that will last forever. “At the end of the day, everyone comes to the theatre to forget what is happening outside. Ballet is a very special art form — you see it, the moment is gone forever and then it is just in your head. Why does everyone still talk about Mikhail Baryshnikov, Maya Plisetskaya, Sylvie Guillem or Manuel Legris? It is about that moment when you are lucky enough to witness this. That is what is magical about it.”
- presented by Cork City Ballet, at Cork Opera House from Nov 5-7, including a matinee at 2.30pm on Sat 7; www.corkoperahouse.ie
