The illustrious choreographer, ballet master and former Bolshoi Ballet director, Yuri Grigorovich passed away a few days ago on the 19th May 2025. He created the role of Ivan the Terrible for Yuri Vladimirov, who also passed away on the same date. Grigorovich’s first ballet choreography was The Stone Flower, created for Alla Osipenko in the role of Mistress of the Copper Mountain, who died on 12th May 2025. The ballet world has lost three legends. This compilation includes video excerpts of both Vladimirov and Osipenko in the roles Grigorovich created for them. Vladimir Vasiliev and Maris Liepa, the premiere cast of Grigorovich’s iconic Spartacus, are also included in this tribute. Grigorovich’s wife Natalia Bessmertnova features strongly in many excerpts. Over his 80‑year career, countless great dancers have performed his masterpieces; here is a selection of some of them.
The video features excerpts at 0:16 Golden Age Kaptsova Lobukhin, 0:55 Golden Age Krysanova Lobukhin, 1:34 Golden Age Kaptsova Skvortsov, 2:37 Ivan the Terrible Lobukhin, 3:01 Ivan the Terrible Vladimirov, 3:40 Ivan the Terrible Vladimirov Bessmertnova, 4:02 Spartacus V. Vasiliev M. Liepa, 4:46 Spartacus Zakharova, 5:20 Spartacus Kaptsova, 5:38 Spartacus Bessmertnova, 5:43 Spartacus Kaptsova Ivan Vasiliev, 6:30 Legend of Love Tsiskaridze Antonicheva, 7:44 Stone Flower Osipenko, 8:42 Stone Flower Terekhova, 9:33 Angara Semenyaka Akimov, 10:33 Nutcracker Kokoreva Ovcharenko, 10:56 Nutcracker Tsiskaridze, 11:31 Nutcracker Kaptsova, 12:40 Nutcracker Tsiskaridze Kaptsova, 13:40 Romeo & Juliet Mukhamedov, 13:55 Romeo & Juliet Bessmertnova Mukhamedov, 15:10 Swan Lake Happy End Akimov Bessmertnova Bogatyrev, 16:03 Swan Lake Tsiskaridze, 16:55 Swan Lake Zakharova, 17:19 Le Corsaire Gracheva, 17:48 Le Corsaire Filin, 18:13 Le Corsaire Gracheva, 18:49 Sleeping Beauty Ovcharenko, 19:38 Sleeping Beauty Kokoreva, 20:36 Sleeping Beauty Hallberg, 21:16 Sleeping Beauty Zakharova, 21:54 La Bayadere Tsiskaridze, 22:03 La Bayadere Zakharova Lantratov, 22:34 La Bayadere Zakharova Alexandrova, 23:11 La Bayadere Alexandrova, 23:59 La Bayadere Ivan Vasiliev, 24:25 La Bayadere Osipova, 24:51 La Bayadere Tsiskaridze, 25:24 Raymonda Alexandrova, 25:52 Raymonda Dmitrichenko, 26:30 Giselle Tsiskaridze Gracheva, 26:57 Giselle Zakharova Polunin, 27:30 Giselle Lunkina Tsiskaridze, 27:58 Don Quixote Osipova, 28:25 Don Quixote Alexandrova Lantratov, 28:40 Don Quixote Alexandrova.
