early years
Alla Mikhailova Sigalova was born on February 28, 1959 into a creative Jewish family.
Her parents, native Leningraders, at the end of the 1950s, by assignment, came to the city on the Volga, which was then called Stalingrad, where Alla was born. His father, pianist Moisei Petrovich, got a place in the local philharmonic, and his mother, ballerina Tamara Alexandrovna, got a place in the Musical Comedy Theater. In 1968, her parents sent her to the Leningrad Choreographic School (now the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet). The girl was very tall for her age, and the teachers, recognizing Alla’s undoubted talent, were afraid that her height would not meet the then accepted ballet standards. However, teacher Boris Bregvadze, who knew Alla’s parents well, persuaded the director of the school to accept the young dancer.
Alla Sigalova in her youth
Alla spent 9 years at the school. The girl lived with friends of her parents, descendants of the artist Konstantin Somov. Alla’s mother was raised in this house at one time. Shortly before graduating from the famous educational institution, during a rehearsal, Alla injured her spine and was forced to undergo treatment. It took her almost a year to realize that the dream of becoming a star of the Mariinsky Theater, which she had been pursuing for almost 10 years, would never come true.
In 1978, eighteen-year-old Alla entered GITIS - she was always interested in dramatic art, and she brilliantly passed the entrance tests. Alla's teacher was Joseph Tumanishvili, and after he died, Anatoly Efros. Already in her first year, Alla acted in films, but this work did not bring her creative satisfaction.
Alla Sigalova in her youth
The actress’s first work was the role of Shirin in the joint-Turkish film adaptation of Nazim Hikmet Rana’s play “The Legend of Love.” After her, Alla starred in several films and subsequently refused all offers.
At the end of her training, Alla was invited to teach the art of dance to future actors, and it was in this that she found her calling.
Through thorns
The path to the world of high art turned out to be very long and thorny. Everything turned out not as simple as Sigalova dreamed in childhood. Despite her excellent physical characteristics and obvious dancing abilities, she failed the entrance exams to the Vaganova Choreographic School. I had to take this “height” from two fronts: the girl spent several hours a day at the machine, and her parents used all their connections to help their daughter enter her dream school.
The dream came true - in 1969 she entered, and in 1978 she successfully graduated from the Vaganova School.
The girl had the widest opportunities open to her; she had already planned a successful career as a famous ballerina for years to come, but an accidental injury during a rehearsal ruined all plans forever.
It took Alla a whole year to recover physically and cheaply. Having literally pieced herself together, the girl left for Moscow and entered the directing department of GITIS. Already in her first year she began acting in films. She graduated from the Academy with the same success as she graduated from college, but Alla understood perfectly well that theater was not what she wanted to do, and dancing was her whole life. Therefore, she slowly began to learn to dance again, and at the same time, teach at GITIS immediately after graduation.
In general, in her youth, Alla Sigalova managed to achieve very great heights. Always and everywhere she was the best, strong and active. She devoted herself entirely to her work, completely, without reserve, no matter who she was or what she did. From working as a choreographer at the Satyricon Theater to the position of head of a department at the Moscow Art Theater, from a presenter of programs to a jury member on television - Alla Mikhailovna is always in her place everywhere and always.
It is very difficult to say how many years of her life Sigalova devoted to art. During her creative life, she starred in several films, successfully performed in more than fifty productions, was the founder and director of her theater “Independent Troupe of Alla Sigalova” for more than ten years, hosted the programs “CONTDANCE”, “Eye to Eye”, “All Russia” ", "Big Opera", "Bolshoi Ballet", "Big Jazz", acted as a jury member in the large dance competitions "Dancing with the Stars" and "Everybody Dance". For his performance “Carmen. Etudes" Alla Sigalova was awarded the "Golden Mask" prize, and for the authorship of the "Bolshoi Ballet" project on the Culture channel, Alla Sigalova received the Russian Government Prize in 2013.
In addition to all other awards and regalia, Alla Mikhailovna has the titles of Honored Artist of the Russian Federation and Honored Artist of the Russian Federation. To this day, photos of the artist can be seen in magazines and social bulletins. The country's strongest choreographer keeps herself in excellent physical shape, her height and weight are so consistent with her line of work that even young dancers can envy: with a height of 167 cm, she weighs 50-55 kg.
Teaching activities
After finishing her studies, Alla remained to teach at GITIS, and was also a choreographer and actress in Satyricon.
Dancer Alla Sigalova
In 1989, she created her own dance troupe, which developed modern styles of choreography. For 10 years, Sigalova's theater performed successfully, touring throughout Russia and foreign countries. The closure of the theater was facilitated by the difficult economic situation in Russia and Alla’s desire to move on.
In the early 2000s, Sigalova began choreographing for dancers working in Laima Vaikule's show, as well as for other pop artists.
Since the early 2000s, Alla has been staging productions for artists
Alla was able to return to teaching at the Moscow Art Theater in 2004. Students spoke warmly about their teacher, noting Alla Mikhailovna’s strict character, and at the same time her kind attitude towards each student. Since 2013, she has also been teaching at GITIS.
Sigalova earned recognition as an outstanding choreographer thanks to her theatrical works; she directed the productions “Bolero”, “Carmen. Etudes”, “Poor Lisa”, “Final Cut”, “Five Stories about Love” and others, and she also participated in some productions as an actress.
Women's monologue. Alla Sigalova Sigalova's productions of Madama Butterfly and The Two Foscari were successfully staged at La Scala in Milan, and the opera Damnation of Faust was performed on the stage of the Paris Opera Bastille.
For the creation of choreographic parts in “Dance of Death” and “Othello”, which were performed in Latvia, Sigalova was named the best choreographer of 1996 and 2011.
Sigalova was named the best choreographer of 1996 and 2011
Private bussiness
She devotes 1989-1999 to managing her personal studio. Now she is the boss of herself and her business. Here you could stretch your imagination and be innovative.
With her light hand, “modern dances” appear in Russia, a previously unknown phenomenon. She is the one who brings Contemporary dance to her homeland. In this movement, the dance is presented theatrically, and the idea of a performance appears.
The existence of the dance group she assembled did not last long. At that time, the country's economy was not going through the best of times, so there were practically no prospects for development. 1995 was overshadowed by a crisis for the group. They stoically held on until 1999, finding strength and time for periodic theatrical performances. The troupe devoted 1998 to performances in Japan, after which it disappeared completely.
On TV
Alla first appeared on television in 2007 as a judge on the show “Dancing with the Stars.” Among the projects in which she took part are “Dancing on the Floor” and “Everybody Dance!”
Alla Sigalova is on the jury of the project “Everybody Dance!”
Since 2011, Alla Mikhailovna has been collaborating with the TV channel “Culture”, she has been the host of the programs “All Russia”, “Big Opera”, “Big Jazz” and “Bolshoi Ballet”. Thanks to her high intelligence, academic education and beauty, Alla Sigalova is considered one of the most charming ladies in Russian show business. Alla Sigalova dances in the show “Dancing with the Stars”
Personal life of Alla Sigalova
Alla Mikhailovna married twice. Her first marriage did not last long, but gave her a daughter, Anna.
Alla Sigalova with her daughter Anna
The artist’s second husband was Roman Kozak, a director, with whom she formalized the relationship in 1994. Kozak officially adopted Anna, and a year later the couple had a son, Mikhail.
Alla Sigalova and her husband Roman Kozak
In 2010, 52-year-old Roman Efimovich died of laryngeal cancer.
The choreographer’s children, whom she considers the main achievement of her life, also chose a creative path, although not the same as their mother. Anna Kozak is a designer, and Mikhail is a journalist. The daughter gave Alla a grandson, Fyodor.
Personal life
Alla Sigalova's personal life was shaken when she lost her husband in May 2010. He was 53 years old. Alla Sigalova's husband was seriously ill, from which he later died.
He was the director of the drama theater named after Pushkin. The personal life of Alla Sigalova, which Roman Kozak shared with a woman, was happy for 16 long years. Those were good years. Alla Sigalova keeps them in her heart to this day. Children - Anna (from her husband’s first marriage) and Mikhail (child together) - were brought up in an atmosphere of love and mutual understanding. The parents got along well and were spiritually close. Roman and Alla Sigalova had common interests.
The children were loved, but they were not the only thing on the couple’s mind. The husband invited his beloved to play a role in his play, recreated based on the story “Dzhan”, written by Andrei Platonov. Thanks to her man, Alla became acquainted with dramatic art. Hand in hand, the lovers entered the Moscow Art Theater School-Studio to work and create.
When Roman passed away, his loving wife brought his course to the final point. Together with the graduates, they performed the graduation production “Giselle, or The Deceived Brides.”
Alla's heir also followed the path of creativity. Her element is interior design. The choreographer already has a grandson, Fedor.
Alla Sigalova now
Continuing to combine teaching with the work of a choreographer and theater director, Alla Mikhailovna participates in television projects and in original programs.
In the fall of 2020, Alla became a guest of Tatyana Ustinova - in her author’s program “My Hero” she told the story of her life, striking viewers with optimism and fortitude. Since 2020, she has been working on her book, excerpts from which she posts on her blog in the Snob magazine.
My hero. Alla Sigalova With her followers on Instagram, Alla generously shares photographs and secrets that she uses to maintain slimness and beauty.
