Since August 1996, Irina Dvorovenko had been providing us wonderful performances at the American Ballet Theatre. She took the role of Principal Dancer in 2000 and is set to give us one final act when she plays Onegin at the Metropolitan Opera House during ABT’s Spring 2013 season.
Irina Dvorovenko had become a very popular figure at the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) since taking on the role of Principal Dancer in 2000. Her nice bony silhouette will ever be remembered for providing wonderful performances. Born in the former Soviet Union, in what is now the Ukraine, in Kiev, she learned ballet at a tender age of 10 when she took ballet lesson at Kiev Ballet School. She then, in 1990, took the role of soloist at the National Opera and Theatre of Kiev and became Principal Dancer in 1992. Some of her repertoire at the Kiev National Opera and Theatre include: Gamzatti in La Bayadere, the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Odette-Odile in Swan Lake, and Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, among others.
In 1996, Dvorovenko joined ABT, the following year, 1997; she was promoted as soloist and in 2000 as Principal Dancer. At ABT some of her repertoire include; the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, the Siren in Prodigal Son, Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty, Rosaline in Romeo and Juliet, Swanilda in Coppelia, Valencienne in The Merry Widow, and many other wonderful plays that we have so enjoyed during the past years. Dvorovenko will be leaving ABT when she performs for the last time this 18th of May playing the part of Onegin, an adaptation of Pushkin’s Eugene Onegin, which is a story-ballet of the world of early 19th century St Petersburg. Throughout her career, Dvorovenko has been awarded with various prizes: the “Anna Pavlova” prize in 1992, in 1994 she received a Grand Prix at Ukraine International Ballet Competition, and she also obtained a Grand Prix in 1987 for the Junior Division Ballet; a silver Medal in 1990 at Jackson International Ballet Competition and a Bronze Medal in 1991 at the International Ballet Competition in Osaka, Japan.
About leaving the American Ballet Theatre, Irina Dvorovenko noted that having 23 years as a ballerina is a lot, she has done almost everything a professional ballet dancer could desire. At her age, the body does not perform as one might desire. It in all has been a great experience. Although Dvorovenko will be leaving ABT, she still will be performing as a dancer. She plans to pass on her experience to students and perform at different galas occasionally.
