Vita
Vladimir Malakhov
Artistic Director – Staatsballett Berlin
Vladimir Malakhov is internationally accepted as one of the greatest dancers of his
generation. He is multiple award winner with first prizes of international competitions in
Varna, Moscow and Paris, hailed as “Dancer of the Century” by European critics, Malakhov
has dazzled audiences with his combination of technical brilliance and lyrical eloquence.
Born in Krivoy Rog, Ukraine, Malakhov began his ballet carreer at the age of four at the local
ballet school. He continued his studies at the Bolshoi Ballet School in Moscow at the age of
ten being mainly coached by Petr Pestov, and right after his graduation in 1986 he joined the
Moscow Classical Ballet as the company’s youngest principal dancer. In 1992 Malakhov left
Moscow to join the Vienna State Opera Ballet as a principal artist, and in 1994 the National
Ballet of Canada. In spring of 1995 Malakhov had his debut with the American Ballet Theatre
at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City and became a regular guest principal. Malakhov’s
repertoire covers a wide range of choreographies, including both major ballets of the
classical repertoire to the works by the leading choreographers of the twentieth century.
Major choreographers of today have created ballets specially for Vladimir Malakhov.
Being in great demand, Vladimir Malakhov regularly takes part in the most prestigious
international ballet events with the major dance companies. He had also been the subject of
portait programs “Bravo Malakhov” by the Russian Television, “Narcisse. The Dancer
Malakhov” by the European Cultural Network, in “True Prince” by the CBC and “Search for
zero-gravity – Auf der Suche nach Schwerelosigkeit” by the French-German Channel Arte.
Vladimir Malakhov introduced his first own choreography “La Bayadere” after Marius Petipa
to the music of Ludwig Minkus at the Vienna State Opera in 1999 and at the Staatsoper Unter
den Linden Berlin in 2002. Furthermore he choreographed the “Verdi-Ballett: Ein
Maskenball” after the music by Giuseppe Verdi for the Vienna State Ballet in 2001. For the
Staatsballett Berlin Vladimir Malakhov choreographed “Cinderella” in 2004. He presented his
choreography “The Sleeping Beauty” in October 2006. In February 2010 his choreograhy “La
Péri” has its premiere in at Staatsoper Unter den Linden. His latest choreography, the duet
“Spirit”, he created for the Ballet-Gala “Malakhov & Friends”, which has its premiere in
November 2010.
In 2002 Vladimir Malakhov was appointed Artistic Director and Principal Dancer of the Ballet
ensemble of the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin. With founding the Staatsballett Berlin in 2004
within the framework of the Stiftung Oper in Berlin, Vladimir Malakhov was appointed as its
Artistic Director.
January 2007 Vladimir Malakhov had his 20est stage anniversary which has been celebrated
with the Ballet-Gala „Malakhov&Friends“.
Vladimir Malakhov became honorary citizen of Kiev and honory professor of the ukrainian
acadamy for Choreology.