Ekaterina Maksimova

Born Feb. 1, 1939, in Moscow. Soviet ballerina. People’s Artist of the USSR (1973).

Maksimova graduated from the Moscow Choreographic School in 1958 from the class of E. P. Gerdt. While still a student, she in 1957 danced the role of Masha in Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker at the Bol’shoi Theater. In 1958 she was accepted into the ballet company of the Bol’shoi. Her repertoire includes the title role in Adam’s Giselle, Kitri in Minkus’ Don Quixote, the title role in Prokofiev’s Cinderella, Phrygia in Khachaturian’s Spartacus, The Maiden in Slonimskii’s Icarus, and Odette-Odile and Aurora in Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty. Maksimova has prepared many of her roles under the guidance of G. S. Ulanova. Among the qualities that have made Maksimova one of the leading Soviet ballerinas are lightness, elegance, a sense of artistry, a virtuoso technique, and extraordinary stage charm. She won the gold medal at the Varna International Ballet Competition in 1964 and was awarded the A. P. Pavlova Prize of the Paris Dance Academy in 1969. She has also been awarded the Order of the Banner of Labor.