Russian dancer Maria Danilova was compared by contemporaries to the heroine of the Greek myth Psyche. The name of the ballerina gained the greatest fame in the 19th century thanks to the performance of the same name. In honor of the artist, the crater on Venus was later named.
It is hardly possible to say with certainty that Maria Ivanovna Perfilieva, who became famous as Danilova, was only happy or completely unhappy during her life. It had trials, amazing successes, and disappointments. Nevertheless, the name of the put down ballerina and her contribution to art did not remain forgotten. She was praised by poets, became a muse for the most famous choreographers of her time and inspired dancers to continue the spiritualized performance she had begun.
The road to destination
The biography of the future artist began in 1793. She was born in St. Petersburg. From an early age, the girl was distinguished by amazing plasticity and grace. In 1801 she was admitted to the St. Petersburg Theater School. The hard work and diligence of the eight-year-old baby amazed everyone.
Her talent was so noticeable that they predicted a brilliant future for her. Mashenka was taught by the then famous teachers Charles Didlot and Evgeny Kolosova. Didlot called Maria his best student. All the time Danilova was occupied with classes.
Without leaving the walls of the school, Danilova already shone on the professional stage. The fifteen-year-old girl was entrusted with performing the part in the ballets Zephyr and Flora, Apollo and Daphne, created by her teacher. One image of a graceful girl has already caused admiration. And the poetic mood of the goddess of flowers was created by the most virtuoso acting and graceful dance.
For the first time the production of Zephyr and Flora was conceived by Didlot in Lyon in 1795. However, the realization of the plan failed due to the imperfection of the technique and the too small size of the stage. The choreographer needed machines for transformations, and gushing fountains, and flights. The premiere took place at the Royal Theater in London in the summer of 1796. The choreographer himself and his wife shone in the main roles.
Successful career
Didlot constantly improved the production, added new characters, changed the music. According to some historians, it was in this ballet for the first time that a dancer stood on pointe shoes.
After completing her education, the young ballerina made her debut in the play "The Love of Venus and Adonis, or The Vengeance of Mars". At the end of 1809, Maria Ivanovna became a member of the imperial ballet troupe, immediately becoming a soloist in it.
Contemporaries compared her skill on stage with a miracle. And about Danilova herself they said that the ballerina is the personification of the perfection of beauty. Famous Russian poets also dedicated many lines to her.
Maria Ivanovna masterly mastered the art of dance. The audience was delighted with her airiness and lightness on stage. Danilova was also gifted as an actress. With the help of facial expressions and gestures, without a single word, she conveyed the slightest shades of feelings to the public. In her work, artistry and perfection of technique harmoniously merged.
In 1808, the famous French performer Louis Duport began performing in St. Petersburg. He was distinguished by a technique, unthinkable for that time. It was claimed that in three jumps, he could cross a huge stage, as if hovering over it.
Star role
He gained fame as a dancer and as a choreographer. Usually he himself performed the main parts in his productions. Problems usually started when looking for partners because of very high requirements. The young soloist Mashenka Danilova perfectly suited all the criteria of the master.
The duet of Duport and Danilova was highly appreciated by contemporaries. Maria successfully performed in the ballet "Love of Venus and Adonis" in the image of Venus. Struck by the contrast her new image. In Duport's ballet The Barber of Seville, the goddess was transformed into a crafty and living Rosina. Danilova played both comedic and tragic roles with equal ease and brilliance. Divertissements with Russian dances were not uncommon for the performer.
Didlo did not leave a talented student without filming. The pinnacle of success for Maria was his ballet Cupid and Psyche. The ballet master staged the play in 1809. The music for it was written by Katerina Kavos. According to contemporaries, the production was a real triumph of skill. The main decoration of the stage was Danilova in the role of Psyche.
The premiere took place at the Hermitage Theater on January 8. Soon the performances were transferred to the Stone (Bolshoi) Theater. The ethereal dancer personified airiness. Maria appeared in performances every day. Her unusual talent developed in various productions of Didlot. However, it was the role of Psyche that perfectly suited Danilova. From the outside it seemed that she was created only for her. The audience called Maria Russian Taglioni.
Interrupted dance
Technique was always used during the performances. For the flight of the heroes, a system of machines was used. A special corset was put on the dancer for attaching a metal cable. Hovering above the ground was a very risky trick. The slightest failure - and tragedy is inevitable.
At one of the rehearsals, the car jerked sharply, inflicting a strong blow on the ballerina. However, despite the misfortune, Maria continued to perform. She shone in the light dance of Psyche, illuminating the stage with her smile. Such airiness demanded incredible strength from the artist.
Constant overload and the desire to give all the best at the performances made the talented girl literally "burn out" at work in a matter of months. Maria Ivanovna passed away from life in 1910, on January 20.
A month later, the ballet was removed from the repertoire: no one else was able to replace the dancer. During her lifetime, she became a heroine of myths, and with her departure, she completely turned into a legend. Her name is forever inscribed in the history of Russian theater.
