Leonora Kuvatova
Ufa, Russia

Chief ballet master, artistic director of the ballet troupe of the Bashkir State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, teacher.

People's Artist of Russia and the Republic of Bashkortostan, laureate of the Salavat Yulaev State Prize, winner of the “Soul of Dance” prize of the Ballet magazine and the “Legend” award of the All-Russian festival of musical theatres “Seeing Music”.

In 1967 she graduated from the Leningrad State Choreographic School (currently the Vaganova Ballet Academy), class of Irina Trofimova. As a student of graduate course, she performed the main part in The Nutcracker on the stage of Mariinsky theatre (then – the Kirov theatre) together with Mikhail Baryshnikov. In the same year, she was accepted into the Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theatre as soloist. Brilliant professional and artistic abilities, hard work and high skill allowed her to advance to a leading position in the troupe in a short time.  Her repertoire included Odette-Odile (Swan Lake), Aurora (The Sleeping Beauty), Giselle (Giselle), Kitri (Don Quixote), Cinderella (Cinderella), Maria (The Fountain of Bakhchisarai), Syuimbike (Shurale), Zaitungul (Crane Song), etc. She toured many times in Germany, Italy, France, Portugal, the USA, Vietnam, Japan and other countries. In 1987 she began teaching classical dance at the Ufa Choreographic School (now the Bashkir Choreographic College named after Rudolf Nureyev). In 1994 she was appointed its artistic director, the position she currently holds. Since 2009, she has been the chief ballet master of the Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theatre. She has repeatedly acted as artistic director of the International Nureyev Ballet Festival in Ufa (2009, 2010, 2011).