Eldar Aliev has
earned an international reputation as a
dancer, choreographer and artistic director.
His 13 year career as a Principal Dancer
with the Kirov Ballet distinguished him
not only as a technically superb classical
and contemporary dancer, but also as a creative
dancer whose interpretations ignited the
full range of roles he performed. Dancing
with the Kirov and as guest artist on many
successful ballet tours including the Galaxy
of Russian Ballet and the Superstars
of Russian Ballet. Eldar Aliev
performed in over 30 countries, dancing
at some of the world’s most famous
theatres, including Covent Garden, the Paris
Opera, MET, the Kennedy Center, La Scala,
to name but a few, his performing career
also included guest star performances with
the Bolshoi Ballet and The Australian Ballet.
During this time, Eldar
not only danced in every major role in the
classical repertoire, but was also fortunate
enough to work with some of the greatest
contemporary choreographers, including Yuri
Grigorovich, Roland Petit, Maurice Béjart,
Ashley Page, etc. He was in the original
cast of the first production staged in Russia
of George Balanchine’s work, which
took place at the Kirov Theatre (now Mariinsky).
Throughout his dancing career, Eldar
partnered some of the greatest ballerinas
of our time, including Sylvie Guillem, Altynai
Assylmuratova, Amanda McKerrow, Galina Metzentseva,
Lesley Brown, Tatiana Terekhova, etc. Many
of these performances were broadcasted in
a variety of countries around the world
and were captured on video and DVD.
Eldar’s career is
living up to the prediction of dance critic
Clive Barnes who, writing in the New
York Post shortly after Eldar moved
from Russia to the United States, said,
“[His] rare versatility and ability
to probe beneath the surface of his roles
make Eldar a truly exceptional
artist, [who] will contribute much to the
future of dance in this country.”
Eldar Aliev’s recent
engagements include Master Classes at the
Royal Swedish Ballet, The National Ballet
of Canada and Ballet of Spain. Visiting
Artistic Advisor for Cincinnati Ballet,
Guest Teacher at the Universal Ballet of
Korea, The National Ballet of China, Beijing
Dance Academy, Guest Speaker at the Ballet
Talks series at Harvard University, Ballet
Master at Boston Ballet and his role as
Interim Dean at the Boston Ballet Center
for Dance Education. In October of 2007,
Eldar Aliev staged his
production of Le Corsaire with
Colorado Ballet and in March 2008 ‘A
Thousand and One Nights’ with
the Cincinnati Ballet.
Previously, as Artistic Director of Ballet
Internationale—Indianapolis, Eldar
Aliev transformed Indiana’s
only professional ballet company into a
world-class ensemble, performing to enthusiastic
audiences in Beijing, Los Angeles, New York,
Taipei, Montreal and other cities around
the U.S. and abroad. His commitment to the
highest artistic standards and his inspiring
leadership throughout his 14 years with
Ballet Internationale enabled Eldar
Aliev to build an artistic staff
of international acclaim and recruit extraordinary
dancers from around the world.
Eldar Aliev’s choreographic
debut of the full-length ballet A Thousand
and One Nights was acclaimed as a tour
de force in the world of dance. Patricia
Barnes of Shinshokan Dance Magazine
raved, “When the curtain goes up on
the premiere of a new ballet to spontaneous
applause, and when that applause is sustained
by the audience throughout the evening,
then one just knows that the creative talents
responsible, choreographer, designers as
well as dancers themselves, have a hit on
their hands. This is what happily occurred
at Ballet Internationale’s A Thousand
and One Nights…”
Eldar Aliev’s inventive
and magical version of the holiday classic,
The Nutcracker, has fast become
a favorite of presenters throughout the
United States. Audiences have responded
with standing ovations to his unique interpretation
of the time-honored classic in which he
deftly expanded the libretto. Eldar
Aliev’s Nutcracker
has also become a featured holiday show
on public television. Since its debut in
2003, the number of markets presenting the
festive production has grown each year and
now stands at 79; this includes stations
in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta.
Eldar Aliev’s fusion
of classical and contemporary styles adds
excitement and freshness to his creations.
His provocative production of The Firebird
gained immediate praise in both the national
press and the international ballet media.
His exuberant Le Corsaire gives
new life to the time-honored masterwork
while showcasing the dance techniques of
our time.
In addition to his original choreographic
work, Eldar Aliev has staged
an extensive list of classical ballets to
the delight of both audiences and critics.
These include The Sleeping Beauty, Swan
Lake, Don Quixote, Giselle, Paquita, Raymonda
and for the Theatre Colon, the National
Theatre of Argentina, Les Sylphides.
Eldar Aliev is a frequent
adjudicator of international ballet competitions
and has served as a jurist for two inaugural
ballet competitions, the 2002 International
Ballet Competition in Prague and the 2004
Seoul International Dance Competition. He
returned to Seoul, South Korea in 2005 for
his second consecutive year, serving as
both a jurist and a member of the International
Regulations Committee. In 2007, Eldar
Aliev served as a jurist at the
8th Youth America Grand Prix international
ballet competition in New York and in 2008
at the 23rd Varna International Ballet Competition
in Bulgaria and the 5th Seoul International
Dance Competition.
Eldar Aliev has also created
a reputation as an accomplished director
of international gala performances, presenting
the stars of world-leading companies. At
the prestigious annual Gala Des Etoiles
in Montreal, he is the sole coach for all
performers as well as a member of the artistic
advisory board.
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