{{short description|Russian ballet dancer}} {{Infobox dancer | name = Veronika Part | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1978|02|21}} | birth_place = Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union | death_date = <!-- {{death date and age|deathyear|mm|dd|birthyear|mm|dd}} --> | death_place = | residence = | nationality = | citizenship = | education = | occupation = Ballet dancer | years_active = 1996&ndash;present | home_town = | height = | spouse = | partner = | children = | website = <!-- {{URL|website}} --> | current_group = Atlanta Ballet | former_groups = Kirov Ballet<br/>American Ballet Theatre | dances = Ballet | module = }}

'''Veronika Part''' (born 21 February 1978) is a Russian ballet dancer. She is a former principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. She served as a ballet mistress for Atlanta Ballet during the 2019–20 season.<ref name=ab>{{cite web|url=https://www.atlantaballet.com/about/staff/artistic|title=Artistic - Ballet Masters|work=Atlanta Ballet|access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref>

==Early life== Veronika Part was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). The doctor who delivered her said she had beautiful legs, therefore her mother believed Part should be a ballet dancer. However, Part started in gymnastics at age 4, and continued for six years. In 1988, at age 10, her mother sent her to audition for Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. She was accepted and started training at the academy.<ref name=ab/><ref name=mag>{{cite news|url=https://www.dancemagazine.com/russian-soul-2306865487.html|title=Russian Soul|work=Dance Magazine|date=28 June 2011}}</ref> She graduated in 1996, under the class of Inna Zubkovskaya.<ref name=m>{{cite web|url=https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/company/guest_ballet/part/|title=Veronika Part|work=Mariinsky Theatre|access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref>

==Career== In 1996, at age 18, Part joined the Kirov Ballet (now Mariinsky Ballet), and became a soloist in 1998. At age 20, she made her debut as Odette/Odile in ''Swan Lake'' and the title role in ''Raymonda''. She was coached by Gabriella Komleva, Ninel Kurgapkina, Yelena Yevteyeva and Lubov Kunakova.<ref name=mag/> She was the winner of the BALTIKA Prize in 1999.<ref name=m/> The Kirov toured extensively during this time and Part danced in many different countries on many continents. She became frustrated at her lack of progress and being overlooked for principal even though she was dancing principal roles and began to look around in Europe for the opportunities.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}}

Part first performed in New York City in 1999 with the Mariinsky cast as the Lilac Fairy in ''The Sleeping Beauty'' and caught the attention of American Ballet Theatre director Kevin McKenzie. When she returned three years later in the role of Odette/Odile in ''Swan Lake'', McKenzie invited her to join as a soloist with the company, which she accepted. Part spoke no English at the time. She made her debut with ABT during its Japan tour. She first performed supporting roles, but gradually got more prominent roles.<ref name=mag/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abt.org/veronika-part-to-join-american-ballet-theatre-as-a-soloist/|title=Veronika Part to join American Ballet Theatre as a soloist|work=American Ballet Theatre|date=9 July 2002}}</ref>

Part considered leaving the ABT and return to Russia, as she wanted to dance more and more support offstage, but was promoted to the rank of principal dancer in 2009. She decided to stay for personal reasons.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/arts/dance/07kour.html|title=Now in Principal's Slippers, Facing Fears|work=New York Times|date=4 June 2009}}</ref> Since her promotion, she had danced many of lead roles of the company's repertoire, including works by McKenzie, Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine and Alexei Ratmansky.<ref name=m/> She had created roles for the latter, including Natalia in his ''On the Dnieper'' and Lilac Fairy in his version of ''The Sleeping Beauty''.<ref name=dneiper>{{cite web|url=https://www.abt.org/ballet/on-the-dnieper/|title=On the Dnieper|work=American Ballet Theatre|access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref><ref name=beauty>{{cite web|url=https://www.abt.org/ballet/the-sleeping-beauty/|title=The Sleeping Beauty|work=American Ballet Theatre|access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref>

Outside of ABT, she had appeared on ''Late Show with David Letterman''.<ref name=nyt>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/03/arts/dance/veronika-part-american-ballet-theater-announces-her-retirement.html|title=Veronika Part to Leave American Ballet Theater|work=New York Times|date=3 July 2017}}</ref> She had danced with the Royal New Zealand Ballet as a guest artist.<ref name=ab/> She also participated in projects by the Kennedy Center and Metropolitan Opera.<ref name=m/> In 2012, she had returned to the Mariinsky as guest to perform in ''Swan Lake''.{{citation needed|date=May 2020}} The following year, she appeared in documentary ''Ballet's Greatest Hits'', dancing the White Swan pas de deux.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://yagp.org/ballets-greatest-hits-yagp-gala/|title=Ballet's Greatest Hits - YAGP Gala|website=Youth American Grand Prix|access-date=24 April 2020}}</ref>

In 2017, Part retired from ABT as her contract was not renewed. Her departure was announced days before her final performance. Her fans started a petition on Change.org to ask the company's leadership to let Part stay. Part exited the company following a performance of Balanchine's ''Mozartiana''.<ref name=nyt/>

Part had taught in schools across the U.S., and was a jury at Youth America Grand Prix. She later became a ballet master at Atlanta Ballet.<ref name=ab/>

== Selected repertoire == {{col-begin}} {{col-3}}

===Kirov=== *Nikiya in ''La Bayadère'' *The Queen of the Dryads in ''Don Quixote'' *Myrta, Moyna and Zulma in ''Giselle'' *Raymonda and Henrietta in ''Raymonda'' *The Lilac Fairy in ''The Sleeping Beauty'' *Odette-Odile in ''Swan Lake'' *Terpsichore in ''Apollo'' *"Emeralds" and "Diamonds" from ''Jewels'' *Second movement in ''Symphony in C'' *''Serenade''

===ABT=== *Terpsichore in Apollo *Nikiya in ''La Bayadère'' *Kitri, Mercedes and the Queen of the Driads in ''Don Quixote'' {{col-3}} *An Episode in His Past in ''Jardin aux Lilas'' *''Mozartiana'' *Manon in ''Lady of the Camellias'' *Lescaut’s Mistress in ''Manon'' *Sugar Plum Fairy in ''The Nutcracker'' (McKenzie) *Clara, the Princess ''The Nutcracker'' (Ratmansky) *''Other Dances'' *Raymonda, Henrietta, the White Lady and the Lead Spanish Dancer in ''Raymonda'' *Princess Aurora and the Lilac Fairy in ''The Sleeping Beauty'' *Odette-Odile and the Polish Princess in ''Swan Lake'' *The Sylph in ''La Sylphide'' *''Les Sylphides'' *Sylvia and Terpsichore in ''Sylvia'' *Second movement in ''Symphony in C'' {{col-3}} *''Bach Partita'' *''Monotones II'' *''Symphony #9'' *''The Dying Swan'' *Twig in ''Cinderella'' *Prayer in ''Coppélia'' *Odalisque in ''Le Corsaire'' *Lady Capulet in ''Romeo and Juliet''

====Created roles==== *Natalia in ''On the Dnieper'' (Ratmansky)<ref name=dneiper/> *The Lilac Fairy in ''The Sleeping Beauty'' (Ratmansky)<ref name=beauty/> *''Dumbarton''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abt.org/ballet/dumbarton/|title=Dumbarton|work=American Ballet Theatre|access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref> *''Kaleidoscope''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abt.org/ballet/kaleidoscope/|title=Kaleidoscope|work=American Ballet Theatre|access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref> *''Within You Without You: A Tribute to George Harrison''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abt.org/ballet/within-you-without-you-a-tribute-to-george-harrison/|title=Within You Without You: A Tribute to George Harrison|work=American Ballet Theatre|access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref> {{col-end}} Sources:<ref name=ab/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/artists/4094/veronika-part|title=Veronika Part|work=Los Angeles Philharmonic|access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{YouTube|5Mxoml6lOL|Veronika Part on the David Letterman Show}} *[http://www.theballetbag.com/2009/07/24/beautiful-woman/ Veronika Part Beautiful Woman] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161031121149/http://www.theballetbag.com/2009/07/24/beautiful-woman/ |date=2016-10-31 }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Part, Veronika}} Category:1978 births Category:Dancers from Saint Petersburg Category:Living people Category:American Ballet Theatre principal dancers Category:Mariinsky Ballet dancers Category:21st-century Russian ballet dancers Category:Russian expatriates in the United States Category:Russian prima ballerinas Category:Estonian expatriates in the United States