Irma Nioradze

Irma Nioradze (ირმა ნიორაძე, Ирма Ниорадзе; born June 15, 1969, in Tbilisi, Georgia), is a Georgian ballerina and Principal Dancer of the Kirov-Mariinsky Ballet.

Biography
Irma Nioradze was born in Tbilisi (Georgia).

1987 - the graduation of Tbilisi Choreographic School. Her teachers were Serafima Vekua and Vakhtang Chabukiani.

1987-1988 - study on probation at Saint Petersburg Choreographic School named after Vaganova. The teacher was Ludmila Safronova.

1989-1990 - the ballet dancer of Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Z.P. Paliashvili. Her repertoire included the leading parts in Giselle, Serenade and one-act ballets of G. Alksidze.

1990 - the prize-winner of the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. The tutor was Natalia Zolotova. She was coached by Vladimir Djouloukhadze who also performed as her non-competitive partner

1991 - private theatrical concern Nina Ananiashvili and Her Friends. Work on probation in Dutch Royal Ballet (Copenhagen).

Since 1992 the soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre Ballet Company. The teachers are Olga Moiseeva and Ninel Kurgapkina (since 1994).

Nioradze toured with the Mariinsky Ballet Company, she danced in Great Britain, USA, Holland, Japan, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Taiwan, Argentina, Brazil, Israel, Chile, Greece, Cyprus and Austria.

Her repertoire includes the leading roles in Giselle, Raymonda, The Firebird, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Medora in Le Corsaire, Mekhmene-Banu in The Legend of Love, Kitri in Don Quixote, Zarema in The Fountain of Bakhchisarai, Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, Nikiya in La Bayadere, the soloist in Symphony in C, the leading part in Paquita, Zobeide in Scheherazade, Baja in Goya Divertissement.

From the very beginning of her career it was evident that Irma Nioradze possesses all qualities to become the classical ballerina in the best meaning of this word. Indeed, her talent was so outstanding that her future was being discussed with great interest even while she was still a student of the Ballet Academy.

Repertoire

 * Sleeping Beauty : Lilac Fairy
 * Swan Lake : Odette / Odile
 * Le Corsaire : Medora
 * La Bayadere : Nikiya / Gamzatti
 * The Fountain of Bakhchisarai : Zarema
 * Don Quixote : Kitri
 * Giselle : Giselle
 * Leading part in Paquita
 * Scheherazade : Zobeide
 * The Firebird : Firebird
 * The Legend of Love : Mekhmeme-Banu
 * Symphony in C : First movement
 * Carmen : Carmen
 * Le poéme de l'extase
 * Le baiser de la fée : Fairy
 * Jewels : Rubies
 * Raymonda : Raymonda
 * Manon : Manon
 * Cinderella : Stepmother
 * The Magic Nut : Temptress
 * Romeo and Juliet : Juliet

Awards

 * Prizewinner of The International Ballet Competition (Jackson, 1991)
 * Order of Honour (Georgia) (1996)
 * Meritorious Artist of Russia (2002)
 * Won the Baltika prize (2010)
 * People's Artist of Russia (2011)