Maria Kochetkova

{{short description|Russian ballet dancer}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}} {{Infobox dancer | name = Maria Kochetkova Мария Олеговна Кочеткова | image = File:Maria Kochetkova.jpg | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Maria Olegovna Kochetkova | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|05|07|df=yes}} | birth_place = Moscow, Soviet Union | death_date =  | death_place = | residence = | nationality = | citizenship = Russian / American | education = | occupation = Ballet dancer | years_active = | home_town = | height =5 ft / 152 cm | spouse = | partner = | children = | website =  | current_group = Freelance ballerina | former_groups = The Royal Ballet San Francisco Ballet American Ballet Theatre Finnish National Ballet English National Ballet | dances = | module = }}

'''Maria Olegovna Kochetkova''' ({{langx|ru|Мария Олеговна Кочеткова}}; born 1984) is a Russian ballet dancer. She was a principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet between 2007 and 2018, and with the American Ballet Theatre between 2015 and 2017. After that, she became a freelance dancer for several years, before joining the Finnish National Ballet in the 2020/21 season. She danced with the English National Ballet from August 2021 until January 2021. She now works as a freelance ballerina and curator.

==Early life== Kochetkova was born in Moscow. She trained at The Bolshoi Ballet Academy from 1994 until her graduation in 2002.<ref name=web>{{cite web|url=http://mariakochetkova.com/biography|title=Biography|work=Maria Kochetkova|access-date=May 2, 2020}}</ref>

==Career== [[File:Herman Cornejo Maria Kochetkova MIRA FB.jpg|thumb|Maria Kochetkova and Herman Cornejo in ''Le Corsaire'']] After winning the Prix de Lausanne in 2002, Kochetkova danced with The Royal Ballet as an apprentice,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.prixdelausanne.org/winners/maria-kochetkova/|title=Maria Kochetkova|work=Prix de Lausanne|accessdate=June 30, 2020}}</ref> then later danced at the English National Ballet for four years, during which she mostly danced corps roles but also the Sugar Plum Fairy in ''The Nutcracker''.<ref name=masha>{{cite news|url=https://www.dancemagazine.com/being_masha-2306927977.html|title=Being Masha|work=Dance Magazine|date=March 1, 2014}}</ref>

In 2007, after Kochetkova took classes with the San Francisco Ballet, she joined the company as a principal dancer at the invitation of Helgi Tomasson.<ref name=masha/> She danced roles such as Odette/Odile in ''Swan Lake'', Swanilda in ''Coppélia'', Tatiana in ''Onegin'' and lead role in ''Theme and Variations''. She created roles such as David Dawson's ''Anima Animus'' and Christopher Wheeldon's ''Within the Golden Hour''.<ref name=Norway>{{cite web|url=https://operaen.no/en/persons/the-norwegian-national-ballet/maria-kochetkova/|work=Norwegian National Opera and Ballet|title=Maria Kochetkova|date=May 2, 2020}}</ref> She also danced the title role in the US premiere of Wheeldon's ''Cinderella''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/maria-kochetkova-interview|title=The City's Coolest Ballerina Talks S.F., Fashion, & Cutting A Rug Offstage!|work=refinery 29|date=April 30, 2013}}</ref>

Kochetkova performed the Grand Pas de Deux in San Francisco Ballet's Nutcracker which was broadcast by PBS in 2008 and won the solo gold medal in the NBC series ''Superstars of Dance''.<ref name=Norway/> In 2013, she appeared in documentary ''Ballet's Greatest Hits'', dancing the ''Don Quixote'' grand pas de deux, with Taras Domitro as Basilio and Skylar Brandt as the bridesmaid.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://yagp.org/ballets-greatest-hits-yagp-gala/|title=Ballet's Greatest Hits: YAGP Gala|work=Youth American Grand Prix|access-date=May 2, 2020}}</ref> She starred as Juliet in the 2015 filmed version of ''Romeo and Juliet''. She also appeared in various music videos and advertisements.<ref name=Norway/> Kochetkova is also known for her social media presence, with hundred of thousands of followers around the world.<ref name=leave>{{cite news|url=https://www.pointemagazine.com/maria-kochetkova-leaving-sf-ballet-2560654007.html|title= Maria Kochetkova to Leave San Francisco Ballet|work=Pointe Magazine|date=16 April 2018}}</ref>

In 2015, Kochetkova joined the American Ballet Theatre but remained a principal dancer in San Francisco Ballet, and split her time between San Francisco and New York City.<ref>{{cite web|title=Promotions announced at ABT|url=http://www.abt.org/insideabt/news_display.asp?News_ID=522|website=ABT.org|date=June 30, 2015}}</ref> At ABT, she danced roles such as the title role in ''Giselle'', Medora in ''Le Corsaire'' and Nikiya in ''La Bayadère''. She remained a principal of ABT until 2017.<ref name=Norway/>

In 2018, Kochetkova left San Francisco Ballet after the company's Unbound Festival<ref name=leave/> because she wanted more freedom and to be closer to her mother, who lives in Moscow.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dancemagazine.com/maria-kochetkova-2629505394.html|title=Why Maria Kochetkova Has Said Goodbye to Company Life|work=Dance Magazine|date=February 28, 2019}}</ref>

Kochetkova now performs as a freelance dancer. She danced with the Norwegian National Ballet and Dresden Semperoper Ballett as a principal guest artist, and returned to English National Ballet as a guest artist.<ref name=Norway/><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.semperoper.de/en/ensemble/personen/peid/maria-kochetkova/6111.html|title=Maria Kochetkova|work=Semperoper Dresden|access-date=May 2, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thewonderfulworldofdance.com/maria-kochetkova-performing-cinderella-english-national-ballet|title=Maria Kochetkova on performing Cinderella with English National Ballet|work=The Wonderful World of Dance|date=June 11, 2019}}</ref> In 2019, Kochetkova presented her solo program, ''Maria Kochetkova: Catch Her If You Can'' at the Joyce Theater. It featured works by David Dawson and William Forsythe, as well as appearances of Sofiane Sylve, Carlo di Lanno and Drew Jacoby.<ref name=pointe>{{cite news|url=https://www.pointemagazine.com/maria-kochetkova-joyce-theater-2639173389.html|title=Maria Kochetkova on Freelance Life, Her New Show at the Joyce Theater and More|work=Pointe Magazine|date=July 12, 2019}}</ref> In the 2020/21 season, Kochetkova joined the Finnish National Ballet as a lead principal dancer.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dancemagazine.com/news-of-note-what-you-might-have-missed-in-september-2020-2647890484.html|title=News of Note: What You Might Have Missed in September 2020|work=Dance Magazine|date=October 2, 2020}}</ref>

== Selected repertoire == Kochetkova's repertoire includes:<ref name=web/><ref name=Norway/><ref name=pointe/> {{columns-list|colwidth=20em| *The title role in ''Sylvia'' *Medora in ''Le Corsaire'' *Nikiya in ''La Bayadère'' *Kitri in ''Don Quixote'' *Aurora in ''The Sleeping Beauty'' *Odette/Odile in ''Swan Lake'' *The title role in ''Giselle'' *Swanilda in ''Coppélia'' *Tatiana in ''Onegin'' *The title role in ''Cinderella'' *Clara, grand Pas de Deux Ballerina, Queen of the Snow, and Sugar Plum Fairy in ''The Nutcracker'' *The title role in ''Manon'' *The Sylph in ''La Sylphide'' *''Symphonic Variations'' *''Voices of Spring'' *''Monotones'' *''Allegro Brillante'' *"Emeralds," "Rubies" and "Diamonds" from ''Jewels'' *''Serenade'' *2nd movement in ''Symphony in C'' *''Theme and Variations'' *Irina in ''Winter Dreams'' *Pink in ''Dances at a Gathering'' *''Other Dances'' *''Chroma'' *''Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes'' *''Raymonda'' Pas de Deux *''Piano Concerto #1'' from ''Shostakovich Trilogy''

===Created roles=== *The title role in ''Cinderella'' *''Raymonda'' Pas de Deux *''The Chairman Dances'' *''Borderlands'' *''Anima Animus'' *''Bjork Ballet'' *''Pas/Parts'' *''Classical Symphony'' *''Diving into the Lilacs'' *''Francesca da Rimini'' *''Swimmer'' *''Within the Golden Hour'' *''Number Nine'' *''From Foreign Lands'' *''Caprice'' *''On a Theme of Paganini'' *''Trio'' *''Hummingbird'' *''Symphonic Dances'' *''Guide to Strange Places'' *''Rush for Full'' *''A Dream Play'' }}

== Personal life == She is married to entrepreneur Edward King.<ref>{{Cite news|url = http://www.sfgate.com/style/article/Maria-Kochetkova-puts-her-personal-stamp-on-dance-5967211.php|title = Maria Kochetkova puts her personal stamp on dance and dress|date = December 18, 2014|publisher = SFGate}}</ref> She filed for divorce in October 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MARIA KOCHETKOVA VS. EDWARD C KING |url=https://unicourt.com/case/ca-sfc-maria-kochetkova-vs-edward-c-king-598967 |access-date=2022-06-14 |website=UniCourt |language=en}}</ref> On February 7, 2023, Kochetkova revealed on Instagram that she is pregnant with her first child.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maria Kochetkova on Instagram: "It’s been so special dancing with you for the past 6 months" |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CoXY2ixoKZL/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=Instagram |language=en}}</ref>

== Awards == *Prix de Lausanne, 2002 - silver medal *Varna International Ballet Competition, 2002 - silver medal and jury prize *Isadora Duncan Dance Award, 2008 *Superstars of Dance, 2009 - gold medal *Prix Benois de la Danse, 2013 - nominated *Critics’ Circle National Dance Award (U.K.) for Best Female Dancer, 2014 - nominated *Premio Positano, 2017 - Ballerina of the Year Sources:<ref name=Norway/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://mariakochetkova.com/ Official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127082554/http://mariakochetkova.com/ |date=November 27, 2020 }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kochetkova, Maria}} Category:American Ballet Theatre principal dancers Category:San Francisco Ballet principal dancers Category:English National Ballet dancers Category:Dancers of The Royal Ballet Category:Prix de Lausanne winners Category:Dancers from Moscow Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:Moscow State Academy of Choreography alumni Category:Russian prima ballerinas Category:21st-century Russian ballet dancers Category:Russian expatriates in the United States