Sad news from Moscow with the death of Raisa Struchkova (79) on May 2, one of the leading ballerinas of the Bolshoi Ballet in the 1950-60's and a teacher and coach of great repute (Maximova, Ananiashvili, Goriacheva, were among her pupils). Being part of the generation of artists who came with the first visits of the Bolshoi to the West in the fifties, she helped define in many ways the image of that company. She is best remembered for her virtuoso pas de deux like the Moszkowsky Waltz, but was also one of the finest interpreters in the Soviet dram-ballets.
Cinderella, one of her signature roles, has been preserved on video.

Some photos on For Ballet Lovers Only.

Thank you, Marc, for the announcement of Raisa Struchkova's passing. It is always sad when a ballet great dies. So much history goes with them. It is then up to us to remember what their contributions meant to ballet.

Here is one very interesting bio of Struchkova, which includes an interview:
Born for Ballet

Struchkova was also the editor of Russia's Ballet Magazine for 15 years:
Ballet Magazine

Sorry to hear this news. Thanks for the links to the photos & articles. Struchkova will be sorely missed. She was coaching in the theater until fairly recently, so this is a bit of a shocker.

Ooh, sad. I only saw Struchkova once, probably mid to late 60s in a Walpurgisnacht pas de deux which ended with a fish dive. She dove with such glee & brio & to such audience eruption that they had to repeat the fish dive twice.

It's a favorite ballet memory.

Oh, I saw her even later than this, in the 70s, on one of those mixed bill tours the
Bolshoi would send to Canada/US.

I remember too the brio she danced with, hurling herself into all she did.

She would also come out on the stage and crank out fouettes like crazy.


There's a lovely clip of her on a DVD I otherwise dislike, Bolshoi 67.

Richard

When I was a young aspiring ballet student, my Mom took me to the movie theatre to see "Cinderella" which would occasionally play at the art houses in San Francisco. I loved her in this film. I haven't seen it in years, but in my mind's eye I can still see her dancing with such exuberance and freedom. She made a BIG impression on me and was very inspiring. She will be missed by many...

The headline for the NYT's obit for her was just lovely: "Ballerina Who Lept into Husband's Arms."

For those who are interested in how she passed on her artistry to future generations, there is a 1980s documentary on the Bolshoi that contains some footage of her coaching the young Nina Ananiashvili in Don Quixote. If I'm not mistaken, both Struckkova and Ananashvili are interviewed about the coaching process.

i think i know the documentary you mean.
it was bbc? on the occasion of a major london bolshoi ballet season, one, if mem. serves, that came after the company hadn't appeared there much.
i don't think even the n.y.p.lib.for the perf. arts has a copy on file, if it did one could get all the particulars.
the program was at least 90 min. (or more) in length, but was not subsequently released commerically, alas.
in it, struchkova speaks vividly in interview segments about her 'pupil', ananiashivili, and then is heard and seen in more more vivid terms as she puts ananiashvili through her paces in a rehearsal of an act 1 solo for kitri from DON Q.
longstanding videophile british readers here could say much more.