Vladimir Vasiliev (dancer)
Vladimir Vasiliev | |
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Vasiliev in 1972 | |
| Born | Vladimir Viktorovich Vasiliev 18 April 1940 |
| Education | Moscow Ballet School |
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| Former groups | Bolshoi Ballet |
Vladimir Viktorovich Vasiliev (Russian: Владимир Викторович Васильев; born 18 April 1940) is a Soviet and Russian ballet dancer and choreographer. He was a principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet and its director from 1995 to 2000. He was best known for his role of Spartacus and his powerful leaps and turns. He received the People's Artist of the USSR (1973).
Vasiliev was named "God of the dance" and is regarded as a classical dancer on the same level as Rudolf Nureyev, Erik Bruhn and Mikhail Baryshnikov. At the height of their careers, Vasiliev and Ekaterina Maximova were the golden couple of Russian ballet.