Biography of Catherine Kukhar: thorny let the Ukrainian ballerina to world fame. Ekaterina Kukhar: biography, career and personal life Dinner should be delicious

She talked about how she manages to maintain such an ideal physical shape. Read about it in the Clutch article.

The main thing that Ekaterina has been doing for many years is starting the day with a glass clean water. After that, the prima eats tasty, healthy and balanced food.

ballerina breakfast

A sprig of grapes, cheese, whole grain bread with nuts and dried fruits is one of the famous ballerina's breakfast options. At the same time, Kukhar believes that morning reception food should be mandatory, because it is he who must start all the processes in the body.

Meals on the road

During the flight, Ekaterina Kukhar can not only get enough sleep, but also please herself with something tasty, for example, light dessert. Kukhar can afford it, because in her life there is a constant physical activity.

Gourmet Preferences

Dinner must be delicious.

At home, Ekaterina loves to dine with seafood. In a restaurant, she can enjoy a glass of wine along with a tender steak and salad.

The prima ballerina of the National Opera in the project "Dances with the Stars" has established herself as a demanding and objective member of the jury, which attracted the attention of fans of the dance show.

She is not afraid to express her opinion, she will firmly stand her ground and demand professionalism from the participants. Ekaterina treats her work on the parquet with the same attitude! However, at the same time, she is fragile and graceful. And if in the work the general portrait of Ekaterina Kukhar is clear, then what kind of Ekaterina will appear for us in her personal life? What life difficulties did she have to go through in order to succeed in her business and become what she is now?

Let to fame, personal life and Interesting Facts from the life of a famous dancer - in our material!

Ekaterina Kukhar - brief information

Zodiac sign: Capricorn

Place of birth: Kyiv

Height: 160 cm

Childhood of Ekaterina Kukhar

The girl's love for dancing appeared about 5 years old, when her parents sent her to a special school. Even at that time, the teachers drew attention to her good data and decided to include her in a special group. Little Katya was interested in everything related to dancing, so it became her hobby. Each time she began to open up more and demonstrate her talent. After some time, Catherine became one of the best students.

In 1992, Ekaterina studies as an external student, and after 7 years she graduates from the Kiev State Choreographic School. After that, in 1997, he became the winner of the competition and won a trip to Switzerland for practice. Katya showed herself so well that, studying only in her first year, she was offered to take part in the famous production of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, and she played the role of Masha in the ballet at famous scene in Japan.

Catherine has a tempered character since childhood, and she previously told reporters about this. “Each profession has its own characteristics. If my parents told me as a child:

“All the kids have a lot of free time, and you, poor thing, have only rehearsals from morning to evening at the ballet school,” I would think about it with horror and after each rehearsal I would complain about life, feel sorry for myself and so on. And I had a different setting, that this is the norm. Therefore, I took this lifestyle and load for granted.

In 1999, Catherine received a diploma from the Academy of Arts.

Way to success

The excellent skills and talent of Ekaterina Kukhar were developed by such teachers as Valery Kovtun, Lyudmila Smorgacheva and many others. She was also invited to the troupe of the National Opera of Ukraine in 1999. Therefore, she managed to visit Europe, Asia, Canada and the United States. There she played leading roles.

2014 is a special year for Ekaterina Kukhar. This year she is invited to Paris and offered the role of Juliet in Shakespeare's famous production of Romeo and Juliet. However, she does not come there herself, but with her partner Alexander Stoyanov, who played the role of Romeo. It is noteworthy that the hall was designed for 3700 seats, and this contributed to a real sensation! The couple held 6 performances, and each of them was crowned with success in the creative circles of Paris.

Ekaterina Kukhar and Alexander Stoyanov - a career in a duet

Their duo formed in 2006. Their first joint performance was in the production of The Nutcracker in Ukraine.

However, a few months later, they visited China with their performance. Today, this duet is one of the most popular and in demand not only in Ukraine, but also abroad.

In 2011, on their own initiative, they perform in a charity gala concert by Vladimir Malakhov. 2 years pass and they are invited by Farah Ruzimatov in Japan to his gala concert. Gradually, their performances are gaining momentum and they are invited from all over the world, because their concerts are always sold out. Ekaterina spoke about the National Opera House of Ukraine:

“Our theater management creates for us the maximum comfortable conditions, goes to meet us in the formation of the repertoire and schedule. This gives the soloists the opportunity to go on personal tours abroad. By the way, this is important, since not all theaters give the artist the opportunity to tour. And our theater allows and supports us in this, because in this way we popularize Ukraine and Ukrainian culture. Ukraine is not only embroidered shirts, excellent Ukrainian cuisine, Adrey Shevchenko and the Klitschko brothers, but also Ukrainian ballet. Our ballet school is one of the strongest and most popular in the world. The Ukrainian ballet dancer is accepted with pleasure on any stage of the world, our performances are always sold out.”

Love

“In a man, as in a woman, a lot of different qualities must be combined. But I have always wondered why some of my friends suffer and suffer from unhappy love for men for whom they mean nothing .... I appreciate a man for whom ONLY I exist. It may be selfish, but I am absolutely not interested in men who change women like gloves. For me, they exist only as friends and I have enough of them, ”says Ekaterina.

Ekaterina Kukhar met Alexander Stoyanov in 2006 when they were put in a duet for performances.

The schedule was busy, but that didn't stop them from finding mutual language and take care of each other. Between them, real romantic feelings were later born, and soon love, which helped to cope with many difficulties in life. However, world recognition did not deprive the talented Catherine of memories that weigh on the soul. The ballerina lost her first child. It was ballet that helped her get out of depression, she noted this more than once in her interviews. “The loss of the child was because her lungs did not open. And when Alexander was offered to help Okhmatdyt a year ago and purchase an artificial respiration apparatus, it was like a sign from above,” Kukhar said earlier with tears in her eyes.

Ekaterina notes that this tragedy turned her whole life upside down and changed her as a person, taught her a lot. Fortunately, after a while, the creative tandem still managed to have children - son Timur and daughter Anastasia.

The spouses do not have a stamp in their passport, since they believe that it is absolutely not necessary to officially confirm their love. However, they note that the wedding has already happened. However, even without this, you can see how they are very passionate about each other and they have truly deep feelings.

Many people know Ekaterina Kukhar as a ballet dancer and a strict judge in the show “Dances with Stars”, where she managed to win the love of the public! Biography of Ekaterina Kukhar, the path to fame and personal life - in our material!

The prima ballerina of the National Opera in the project "Dances with the Stars" has established herself as a demanding and objective member of the jury, which attracted the attention of fans of the dance show.

She is not afraid to express her opinion, she will firmly stand her ground and demand professionalism from the participants. Ekaterina treats her work on the parquet with the same attitude! However, at the same time, she is fragile and graceful.

And if in the work the general portrait of Ekaterina Kukhar is clear, then what kind of Ekaterina will appear for us in her personal life? What life difficulties did she have to go through in order to succeed in her business and become what she is now? Let to glory, personal life and interesting facts from the life of the famous dancer - in our material!

Ekaterina Kukhar - brief information

Zodiac sign: Capricorn

Place of birth: Kyiv

Height: 160 cm

Childhood of Ekaterina Kukhar

O early childhood Ekaterina Kukhar, in her words, remembers little. The girl spent a lot of time with her great-grandmother - the artist recalls with a laugh that only she managed to feed the little "negochuha": Katya flatly refused any vegetables and fruits, demanding mashed potatoes with doctor's sausage and sauerkraut.

AT Kindergarten Katya went exactly two days. The slender girl stood up for herself, beating the main bully and the bully in the group. According to the artist, she no longer remembers what the essence of the conflict was, but one thing is clear to her: it was almost the only time in her life when she stood up for herself. True, the girl was expelled from the kindergarten. Maybe it was a sign from above - after all, ballet appeared later in Catherine's life.

Ballet is not only love, but also lifelong hard work. Therefore, almost from infancy, Catherine's life was inextricably linked with him.

Ekaterina Kukhar in childhood, 7 years old

The girl's love for dancing appeared for about 5 years, when her parents sent her to a special choreographic school.

However, the girl did not immediately find her way. Dancing was a common family dream, Kuhar recalls in an interview. Both her grandmother and Katya's mother saw her on stage. And one day, fate decided to help this dream come true: during an ordinary walk in the yard with her great-grandmother, Katya was noticed by a gymnastics coach.

A small, thin to transparency girl with good posture and hair below the waist (hair has also always been a special pride for women in Catherine's family), at first glance the coach seemed very promising. In the same place, without leaving the playground, Katya was offered to demonstrate her flexibility and was invited to come to the gymnastics circle at the Palace of Pioneers.

However, the first acquaintance with the world of sports was not successful, - Ekaterina recalls. At the starting lesson, the coach, without preparation, sat the girl on the twine to check the stretch. Here, no one was sentimental and did not listen to objections, and the baby burst into tears from pain and shock and declared at home: I will never go back there again.

Fortunately, Ekaterina's parents always listened sensitively to her words, so gymnastics really was done away with forever. And it was decided at the family council to send the capable girl to ballet classes.

And there is already beauty: white bows, swimsuits, skirts, ballet flats. This is completely different, - Ekaterina laughs, recalling her first steps into the world of dance.

Even at that time, the teachers drew attention to Katya's good data and decided to include her in a special group. The little girl was interested in everything related to dancing, so it became her hobby. Each time she began to open up more and demonstrate her talent. After some time, Catherine became one of the best students.

Since childhood, Katya has been distinguished by miniature forms - the artist recalls that at the age of 9 she weighed 18 kg!

According to Kukhar, the whole family took part in the studies, for which she is incredibly grateful to her relatives to this day. For the sake of her beloved Katenka, Grandmother Lena quit her leadership position and got a job at the first vacant place in the choreographic school, if only it would be more convenient to transport and pick up the girl from classes. And after work, her beloved dad sewed Katya's ballet shoes and pointe shoes, because, the artist admits, due to the colossal loads, she usually did not have enough strength even for homework.

Parents of Ekaterina Kukhar

Since 1992, Ekaterina has been studying externally, and after 7 years she graduates from the Kiev State Choreographic School.

After that, in 1997, he became the winner of the competition and won a trip to Switzerland for practice.

Katya showed herself so well that, studying only in her first year, she was offered to take part in the famous production of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, and she played the role of Masha in a ballet on a famous stage in Japan.

Catherine has a tempered character since childhood, and she previously told reporters about this.

« Each profession has its own characteristics. If my parents had told me as a child: “All children have a lot of free time, and you, poor thing, have only rehearsals from morning to evening at a ballet school,” I would think about it with horror and after each rehearsal I would complain about life, regret would yourself so on.

And I had a different setting, that this is the norm. Therefore, I took this lifestyle and load for granted.

In 1999, Catherine received a diploma from the Academy of Arts.

Way to success

The excellent skills and talent of Ekaterina Kukhar were developed by such teachers as Valery Kovtun, Lyudmila Smorgacheva and many others.

She was also invited to the troupe of the National Opera of Ukraine in 1999. Therefore, she managed to visit Europe, Asia, Canada and the United States. There she played leading roles.

In 2012, Ekaterina received the title of Honored Artist of Ukraine.

2014 is a special year for Ekaterina Kukhar. This year she is invited to Paris and offered the role of Juliet in Shakespeare's famous production of Romeo and Juliet. However, she does not come there herself, but with her partner Alexander Stoyanov, who played the role of Romeo. It is noteworthy that the hall was designed for 3700 seats, and this contributed to a real sensation!

The couple held 6 performances, and each of them was crowned with success in the creative circles of Paris.

In 2018, Kateryna Kukhar received a new award - the honorary title of People's Artist of Ukraine.

The first marriage of Catherine Kukhar

In quite young age Catherine got married. The ballerina speaks reluctantly about her first marriage. The husband, having graduated from the choreographic school, decided to go into business. The artist recalls that discord soon began in the family - they stopped understanding and hearing each other.

The loss of the first child also became a difficult stage in the relationship.

After returning to work, having learned that she was pregnant again, Catherine largely rethought her life. Being on the 7th month, she divorced her husband, so that the son Timur was born already at the time when Catherine was alone. According to her, from the first days, Alexander Stoyanov, a partner and close friend, supported her. Soon the couple began an affair, so we can say that Alexander from the very beginning raised Timur as his own son.

After the divorce, the artist maintained a warm relationship with her former mother-in-law Galina Kukhar, an athlete and coach figure skating, she always perfectly understood and supported her daughter-in-law. Yes, and Galina does not have a soul in her grandson, so she often spends time with him. From the ex-husband, Ekaterina left only one thing for herself - a surname.

Their duo formed in 2006. Their first joint performance was in the production of The Nutcracker in Ukraine.

However, a few months later, they visited China with their performance. Today, this duet is one of the most popular and in demand not only in Ukraine, but also abroad.

In 2011, on their own initiative, they perform in a charity gala concert by Vladimir Malakhov. 2 years pass, and they are invited by Farah Ruzimatov in Japan to his gala concert. Gradually, their performances are gaining momentum and they are invited from all over the world, because their concerts are always sold out.

Ekaterina spoke about the National Opera House of Ukraine:

“Our theater management creates the most comfortable conditions for us, goes to meet us in the formation of the repertoire and schedule. This gives the soloists the opportunity to go on personal tours abroad. By the way, this is important, since not all theaters give the artist the opportunity to tour. And our theater allows and supports us in this, because in this way we popularize Ukraine and Ukrainian culture. Ukraine is not only embroidered shirts, excellent Ukrainian cuisine, Adrey Shevchenko and the Klitschko brothers, but also Ukrainian ballet. Our ballet school is one of the strongest and most popular in the world. The Ukrainian ballet dancer is accepted with pleasure on any stage of the world, our performances are always sold out.”

Love and scene

“In a man, as in a woman, a lot of different qualities must be combined. But I have always wondered why some of my friends suffer and suffer from unhappy love for men for whom they mean nothing .... I appreciate a man for whom ONLY I exist. It may be selfish, but I am absolutely not interested in men who change women like gloves. For me, they exist only as friends and I have enough of them. Catherine says.

Ekaterina Kukhar met Alexander Stoyanov in 2006, when they were put in a duet for performances. The schedule was busy, but this did not prevent them from finding a common language and taking care of each other.

Between them, real romantic feelings were later born, and soon love, which helped to cope with many difficulties in life.

According to Catherine and Alexander, at first they became close friends. And out of this deep attachment, love has grown - and this is the most the right way for a strong relationship, they say.

Children of Catherine Kukhar

World recognition did not deprive the talented Catherine of memories that weigh on the soul. The ballerina lost her first child.

The pregnancy went well, but later dates When the birth was already very close, a tragedy occurred.

“The loss of the child was because her lungs did not open. And when Alexander was offered to help Okhmatdyt a year ago and purchase an artificial respiration apparatus, it was like a sign from above,” Kuhar says with tears in his eyes.

According to the artist, after that she could not get out of bed for more than a month. Catherine took the strongest antidepressants, sleeping pills and cried, cried, cried. She seriously considered leaving her career.

It was ballet that helped her get out of depression, Catherine noted this more than once in her interviews. The teacher-repetiteur of the national opera invited the young ballerina to try herself in the role of Juliet. According to Kuhar, preparing such a game is a huge challenge. After all, you need to show lightness and youth in the first act, and already in the third - tragedy, maturity, sacrifice.

It was thanks to the stage that the artist was able to throw out her own emotions into the hall, transforming them into an acting game.

Ekaterina notes that a personal tragedy turned her whole life upside down and changed her as a person, taught her a lot.

Fortunately, after a while, the creative tandem still managed to have children.

According to Ekaterina, she was practically not on maternity leave - just 2 months after her son Timur was born, she and her husband were already dancing "The Little Mermaid" on the big stage. And 3 months after the birth of her daughter, she went on tour with the ballet troupe!

Now, the spouses say, an idyll reigns in the family. Combining a busy schedule with raising children is not easy, but Katya's mother and a hired nanny help here. According to Ekaterina, 4-year-old Nastya is a real " father's daughter”- weaves ropes out of him, learns to command, is jealous of his mother. Alexander, for the sake of his little princess, is really ready for anything. Yes, and Timur, the elder brother, from the first minutes of meeting was fascinated by his sister.

“I came from the hospital, I was worried about how the eldest son would perceive his sister, whether there would be jealousy. I go home with this pink envelope in such a strain, and my son: “Nastasya, my dear!”, Ekaterina recalls.

According to the artists, they have not yet been able to teach their son to ballet. But daughter Nastya, almost from the cradle, surprises with plasticity and stretching, sensitive hearing - she even eats to music and prefers music channels to cartoons. So her parents also plan to send her to a choreographic school.

In one of the interviews, Alexander hinted that he would be happy to become a father again. So far, the couple is not planning children, but who knows, maybe things will change soon.

Marriage and wedding

Spouses' passport stamps for a long time was not, because they believed that it was absolutely not necessary to officially confirm their love. However, they noted that the wedding had already happened. However, even without this, you can see how passionate they are about each other - these are truly deep feelings.

Before meeting Alexander, Ekaterina was already officially married - according to her, this helped the artist understand how little the stamp means.

In 2019, it became known that after 10 years life together Katerina Kukhar and Alexander Stoyanov still signed! A secret festive ceremony took place in December 2018, on the eve of Catholic Christmas.

“Officially, I got married in pointe shoes, in a tutu and with a veil. We like our ballet life: every six months we practically celebrate our honeymoon. When we go on tour, having worked out the ballet, we completely belong to each other, ”says Kukhar.

By the way, the newly-minted spouses received a certificate during a tour in the United States, so it is valid only on American territory.

Among those invited to the ceremony were only the closest people. Alexander and Ekaterina do not plan to celebrate the wedding more magnificently - their love does not require big words and lavish ceremonies, say the lovers.

March 27 2019, 02:03

Ekaterina Kukhar and Alexander Stoyanov are the pride of the national ballet. Besides the fact that they are soloists of the National Opera of Ukraine, the artists glorify our country in the far abroad with their art. Katya and Sasha are applauded by the most demanding audience in Britain, Germany, Japan, South Korea, France, Spain, China, Italy...

Viva! lucky: it's not so easy for our heroes to find time for a photo session and an interview, because they can be found at home extremely rarely - the tour schedule of ballet stars is scheduled for years to come. Plus, they are raising two children - seven-year-old Timur and two-year-old Nastenka.

- Katyusha, are you from Kiev?

Ekaterina: Yes, I was born and raised in Kyiv. Here, at the age of nine, my parents enrolled me in a choreographic school.

- If you are now such a miniature figurine, what were you like at nine?

E .: I clearly remember that I weighed 18 kg. We went through three qualifying rounds, and the last one was the medical board. There they told me my weight (smiles).

In fact, this is the standard for a five-six-year-old child. The medical board did not offer to gain a little weight and come back next year?

E .: In ballet, it is precisely such Thumbelinas that are needed, because it is difficult for boys to lift larger young ladies. I was just what you need (smiles).

- Whose desire was it to become a ballerina - yours or your parents'?

E .: Mom and grandmother dreamed that I would become a ballerina. I was five years old, I was walking with my great-grandmother in the yard in Pechersk. A gymnastics coach was passing by and noticed me. Apparently, she was attracted by my gymnastic appearance: fragile, thin, with even thick hair below the buttocks. My hair was the subject of special family pride (laughs). Immediately, not far from the sandbox, the woman tested my abilities, and the very next day I was taken to the Palace of Pioneers to the gymnastics section.

On the very first day, without preparation, they put me on a twine, while one leg was put on a hill, the other was on the floor, they pressed: yeah, it stretches. In gymnastics, there are quite strict laws, no one is sentimental. I'm in pain, I'm in shock, I'm in tears. After training, I said that I would not go there again. And my mother, without hesitation, transferred me to a ballet circle. And there is already beauty: white bows, swimsuits, skirts, ballet flats. This is completely different.

Who knows, if you hadn't been treated so cruelly in your first gymnastics class, perhaps the world would not have seen the prima ballerina Ekaterina Kukhar.

E .: I have a rather athletic, strong-willed character. I think if my mother had insisted, said that I needed to endure, I would have remained in sports, and life could have turned out completely differently. Although I know that if something is destined to happen, it will definitely happen.

- And the meeting with Sasha was predetermined... Sasha, are you also from Kiev?

Alexander: No, I came to study at the Kiev Choreographic School from Yalta. In general, they sent me to ballet against my desire. I was very fond of ballroom dancing, I liked the attributes: clothes, frizzy hair, girls in tight dresses with sparkles in their hair ... I started ballroom dancing, participated in competitions, and was noticed at one of them former entertainer ballet. He approached my parents and suggested: "Send your son to ballet, send him to the Kiev Choreographic School, he has excellent ballet skills." And my dad, although he was born in the village, is an educated, cultured person, he studied at a university in Moscow. He loves ballet. Therefore, I gladly took up this idea. And so my fate was sealed.

- Did you live in a boarding school at the school?

A .: Yes, and it was good, fun. But my parents felt sorry for me, they decided that the child should live at home with mom and dad, so for me they moved from Yalta to the capital. But they did it in stages. First, my mother moved to Kyiv with my older brother. He was sent to study at the lyceum, then his sister was also transported - already here she went to school. Later, Anyuta from Kiev was born in our family, who is now studying choreography. Father eventually joined us.

Amazing, what a sacrifice! It's amazing how the words spoken a stranger radically changed the life of the whole family.

A .: I am incredibly grateful to my parents for what they have done for me.

E .: Only from the height of the years we have lived can we appreciate and realize the role that loved ones played in the formation of our creative way. For my sake, my grandmother Lena quit her leadership position and got a job at the choreographic school for the first vacant vacancy in order to take me to classes, pick me up after rehearsals. There were colossal workloads at the school, I came home completely exhausted, and I did not always have the strength to do my homework. On such days, my grandmother came to the rescue again. Dad, on the other hand, sewed my ballet flats and pointe shoes. In general, we can say that the whole family studied with me.

- What is more in your profession - pleasure or titanic work?

E .: This is a daily titanic work at the limit of possibilities, which is later rewarded.

A .: Yes, it turns out a symbiosis of invested work and pleasure. I now enjoy my work.

You say this as successful dancers, ballet premieres, in demand in many theaters around the world. And how would the corps de ballet dancers answer this question?

A .: If we talk about men who should be breadwinners, in the corps de ballet, of course, you won’t earn much. They rarely go on tour, but the main income is still abroad.

E .: They often go on tour only with the theater. Of course, .

- In which theaters of the countries do you work?

A .: In completely different: America, England, Japan, Korea, France, Spain, China, Italy, Latvia ...

- But somehow you need to get into the pool of touring artists. Do you have an impresario? What is the mechanism?

E .: The professional ballet world is very small, we all know each other. It is very important not to be afraid to take part in international competitions. After all, representatives of theaters from different countries come there. Of course, it is necessary to perform at such competitions on high level. Then they pay attention to the artist, make interesting offers. So gradually the artist acquires connections.

A .: It all depends on how you dance. If you dance well - they invite you, if you dance badly - of course, they don’t invite you. Over time, they offer not only to dance, but also to sit on the jury of prestigious competitions. This year, for the first time in the history of representatives from Ukraine, Katerina was invited to the Paris Ballet Conservatory for State exam as a jury.

E .: It was a great honor for me and an interesting experience, although before that I had already worked as a member of the jury in different countries. The fact is that the French school is very closed. This is one of the oldest dance schools in the world. Its representatives do not like to accept artists from other countries. In Paris, Isabella Seravola represented her students at the exam, she is for the French like Maya Plisetskaya is for us. I felt her mood well: it was unusual for her to trust the fate of her students to a representative of another ballet school and culture. As a rule, only the French work in the commission. In general, everyone was friendly, but it was felt that you were treated in a special way. It was also very nice that the Parisians noted my sense of style.

There is a stereotype that a ballerina is an ephemeral creature woven from moonlight, feeding on dew and manna from heaven. And all earthly joys - beautiful outfits, cars, families - are too material for these unearthly creatures. And in their sexuality somehow even embarrassing to suspect. Genius of pure beauty.

E .: (Laughs) The most important thing in life is life itself! Its rhythm, aroma, taste, color, ability to enjoy every day. The woman must be alive! Sensual! Real! Be able to create a special space around yourself. And the artists are obliged to live even more fully, so that it is possible to convey to the viewer the accumulated experience, emotions, knowledge. I live fully. In my life there are children, and a husband, and outfits, and passion, and joy, and grief ... Of course, artistry, acting skills are very important in ballet. But life experience helps not to play a role, but to live it on stage.

- Are there roles in your repertoire that have influenced your life?

E .: For me, this is the role of Masha in the play "The Nutcracker" and Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet".

A .: The play "The Nutcracker" is fateful for both me and Katya. In the theater, we were connected as a ballet couple in this particular performance.

E .: Even before meeting Sasha, I made my debut as Mashenka, being a student of the school, on one of the best Japanese stages.

- And how did the role of Juliet affect your fate?

E .: This role is hard-won. Juliet is a difficult party for the actress, because at the beginning of the first act it is necessary to convey youth, lightness, carelessness, and in the third act one must play grief from the loss of a loved one. I was offered the part of Juliet at a very difficult period for me - after I experienced grief, having lost my first child. And I am very grateful to the teacher-repetiteur Eleonora Mikhailovna for her proposal to start working on this game at that particular period. The work brought me back to life.

Fans write to me that, having seen Juliet in my performance, they no longer represent anyone else in this role.

A .: The audience does not know many subtleties, but you cannot deceive them. They not only see the technical side of the dance, but also feel all the nuances, the energy of the artist. Many do not realize that Katerina and I are a couple not only on stage, but also in life. They are very surprised how we manage to play love, passion on stage so convincingly. But we don't have to play - our feelings are real.

Perhaps that is why you are called the most beautiful ballet couple in Europe. After seeing you as Carmen and Scheherazade, I now know for sure that ballet can be very sexy. Well, the fact that you are the mother of two children is certainly the rarest exception to the rule!

E .: Yes, this is a rarity. Unfortunately, there are a lot of negative examples: there are a lot of dancers in the theater who put their whole lives on the altar of ballet and in the end were left alone - without a family, without children. When the scene ends, and this is a very painful period, what is left for the artist? Loneliness and unsettled personal life.

A .: So I say: in addition to the son and daughter, we need another child. But Katya doesn’t want to, she says: let me dance!

E .: Now I belong to the audience (smiles).

Katya, when you were pregnant with Timur and when you were expecting your daughter Anastasia, did you go on maternity leave? How quickly after giving birth did you return to the stage?

E .: I don’t know what is more important here - either genetics, or willpower, but I practically did not leave the stage. After the birth of Timur, two months later we danced "The Little Mermaid" in Kyiv, and then went on tour to Spain. It was the same with Nastya - three months after her birth, we danced "Swan Lake" in Italy.

A .: We have a busy schedule, contracts, and pregnancy is not included in the plans. Only thanks good attitude, the host party did not charge us a penalty for the fact that we were away for a while. But then I had to very quickly pull myself together and return to duty.

E .: As a rule, everyone treats pregnancy with understanding. But once I still had to pay a huge penalty to our impresario, because I disrupted the tour.

- With whom do the children stay during your many trips?

A .: Katya's mother remains with the children. But since our children are very active, a nanny helps our beloved grandmother to cope with them. Why is there a grandmother, for three days in a row I went for a walk with them alone - this is the guard! One pulls in one direction, the other in the other, one screams, the other climbs somewhere. It's easier to spend the day in the rehearsal room (laughs).

E .: Nastya is our father's daughter. When I went on my second decree, I agreed with Alexander that I was carrying and giving birth to a child, and nightly rises, feedings were already on him.

A .: Well, yes, you are nine months old, and I am the remaining 90 years (laughs). This year Timur went to the first class. Before the first of September, Katya was worried: “God, God, now you have to get up early!” And I answer her: “Katyusha, nothing will change for you. You got up late, so you will get up. Morning rises on me. I feel that I will have to take the second one to school when I grow up. ” We thought that the little sun would be so calm ...

E .: Sasha promised me: there will be a daughter - she will be such a sweetheart and helper!

A .: She is an assistant: she cleans herself.

E .: But she has a character! Demanding and cunning woman. Viet ropes from Sasha and Timur. I punish and they protect her. Especially Timur.

A .: Says: “You can’t punish a child!”

E .: I came from the hospital, I was worried how the eldest son would perceive his sister, whether there would be jealousy. I go home with this pink envelope in such a strain, and my son: “Nastasya, my dear!”

A .: I just fell out of this phrase. Where did you hear it? The film, he says, he saw. And how he is cowardly over her now! Nastya will catch a little somewhere, stumble, he immediately runs up to her: “Nastya, did you hit your leg? Are you hurt? Show me! Let me be sorry."

- Before the appearance of Anastasia, mother was the queen in the house?

A .: She is still the queen, only she has now there is a war with Princess Anastasia (laugh). The competition is very serious. By the way, Nastya wins, although she is only two years old. There is a struggle for the attention of a brother and dad.

E .: She does not allow me to kiss them, hug them.

A .: He takes Timur by the hand and takes me away. As if he makes it clear: these are my men, and you, mother, mind your own business.

- Do you plan to send children to ballet?

E .: You definitely need a little one. She was born a ballerina. She has a clear inclination. Nastya is very dancing, soft. When she was still in bed, she performed such oriental dances with her hands! And she has great stretch. And she really feels the music. Instead of cartoons, he watches music channels and dances to them. And eat to the music.

But with Timur we did not succeed. He was three years old when we brought him to the Nutcracker for the first time. For about five minutes he sat as if spellbound, and then he got tired of everything, he turned to me and said: “Mom, no ballet!” I say: “Okay, no question, we won’t force you.”

So you say that at the end of a career, the family is a lifeline. But it seems to me that creative people still cannot live without their favorite work.

A: We are already working on it. And work as a teacher is not enough here - all the same, trips, tours, and financial question important here. We have to bring up children who will not have time to get on their feet by this time.

E .: You know, before ballet dancers could retire at 37, but now they have to retire at 55-60. Like all. In my opinion, this is incorrect in relation to the artists.

A .: If you are a programmer, then at the age of 40 you can only start making good money. And if it is ballet or sports, then you need to start thinking about retirement from the age of 20. Our education does not allow us to work in some interesting places after 40.

Thanks to her name, interest in ballet art in Ukraine has grown.

Prima ballerina of the National Opera of Ukraine Kateryna Kukhar is in demand not only in her native country, but also abroad.This meeting is the result of several months of negotiations with the ballerina's press officer.

At first she was busy rehearsing before the premiere of the sensational ballet "Children of the Night", then touring in Switzerland, after that she was busy in the USA, then in Kyiv she danced "Giselle" and "Spartacus" with guest artists of La Scala and Boston Ballet.

In an interview with UP.Life, Ekaterina Kukhar spoke about her partners on stage, about the role that influenced her life, and what ballet dancers have to give up.

In March, you received the title of People's Artist of Ukraine. How important is this to you? After all, some artists consider such regalia a relic Soviet era but see no other alternative.

When I found out about the award of the title, I will not hide, it was very pleasant.

For me National artist- this is, first of all, the one whom the public knows and loves. If the state evaluates your work, this is a double joy.

Although there are no titles abroad. Abroad, the artist is recognized only by his last name - this is the main trump card.

- When performing abroad, what is your priority?- the status of the world stage or the name of the partner?

Of great importance is the level of professionalism of the partner with whom I dance on stage. I was lucky in the sense that my teacher, Valery Kovtun, whom Maya Plisetskaya called the best partner, always said:

"Whatever happens in a duet dance, the partner is always to blame."

He extolled the woman in ballet.

Therefore, I am always very demanding of my stage partners, because I know all the nuances of a duet dance and I want to be sure that nothing will happen.

- What do you have in mind?

There are partners who behave like daffodils in a duet dance and do not consider it necessary to carefully position their partner after certain lifts.

As a result, the ballerina is more tired and may be injured.

I have had the only such case and, I hope, the last.

I appreciate reliable stage partners.

For me, the ideal partner is my husband Alexander Stoyanov.

I am sure that he will do everything right, which gives me the opportunity to focus on my image, to more deeply reveal the character of the character in the performance, thereby giving more energy to the audience.

Why in most cases it turns out that as soon as an artist leaves Ukraine, he becomes famous there, but he is not appreciated in his native country?

Not many people get famous. We are not told those cases when people left Ukraine and their career did not work out.

It all depends on the person, his character. Luck plays a very important role in the fate of an actor, like any person.

A striking example is the Ukrainian ballet dancer Sergei Polunin, which performs on the world's best stages, starred in Hollywood films.

There are many talented ballet dancers who dance at a high level, but due to different circumstances few people know about them. Perhaps it is not enough to dance well, it is also important to be an interesting person.

At the same time, despite his media popularity, Sergey himself complained more than once in an interview that ballet dancers, both in London and in Kyiv, live almost the same and enough cramped conditions.

But, in my opinion, this applies more to corps de ballet dancers.

The leading ballet dancers have much more opportunities, although each theater has its own nuances.

This is probably why, when a contract ends abroad, and foreign guests become of no interest to anyone, they try to return to Ukraine and gain a foothold here, at home, in leadership positions. So it's not so bad for us!

When Polunin presented the film in Kyiv in the fall of 2017, he said that he intended to popularize the ballet. What does ballet need in Ukraine?

Two main factors influence the development of ballet. The first is talented personalities in art: artists, choreographers, composers, set designers.

The second factor is funding. In order for our ballet to continue to be among the leaders, it must be supported on state level.

ballet - very expensive art.

National opera it is difficult, but possible, to compete with such giants as, for example, New York City Ballet, La Scala in Milan.

An incredible number of tourists come to these cities every day - these are one of the most visited corners in the world.

Therefore, these theaters can afford to charge a high price for tickets and make new expensive productions.

In addition, ballet in these countries has been supported at the state level for decades.

Books are written about theaters, films are made. For example, "The Phantom of the Opera" about the Paris Theater or the cartoon "Ballerina", which was released last year and is incredibly popular with children.

Girls after this cartoon dream of becoming a ballerina and dancing "Swan Lake" at the Grand Opera.

These moves greatly help the development of the theater and increase interest in art.

The press and television help, when journalists support our events, people show great interest in such news.

In order to adequately represent Ukraine on foreign tours, it is necessary to invest in new large-scale productions.

The most powerful states, first of all, write their history in the book of art.

- Would you like to move to live in another country?

I love to travel, but I love my country even more.

I can’t imagine life without Kyiv, my native theater and home.

Of course, there were tempting offers to stay in the US, Switzerland and other countries, but we - me and the family - want to be here.

- How different is the audience in Ukraine and abroad?

Everywhere there are some features of the perception of ballet art. When we were in Italy with the play "Don Quixote", we did not have time to go on stage, the hall immediately exploded with applause, shouted "Bravo!"

When we were in the United Arab Emirates, in Oman, they showed Cinderella, the whole performance took place in absolute deathly silence.

We have already begun to worry about why such a reaction. But in the finale, a flurry of applause awaited us.

By the way, before the tour to Oman, costumes were altered for many artists - tutus were lengthened for girls, pants were sewn for guys instead of ordinary tights.

In Japan, the audience always waits for an autograph after the performance.

There is such a queue that it takes several hours! They also have a tradition of giving away a small towel-napkin.

- What a gift from the viewer for recent times surprised you?

Recently, a fan from overseas sent a large plasticine painting. This is a fragment from the play "Master and Margarita".

I confess I was delighted. I had no idea that such a beautiful canvas could be created from plasticine.

Many point out that last years The Ukrainian audience has changed, it has become more active in going to the theatre. Do you notice it?

Back in 2013-14, when the tragic events on the Maidan took place, the theater was closed only for one day.

We thought that there would be half-empty halls, but this was not the case.

The viewer came to the theater during this difficult period to get inspiration, a breath of hope and peace of mind.

Now the audience actively goes to the theater. And different ages.

At my performances, these are little girls who dream of becoming ballerinas, and young people, and the older generation.

Recently at the service entrance to the theater alone elderly woman came, hoping to see me, and left a bunch of wildflowers.

This touched me very much, but, unfortunately, she did not leave any contact details.

I am very pleased when they give flowers and sign postcards, from whom the bouquet is important. I wonder what colors I associate with the audience.

It is very touching when they write thanks for the fact that "thanks to you I came to the opera house." These posts are inspiring.

Recently, a child sent me a picture of a ballerina that he had painted and asked me to leave an autograph.

You not only perform abroad, but also participate as a jury member at children's competitions. What are you paying attention to?

At competitions, two minutes is enough for me to evaluate the artist. After the first round, anyone who is not allowed to the second has the right to come to me and find out why he did not go further.

Despite the fact that the competition lasted from 9 am to 11 pm, and it is difficult to remember all the performers, I will always explain to the person what they still need to work on in order to perform better next time.

As a rule, during the performance of the contestant I write down for myself what are his strengths and weaknesses.

Children are performing in front of us, so it is important to give right advice so that the child does not lose faith in himself.

Sometimes the child shows good technique, but it lacks musicality or outward aesthetics.

After all, ballet is primarily an aesthetic art, and appearance an artist is 50% of success.

Spectators come to the theater to get a treat for the eye.

Evaluating the artist at the competition, symbiosis is important for me - a harmonious combination of external data with performance technique, drama.

- How important is charisma for ballet dancers?

Charisma is very important for an artist, but it is most often revealed in performances.

It is rare that anyone can take the hall with their energy at the competition for a minute or two-minute variation.

- What performances are closer to your genre?

Dramatic. For me, they are of incredible value. At the beginning of my career, I literally"grabbed" for all the parties.

For the last 5-7 years, I have felt the need for dramatic performances. This is a natural process.

When an actor becomes mature, he understands what roles are close to him in spirit.

Inspiration alone is not enough, the inspiration of an educated spirit is needed.

A spirit that knows the character's line and reveals these experiences consciously and deeply.

It is important for me that the performance should have the development of the conflict, the spiritual and psychological components in the character's character.

Of course, such roles require careful preparation from the actor, but within reasonable limits.

It is known that the Russian prima ballerina Olga Spesivtseva, preparing for the role in the ballet "Giselle", spent a lot of time in a mental hospital.

And subsequently she spent 20 years in a psychiatric hospital.

- Have there been roles in your career that have influenced your life?

Yes. At one time, my teacher Eleonora Mikhailovna Steblyak, thanks to the offer to dance the role of Juliet, pulled me out of the deep abyss of depression.

I was able to transfer my experiences, pain to the stage in the image of Juliet.

- The life of an artist, especially a ballerina, is quite harsh. What do you have to deny yourself?

Each profession has its own characteristics. It all depends on the mood. If my parents had told me as a child: “All children have a lot of free time, and you, poor thing, have only rehearsals from morning to evening at a ballet school,” I would think about it with horror and after each rehearsal I would complain about life, regret would yourself so on.

And I had a different setting, that this is the norm. Therefore, I took this lifestyle and load for granted.

Now, as an adult, I think that this regimen solves an important problem - directing the child's energy in the right direction.

The child does not wallow idle, but develops and learns to achieve some goals, character is brought up from childhood.

On the other hand, such children grow like a "houseplant".

When does it start adulthood, the problem of choice arises: ballet or life like everyone else.

If you have a day off, then in the theater it falls on Monday, and Saturday and Sunday are performances.

New Year's Eve is the same. My first husband and I also had conflicts on this basis - he wants to relax on the weekends, and I have a job.

If an artist misses a day or two, he takes two steps back.

If you go on vacation for a week, then it is worth a tremendous effort to get in shape.

This issue is especially acute for ballerinas. There are a lot of girls in the theater who are 35+, and they still have not decided to go on maternity leave.

Because every ballet dancer, especially a prima, understands that the birth of a child can affect the body to such an extent that there is a risk of never returning to the stage.

These are individual features of hormonal changes. After all, there are no indispensable in ballet.

It is a priori impossible for me to go on stage, even after the decree, until I brought myself back into shape.

An artist is an incentive and a role model, so you should always carefully monitor yourself and keep yourself in good shape.

- Do you already know for yourself where the harmony between family and career is?

My main "recipe" is my husband ( smiles) who supports me in everything.

Every man who lives with prima must understand that he is her helper and support..

I am grateful to Sasha that we can do everything together: dance, relax, and cook. I am deeply convinced that if a man loves a woman, he will do everything for her.

Iryna Golizdra , especially for UP.Zhittya