The brilliant ballerina Ilze Liepa, whose biography, whose personal life is constantly in the field of media attention, has clear ideas about her goals and strict moral principles. Despite the fact that she has rightfully held the title “star” for many years, her character and lifestyle are distinguished by asceticism and restraint. The ballerina is a very independent woman; her school has been running for many years. Ilze Liepa founded it to teach children and adults using her own methodology.
Origin and childhood
On November 22, 1963, the family with the famous ballet surname Liepa welcomed a second child, a girl. Ilse Liepa, whose biography was connected with art from birth, was given a name in honor of the heroine played by her mother in the theater. Although the father wanted to name the girl Jacqueline in honor of the wife of President Kennedy, who was assassinated in the United States. Ilze was 2 years younger than her brother Andris. The family was artistic. Mom Margarita Zhigunova, dramatic actress, worked at the Moscow Theater. A. Pushkin. Father - world-famous ballet dancer, choreographer, teacher Maris Liepa worked at the Bolshoi Theater for more than 20 years. The children spent a lot of time behind the scenes of theaters and it is not surprising that both children followed in their father’s footsteps in the future. Maris Liepa instilled responsibility and discipline in children from an early age. They were brought up with great love, a festive atmosphere reigned in the house, guests often visited here, performances and parties were held.
Interesting Facts
- The ballerina Ekaterina Geltser previously lived in Liepa’s childhood apartment; after her death, the Bolshoi Theater took over ownership of the apartment. Maris Liepa received this apartment of two hundred and fifty meters - an entire floor - after the birth of his children.
- He was baptized in early childhood.
- He began studying ballet at the age of eight.
- Andris Liepa's father collected icons and antiques, including furniture.
- At school, Andris willingly studied the humanities, but did not like technical sciences.
- He loves to spend time with his daughter Ksyusha; together they go to the Sparrow Hills on a skateboard and/or bicycle.
- He is a fan of Japanese cuisine.
- Andris Liepa became the first dancer to receive official permission to work in foreign troupes.
This is Andris Liepa, whose biography and personal life are still the subject of keen interest and ongoing discussion.
The main love of life is ballet
Since Maris Liepa devoted his entire life to art, and the children saw how passionate he was about ballet, we can say that they absorbed this love from childhood. Already at the age of 5, Ilze appeared on stage in the play “Chio-Chio-san”. She says that their father never forced them to practice ballet, but explained that the profession has certain requirements and rules, and they must be followed. It was the love of craft that became the main motivator for Ilze; for the sake of art, she was ready to do a lot. And, choosing the ballet path, she was aware of what awaited her. After all, she saw how her father lived, devoting himself entirely to the service of art. Having made her choice so early, she continues her father’s work, following a difficult but happy path. Ilze Liepa says that she realized her calling early and, of course, her father played a major role in this.
Ilze Liepa: “As long as you dance, you are young”
In 1976, a correspondent for the magazine “Health” visited Bolshoi Theater artist Maris Liepa. The photographer then captured how the dancer’s children, Ilze and Andris, demonstrated the “birch” shoulder stand. Today, 39 years later, we met with People's Artist of Russia, ballerina Ilze Liepa.
The laws of ballet have not changed
Ilse, you became the heroine of our magazine in 1976, when you were 13 years old.
Do you remember this publication? 5 facts about Ilse Liepa:
- Ilze Liepa was born on November 22, 1963 in Moscow. Father is world famous dancer Maries Liepa, mother is actress Marina Zhigunova. Brother – ballet dancer Andris Liepa.
- She first appeared on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater at the age of 5 in the role of the son of Cio-Cio-San. She graduated from the Moscow State Academy of Choreography and the pedagogical department of GITIS.
- Ilze Liepa is recognized as a People's Artist of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Karelia. In the late 1990s she made her debut as a dramatic actress.
- She opened ballet school studios and developed her own training methodology based on elements of Pilates and ballet exercise. I wrote a book about a set of exercises and a nutritional system.
- She was married twice, became a mother for the first time at the age of 46, her daughter’s name is Nadezhda.
I can no longer remember the meeting itself. But I remember our photo in the article perfectly.
Your father then said in an interview: “The children’s interest in the theater awoke early; at the age of 5, my daughter was already performing on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in the opera “Cio-Cio-San”; she doesn’t even want to think about anything other than the stage...” It turns out that your ballet fate was predetermined in advance? Or did you still have the right to choose?
My brother and I chose ballet not because we had no choice. Our father revealed to us the love for this profession through his attitude towards the work that he served all his life. Love arose through love. It seems to me that we can only reveal to our children what we love.
They say that children who choose ballet have no childhood: constant grueling training and prohibitions...
When I entered the choreographic school, I was 9 years old. I remember my father saying: “Remember, your childhood is over. Now you won’t have time for anything: neither playing with dolls, nor hanging out with your girlfriends. Now your life is dedicated to ballet.” I never regretted it and never felt like a deprived child. I began an interesting, rich life, but also a difficult one, of course.
Have you ever felt a sense of protest against the harsh rules?
I had an absolute understanding of why all this was being done. Another question is whether I had enough willpower to follow all the rules... But since childhood, I realized that I needed to constantly exercise and limit myself to sweets in order to be in shape. My father always told my brother and me: “Remember that you are the children of Liepa, and what is forgiven to someone will not be forgiven to you.”
What helped you develop willpower and a sense of internal self-discipline?
Love for your craft. When you strive for some kind of performance, you set a bar for yourself, then only the love for what you do supports you. Those exercises that at first seem unpleasant, inconvenient and boring, at some point open up to you from the other side. This is where your profession begins; you enjoy overcoming all the difficulties. And then, when you see the result of your work, joy comes, beneficial for both the soul and the heart.
A Health correspondent asked your father in 1976: “The opinion has taken root that actors do not follow any daily routine.” Maris Eduardovich said: “What are you talking about, you can’t do without a regime!” And he described his day. Today we want to ask you the same question: is it true that ballet dancers have no routine?
Ballet dancers have a fairly strict regime. And my father reliably described the ballerina’s daily routine in 1976. Now I have a completely different life schedule, it is completely subordinate to my four-year-old daughter Nadya. She manages my personal schedule (laughs). I continue to perform, but am still more involved in social activities, a charitable foundation and my studio school.
Are the rules that existed during your studies and those that exist now different? For example, in 1976, the head physician of a special clinic for artists said that the workload of dancers can be compared to the work of a miner and rigger. During an hour of rehearsal, a ballet soloist loses 500-600 g, per performance - 2-3 kg! This is true?
Yes, yes, nothing has changed! Of course, energy consumption also depends on the performance. There are simpler performances, and there are very complex ones. For example, dancing in the ballet “Spartacus,” in which my dad played the main male role, was incredibly difficult both in 1976 and now. The only thing that matters is the degree of preparation of the artist. I saw how modern artists dance, they do it technically simply superbly, they are well prepared. Another thing is that acting achievements are not happening...
What helps you regain strength and recover after training and concerts?
It’s very simple: sleep, massage and Pilates.
What salon treatments bring you pleasure and make you look so fresh?
I don't go to salons to get any cosmetic procedures done. It's a completely different lifestyle that I don't have time for. When I go on vacation and the hotel has a spa program, I can pamper myself with treatments there. But in city life this is completely impossible.
What is the secret of your youth?
In ballet class. Ballet awakens the whole body, transforms the face... As long as you dance, you are young.
Motherhood is endless happiness
You first became a mother at 46 years old. Have you undergone any special childbirth preparation programs for women who decide to give birth in adulthood?
I ate right and did Pilates exercises specifically designed for this period in a woman’s life. It helped and supported me. By the way, thanks to the classes, I quickly got into shape. I went on stage two and a half months after giving birth!
How has your life changed after the birth of your daughter?
Everything has changed! With the birth of Nadya, joy came to the house. I felt a feeling of endless happiness.
Would you like Nadya to continue the family dynasty?
I wouldn't say no, but it's too early to talk about it. Now Nadya is studying at our ballet school according to our program, she really likes it.
Creating a food culture
Let's remember your father's interview again. He described his dietary rules as follows: “For breakfast – rolled oats porridge, egg, coffee. Classes, light lunch, rehearsals, run-throughs, filming. Dinner no later than six in the evening. I step on the scale 2-3 times a day.” Again, they say that the artist’s diet is a myth, and the dancers’ favorite food is fried potatoes and hamburgers. Is it true?
Typically, men in ballet do not have a problem with weight while they are dancing, as the loads they have to bear are incredibly heavy. Their problems begin after they leave the stage. But for women everything is different.
Ballerinas are required to monitor their diet so as not to gain extra pounds. Both in the theater and in choreographic schools there is such a procedure as “weighing”. And everything is strict with this: if you gain extra pounds, you may be expelled.
Have you ever been on a diet?
I must admit that at the beginning of my professional journey it was very difficult for me to cope with the problem of excess weight. Like all girls, I loved buns and chocolates. What kind of diets did you have to go on? This includes a three-day fast on celery soup, buckwheat porridge as the only dish, a kefir day, a water day, and much more...
When I was exhausted in this struggle and my will refused to serve me, I resorted to help. I tried a weight loss program on myself at the Kivach sanatorium in Karelia. By the way, I was incredibly pleased with my vacation, but not thanks to the expensive fasting, but thanks to the wonderful Karelian nature - a beautiful lake, delicious blueberries, silence and two weeks of silence.
I am also familiar with Dr. Volkov’s separate nutrition system and have had personal conversations with him more than once. I know that many achieve brilliant weight loss results by following his system. But when I started cooking steamed fish for myself separately from everyone else in a small saucepan at home, it caused at least misunderstanding and even irritation among my family. Eventually, “eating healthy” became so tiresome that I gave up. But the result is still the same: either starve or get fat. It seemed like there was no third option! And then I told myself: enough, I’m tired of constantly thinking about food. I turned over mountains of books on nutrition and, as a result, formulated my own rules for myself. First, they allowed me to release the stress of fear of gaining weight. Secondly, I was able to lose excess weight without starving. Finally, I learned to maintain weight and enjoy food with gratitude. I revealed all my secrets in the book “The Liep Method”.
What are the basic principles of your nutrition method?
The most important thing is to adhere to the rule of eating 4 times a day in small portions, and not 1 time at night, as we like. It is very important to create the right eating habits so that you are not snacking on a candy bar, but on a green apple. At the same time, fruit is far from a harmless thing. There is no need to consume them immediately after lunch or dinner; they are poorly digested along with other dishes. Perhaps my main eating habit is paying attention to what I eat and when I eat. This is a step towards the inner self. When you eat, think about food and nothing else. Don't watch TV while having dinner.
What's your favorite illicit treat?
Chocolate. I always have a bar of chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 60% in stock at home. Gradually I am teaching myself to live without chocolate and eat more fruits, which, by the way, contain enough sugar.
Pilates – “the road of life”
You have your own Pilates school. Why do you promote this type of training?
My partner and friend Maria Subbotovskaya and I brought Pilates to Russia several years ago. Pilates is a trend that is now becoming increasingly popular. I call classes “the road of life”; I myself love them very much, because they allow me to keep myself in shape.
Pilates is fundamentally different from training in the gym, which, it seems to me, is contraindicated for women. Pilates is a properly structured load, without aggression for the body and joints.
What is included in your original exercise method? Probably there were some ballet elements?
My original method was developed by me together with a group of professional physiologists, with instructors in various areas. The “Liepa Method” has been used in our schools for 8 years, and we see decent results. My original course includes elements of Pilates, but it is based on ballet exercise. We learn to make movements musical. That is, music is not just a background for performing exercises, but it is music that leads us. Movements bring harmony into a woman’s life. The set of exercises works on women's problem areas, but at the same time does not deprive a woman of her femininity and grace.
Is it possible to practice your method at home?
5 tips from Ilze Liepa:
- Eat your breakfast right. The best breakfast dish is oatmeal.
- Don't overeat at night. It will be difficult for your body to digest large amounts of food while you sleep.
- Don’t eat yeast buns - they are the most delicious thing in Russian cuisine, but also the most harmful.
- Practice choreography, it will give you grace and prolong your youth.
- Do Pilates - this is the main secret to a healthy and beautiful body.
Exercises at home should take place in addition to basic training. It's like a lifesaver when we go somewhere, when we are too lazy to leave the house in bad weather. Therefore, you can easily and effortlessly work out for yourself and do a set of exercises. It will take a little time, but will effectively work on all problem areas.
In one of your interviews, you said that modern women lack elegance and grace. How to develop these traits in yourself?
Do choreography at any age and at any level of training. It's possible.
Ilse, what would you like to wish for yourself, what do you want at this stage of life?
Maria Subbotovskaya and I recently opened a Charitable Foundation and combined its opening with my birthday. The goal of our foundation is to help children come into contact with real great art and make it more accessible. Because it is classical art that shapes the soul of a child. We are buying a bus for the Kovcheg orphanage, which is under our care. The bus will allow children to travel to exhibitions, theaters and museums. We stage children's plays and organize Christmas trees in the traditions of pre-revolutionary Russia. I hope that we will be able to bring our plans to life.
Perhaps you will tell us about this in another 30 years?
Yes, it will be an interesting meeting (smiles).
Author: Anna Karenina Published: April 8, 2016
Education
By tradition, Liepa studied at the Moscow State Choreographic School, just like her brother. She entered there at the age of 9, and before the start of the school year, her father had a long and serious conversation with her. He said that she must understand: her childhood is over. Now she begins hard, daily work, there will be no time for games, walks, or doing nothing. And she organically accepted this; there was no feeling of protest against the strict rules in the ballerina. In 1981, Ilze Liepa graduated from college in the class of N. Zolotova. Later she received higher education at GITIS, in the pedagogical department.
Ilze Liepa: biography
Ilze Liepa is a Soviet and Russian ballerina, representative of the Liepa ballet dynasty, soloist of the Bolshoi Theater, founder and director of the Russian National Ballet School, teacher, theater and film actress.
Ilze Marisovna Liepa was born into a family where creativity lived and breathed. Father is the famous dancer Maris Liepa. Mom Margarita Zhigunova is an actress of the A. S. Pushkin Theater. Their children, Ilze and older brother Maris, also chose a ballet and acting career.
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Ballerina Ilze Liepa
The children grew up behind the scenes of the theater. It’s no wonder that Ilze Liepa, who studied at a ballet school in her childhood, became a student at the Moscow Academic Choreographic School. In 1981, the girl received a diploma. But this was not the end of her own education. 10 years later, Ilze received a second higher education at GITIS, where she studied at the choreography department.
Ballet career
After graduating from college, Ilze is invited to work at the Bolshoi Theater. Detractors say that the reason for such employment is his father’s connections. But her career speaks of undoubted talent. It was not easy for Ilze Liepe, who is 170 cm tall, to find a partner, but in her time there were several tall dancers at the Bolshoi, including her beloved Nikolai Tsiskaridze. Therefore, her physical characteristics did not become an obstacle to a successful creative path. She became one of the founders of the fashion for fairly tall ballet dancers. She began her career at the Bolshoi with a mime group, then she performed minor roles a little, and she was given mostly character roles. She danced in the operas Carmen, Ivan Susanin, La Traviata, and Prince Igor. But soon the choreographers saw in her the makings of a soloist.
Biography
Ilze Liepa was born on November 22, 1963 in the family of Maris Liepa and Margarita Zhigunova[1]. Brother - Andris Liepa.
In 1981 she graduated from the Moscow Academic Choreographic School (class of N.V. Zolotova), and in 1991 she graduated from the pedagogical department of GITIS.
At the beginning of her artistic career at the Bolshoi Theater, Ilze Liepa performed character dances in the operas Carmen, Ivan Susanin, Prince Igor, Khovanshchina, La Traviata.
In the late 1990s, she made her debut as a dramatic actress in the St. Petersburg Enterprise, then in April 2000, at the Modern Theater under the direction of Svetlana Vragova, the premiere of the play “The Dream of the Empress” took place, where Ilze played the role of Empress Catherine [2] [3].
In 2011, she was a member of the jury at the Eurovision Song Contest for Young Dancers 2011.
Since 2011, he has been hosting his own program “Ballet FM” on radio “Orpheus”[4].
Her first husband is violinist Sergei Stadler.
The second husband is businessman Vladislav Paulus. On March 15, 2010, he gave birth to a daughter, Nadezhda, becoming a mother for the first time at the age of 46[5]. In 2013, the couple divorced.
He has his own Pilates studio, where he personally conducts classes[6]. Systematic Pilates classes in combination with ballet techniques became the basis for writing the book “The Liepa Method,” which describes a set of exercises developed by the ballerina to keep herself in shape (published by Alpina Non-Fiction).
In January 2014, a book of her fairy tales for children, “Theatrical Tales,” which Ilze Liepa composed while pregnant, was published.[7]
The Way of the Prima
Ilze Liepa, a biography whose personal history is connected with ballet, learned her first great success after performing the role of Mercedes in Minkus’ “Don Quixote.” This happened in Chisinau during a theater tour. After a successful performance, the ballerina began to be trusted with new, serious roles. Interesting character roles appeared in her repertoire: the Stepmother in The Sleeping Beauty, Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet and others. She was lucky enough to work with many famous directors: D. Bryantsev, M. Shannon, G. Aleksidze, some of them created performances specifically for Ilze. In 1993, her brother Andris restored the play “Scheherazade” by M. Fokin to the music of N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, in which Ilze performed the role of Zobeida with great success. In 2007, she was invited to England to dance the main role of Princess Diana in Case Harney's play The People's Princess. Despite her advanced age for ballet, Ilze continues to perform and tour today. She found her way, being a soloist of the Bolshoi Theater, she worked a lot in independent projects.
Liepa Ilze Marisovna
People's Artist of the Russian Federation (2002).
Ilze Liepa was born on November 22, 1963 in Moscow in the family of dramatic actress Margarita Zhigunova and famous dancer Maris Liepa. In 1981, after graduating from the Moscow Academic Choreographic School (class of Natalia Zolotova), she was not accepted into the Bolshoi Theater troupe for a long time. She was able to get there only at the cost of her father, Maris Liepa, leaving the theater. At the beginning of her career, she performed character dances in operas: “Carmen”, “Ivan Susanin”, “Prince Igor”, “Khovanshchina”, “Mlada”, “La Traviata”... Ilze remembers with great gratitude Anatoly Romanovich Simachev, who prepared the role of Mercedes with her in Don Quixote, which brought her a successful ballet debut, which took place in Chisinau during a tour of the Bolshoi Theater. On December 4, 1989, her first creative evening took place on the stage of the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall, in which Ilze danced seven choreographic numbers and Mikhail Fokine’s ballet “The Vision of a Rose” to the music of K.M. Weber (in a duet with Andris Liepa). Over the next year, the ballerina prepared two more of her creative evenings with a new program (directed by A. Chizhova). Since then, Ilze Liepa’s almost annual “benefit performances” on the stage of the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall or the Operetta Theater have already become a kind of tradition for the ballet life of Moscow. At one of her creative evenings, Ilze danced Carmen Suite by J. Bizet–R. Shchedrin, staged by Alberto Alonso, becoming the first Russian ballerina who decided to perform as Carmen after Maya Plisetskaya. Currently, he performs a lot in Russia and abroad in solo and concert programs with classical and modern repertoire: “The Swan”, “The Vision of a Rose”, “Scheherazade”, “Madame Bovary”, in numbers staged by K. Goleizovsky and L. Jacobson . Choreographic miniatures by choreographers D. Bryantsev, G. Aleksidze, T. Serdyukova were composed especially for her.
Many viewers also got to know Ilse thanks to the movies. She starred in the feature films “The Shining World” 1984, “Bambi’s Childhood” 1985, “Lermontov” 1985, “Mikhailo Lomonosov” 1986, “Empire Under Attack” 1999, “Impostors” 2001 . and “Love Me” 2005
In 1991, Ilze Liepa graduated from the pedagogical department of GITIS. Since 1994, he has been the artistic director of the Golden Age association, and is currently a member of the board of the Maris Liepa Charitable Foundation. theatrical works During her work at the Bolshoi Theater, Ilze performed the following roles in ballets: “Don Quixote” - Mercedes, bolero and gypsy dance; "Raymonda" - mazurka and Spanish dance; “Kalina red” - Mother; “Anyuta” - Gypsy (choreographer V. Vasiliev, first performer, 1986); “Romeo and Juliet” - Lady Capulet (choreographer L. Lavrovsky); "Corsair" - Zulma; “Fantasy on a Casanova Theme” - Queen of the Ball; “Scheherazade” - Zobeide (choreographer M. Fokine, revival by A. Liepa and I. Fokina on the stage of the Mariinsky and then the Bolshoi Theater, first performance in Russia, 1993); “Snow White” - Queen Mother (choreographer G. Mayorov, first performance, 1996); “The Queen of Spades” - Countess (first performance in the world premiere of the ballet by Roland Petit, 2001).
In recent years, he has been actively collaborating with the drama theater, playing: - in 1998, Maria Stuart in L. Razumovskaya’s play “Your Sister and Captive” (directed by Vladimir Ivanov, St. Petersburg Theater House Agency). For this role, Ilze was awarded the Crystal Turandot theater award; - in 2000, Empress Catherine in the play “The Dream of the Empress” (author of the play and director Andrei Maksimov, Modern Theater), theater award “The Seagull”; - in 2002, the Marquis de Lurce in the play “The Frames of Decency” (author of the play and director Andrei Maksimov, Vl. Mayakovsky Theater); - in 2003, agent Paul in the play “Bluebeard’s Birthday” (author of the play and director Andrei Maksimov, Vl. Mayakovsky Theater); - in 2005, Jenny Lindt and the Snow Queen in the play “An der Sen” (author of the play Ksenia Dragunskaya, director Olga Subbotina, Confederation of Theater Unions). prizes and awards In 2003, Ilze won the national theater award “Golden Mask” in the category “Best Actress in Ballet”
roles in the movie 2014 Yakhonty. Murder 2009 First love :: Galina 2007 One love of my soul :: Elizaveta Alekseevna :: main role 2005 Love me :: Rose 2000 Empire under attack :: Tamara Karsavina 1998-2002 Impostors (all seasons) :: Gisella 1998 Old songs about the main thing — 3 1997 Fantasia on a Casanova theme 1997 Return of the Firebird :: Zobeida 1990 Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (film-ballet) (USSR, Germany, Slovakia, film-play) 1988 These... three true cards... :: Countess in her youth 1987 Wanderer :: Katya 1986 Bambi's youth :: Swan Mother 1986 Lermontov :: Solomirskaya 1985 Bambi's childhood :: Swan Mother 1984-1986 Mikhailo Lomonosov :: Elizabeth - Elizaveta Andreevna 1984 Hero of her novel :: episode 1984 Shining World :: Ru on :: the main role
participation in films 2012 Andris Liepa. It's Hard to Be a Prince (documentary) :: ballerina 2009 Unknown version | Invisible version (Ukraine, documentary) 2005 The Rise and Fall of Maris Liepa (documentary)
Best games
In total, during her life, Ilze Liepa danced about 30 roles of various levels, from small appearances to main roles. Her undoubted successes are:
- Part of Carmen in “Carmen Suite” by R. Shchedrin (1991). She became the first ballerina, after M. Plisetskaya, who dared to take on this complex and magnificent role. Ilze talked a lot with Maya Mikhailovna and received a “blessing” for this performance and, of course, a lot of advice, which helped her cope well with the difficult task.
- The role of the Countess in Roland Petit's production of The Queen of Spades at the Bolshoi Theater. Many older ballerinas dream of dancing this part. Petit spent a long time choosing a suitable actress until he settled on Liepa. She and Tsiskaridze became a great duo. The premiere took place in 2001, and Ilze appeared on stage in this performance for more than 10 years. Even after the birth of her daughter, 2.5 months later she was already dancing this part. The performance ended with Tsiskaridze’s departure from the stage.
- For Ilse's benefit performance, choreographer Patrick de Ban staged the play "Cleopatra". The idea was suggested by Ilze's brother Andris, who also became the producer of the production. The premiere took place in 2012. In the play, Ilse plays two roles: Ida Rubinstein and Cleopatra. This is modern choreography that allows the ballerina to play a bright dramatic role in the dance.
The public also really loves such concert numbers performed by Ilse as “The Swan” by Saint-Saëns, “Madame Bovary”, “The Vision of a Rose” by G. Mahler, “Scheherazade” by N. Rimsky-Korsakov.
USA
After a short period of work at the Bolshoi Theater, Andris Liepa went to America, to New York, to work under a contract. It is interesting that the young artist accepted this offer after he met Rudolf Nureyev on tour in Paris (Liepa Jr. himself would later call this meeting fateful). In New York (by the way, this trip took place in the late eighties) Andris Liepa danced in many performances, including productions by Mikhail Baryshnikov.
Working in New York turned out to be very important for Andris. Later he noted that she gave a lot for his further creativity. In America, he gained experience and appreciated how his colleagues from the United States work. During his time there - just over a year - Andris Liepa danced in more than forty performances and toured all major cities of the United States.
Film work
In the late 90s, Ilze Liepa began to master a new profession - dramatic actress. She played in several enterprise performances; at the Modern Theater she was entrusted with the main role in the play “The Dream of the Empress.” Liepa's innate aristocracy looks great on stage and screen. That's why she was invited to the set more than once. She played 14 roles, among which the most notable films are: “Mikhailo Lomonosov”, “First Love”, “Empire Under Attack”.
Ilze Liepa's training system
Back at the end of the 20th century, Ilze Liepa began to think about creating her own ballet school. Over the course of her life, she had accumulated a lot of experience that she wanted to pass on to someone. In addition, she wanted to help girls and women discover their femininity. The project was nurtured for a long time, taking shape until the Russian National Ballet School appeared. Ilze Liepa and her friend Maria Subbotovskaya opened an establishment of a special format. This is not only a school for children in the usual sense, it is a whole complex.
Ilze Liepa, whose studio school has today become a real center of grace and beauty, discovered Pilates gymnastics, which helped her recover after childbirth, and wanted to tell women about her discovery. It is practiced by ballerinas all over the world, theaters have trainers for this gymnastics, and Liepa also decided to combine choreography and Pilates at her school.
Today, in its center there is an early development school, where children from 2 to 6 years old learn to control their bodies, they are helped to develop a gait, and form posture. The children's ballet school is designed to teach ballet choreography skills using Liepa's original methodology. This is real hard work for those who intend to connect their lives with dance.
The ballet studio for adults helps people learn to dance, get to know their body and develop coordination and plasticity. The Pilates studio helps to keep the body in good shape, making it fit and flexible. There are already several branches of Liepa’s school in Moscow, and she dreams of expanding the project.
Ilze Liepa: “A child should live outside the city”
Ilze Liepa's schedule is scheduled minute by minute. She devotes all her free time to her charity foundation “Culture for Children”. An NP correspondent met her backstage at the Bolshoi Theater, where she is working on a new charity project. Ilze admits that charity is a natural need for her. Her goal is to instill in the modern generation a love of creativity and art, a love of ballet. In an interview with NP, the legendary ballerina told why she left her country house to her ex-husband, how she became a mother for the first time at 46 years old and why she does not visit beauty salons.
— Ilse, how is your summer going? Do you and your daughter manage to get out of the city, to the Moscow region?
— I often travel out of town because I run ballet and Pilates school studios. Two of them are located in the Moscow region: one is in the village of Zhukovka, along Rublevo-Uspenskoe highway, the second is in the village of Velednikovo, along Novorizhskoe highway. The Zhukovka school is a large three-story studio. It contains rooms where various programs for children and adults are conducted: ballet education, Pilates, training according to my individual method, preparation for the school program for children. My daughter Nadya also studies at this studio school. In Velednikov, on the territory of the Pavlovsk gymnasium, our ballet school “Pavlovo” is located for children from 2.5 to 15 years old. Ballet school lays down what then remains in the child for the rest of his life - health, grace, creative perception of the world around him, happiness in understanding art. We have very talented children.
— You grew up in a ballet family and studied ballet from an early age. They say that children raised in such families have no childhood due to constant grueling training and prohibitions...
— When I entered the choreographic school, I was nine years old. I remember my father telling me: “Remember, your childhood is over. Now you won't have any games with dolls or hanging out with your girlfriends on the street. You won't have time for this. Now your life is dedicated to ballet.” I never regretted it and never felt like a deprived child. It was an interesting, rich life. It’s difficult because, probably, only a child can withstand such stress, which is inseparably associated with professional ballet education.
— Have you ever had a feeling of protest against harsh rules?
“I had an absolute understanding of why all this was being done.” Another question is whether I had enough willpower to follow all the rules... But since childhood, I understood that I needed to constantly exercise and limit myself to sweets in order to be in shape. My father always told my brother and me: “Remember that you are the children of Liepa and what will be forgiven to someone will not be forgiven to you.”
— How do you restore strength after training and concerts?
— Sleep, massage and Pilates classes.
— Do you often visit beauty salons?
— I don’t go to salons to do any cosmetic procedures. This is a completely different way of life, I don’t have time for it. If I go to some hotel that offers a SPA program, then I can pamper myself there. But in city life this is completely impossible.
— What is the secret of your beauty and youth?
— Ballet classes. They awaken the body and face. As long as you dance, you are young.
— You first became a mother at 46 years old. How did you prepare for childbirth?
— I did Pilates, special exercises for this period in a woman’s life. It helped and supported me. Thanks to these workouts, I quickly got into shape. I went on stage two and a half months after giving birth. My daughter is a long-awaited child. It’s not for nothing that her name is Nadezhda. I hoped everything would go wonderfully. Moreover, the birth took place with the participation of my friend, my attending physician Vera. I trusted her completely.
— How has your life changed after the birth of your daughter?
— With the birth of Nadya, joy came to the house. I felt a feeling of endless happiness.
— After the birth of your daughter, you divorced your husband. Is it true that you left him a country house in the Moscow region?
— Nadya and I left the country house in the Moscow region that my husband and I shared. Not because I am a wealthier person - I just don’t want any contacts. We built this house for several years. Vladislav (Vladislav Paulus is a businessman, ex-husband of Ilze Liepa. - Note by NP) put all the troubles on me, and then said: “I’m stopping financing.” I completed the construction at my own expense. Then questions started pouring in about how much I earn and why I don’t bring money home. Claims began that I was only involved in the stage and studio - and this despite the fact that in all my endeavors Vladislav did not provide me with the slightest support, not even advice. I relied only on myself. As a result, we forgot about that country house; I left it to my ex-husband. But I will definitely build a new house in the Moscow region for Nadya and for her sake. The child should live outside the city and breathe more fresh air. A country house is necessary, it is a family nest.
— You have your own Pilates school, why do you promote this particular type of training?
— Pilates is a direction that is now becoming increasingly popular. My partner and friend Maria Subbotovskaya and I brought it to Russia several years ago. I call these activities “the road of life”, they keep me in shape, I myself love them very much. Pilates is fundamentally different from gym classes, which, it seems to me, are contraindicated for women. Pilates is a serious, properly structured, non-aggressive workout for the body and joints.
— What is included in your original exercise method?
— My original course includes elements of Pilates, but it is based on ballet exercise. Our classes are accompanied by music. We learn to make movements musical. That is, music is not a background for exercises, it guides us. Movement to music brings harmony to a woman’s life. The complex itself is quite serious. It works on women's problem areas, but at the same time does not deprive it of femininity and grace.
— Tell us about the basic principles of nutrition according to your method.
“The most important thing is to stick to the rule of eating four times a day in small portions, and not once at night, as we like. It is very important to create the right eating habits so that you are not snacking on a candy bar, but on a green apple. At the same time, fruit is far from a harmless thing. There is no need to consume them immediately after lunch or dinner; they are poorly digested along with other dishes. Perhaps my main eating habit is paying attention to what I eat and when I eat. When you eat, think about food and nothing else. Don't watch TV while having dinner.
—What is your favorite forbidden delicacy?
- Chocolate. I always have a bar of chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 60% in stock at home. But gradually I am teaching myself to live without it and eat more fruit.
— In one of your interviews, you said that modern women lack elegance and grace. How to develop these traits in yourself?
— Do choreography at any age. It's possible.
— You founded the “Culture for Children” charity foundation. Please tell us about his activities.
— We opened a charitable foundation together with Maria Subbotovskaya. The goal of the foundation is to help children touch truly great art and make it accessible to children. Because it is classical art that shapes the soul of a child. For example, we buy a bus for the Kovcheg orphanage, which is under our care. This gives children from the orphanage the opportunity to go to exhibitions, theaters, and museums. The foundation’s projects make an encounter with art a happy and significant moment in children’s lives, identify and develop their talents, and teach them to understand beauty. The Foundation cooperates with Moscow theaters so that the children under our care attend the best children's performances. We organize the annual main children's festival of choreographic creativity of amateur groups, “The Magic Shoe,” and stage performances with the participation of children and ballet stars. Every year we organize New Year trees in the traditions of pre-revolutionary Russia. I personally recruit for free training of gifted girls and boys at the Russian National Ballet School. We provide assistance to the development of choreographic education. We have assembled an invaluable teaching staff. The maximum task is to keep ballet at the highest level, and not to lose its position of championship in the world in the near future. Now we are preparing for the Cadet Ball, which will take place in the second half of October. Students of the First Cadet Corps and students of my ballet school-studio will be invited to it. The purpose of this event is to educate young gentlemen and young ladies. The motto of our foundation is: “Our future depends on how we raise our children.” I hope that the foundation will have proper financial support and we will be able to implement all our projects.
— Do you think it is necessary to have great wealth in order to engage in charity?
— The main thing is the desire to help, to share with other people what we have. Be it art, knowledge or money. There are no other people's children. And our children are our future. Now there are a huge number of charitable foundations and organizations. You can always find something that you can personally help with. One purchased book or toy is already invaluable help and happiness for a child. Doing good and being involved in it is a great mercy. Man is created to share, not just to take. Nowadays people only want to receive, but initially we have a need to create good.
— Tell us about your plans.
— In the near future, we are planning to hold a charity concert in favor of refugee children from Ukraine and, first of all, to help them financially. After all, these are our children, and they need help.
Awards and achievements
Throughout her life, Ilze Liepe, whose biography is inseparable from her choreography, has received awards more than once. She is the winner of the Golden Mask award, the Seagull, Crystal Turandot, and Olympia awards. Ilze holds the titles of Honored and People's Artist of the Russian Federation. She says that no one ever thought that there would be three folk artists in their family, and notes with a sigh that dad would be happy.
Personal life
Ilze Liepa, a biography whose personal life was always in plain sight, perceived her parents’ marriage as a source of joy and pain. When they divorced, her pain was intensified by gossip and discussions in the media. Therefore, she tried her best to make an ideal model out of her marriage. But she failed twice. The first marriage with violinist Sergei Stadler broke up very quickly; the two creative personalities were cramped in this union. Ilze's second husband was businessman Vladislav Paulus. This marriage lasted 14 years, and the long-awaited daughter Nadezhda was born. But it all ended in failure; the divorce was difficult with public mutual accusations and division of property. Today Ilze Liepa, whose personal life ended so unsightly, does not have to experience a lack of attention from men, but she deliberately focused her attention only on her daughter.
