Maria Bulanova (ballet dancer)

Maria Andreevna Bulanova (born January 12, 2001, Saint Petersburg) is a Russian ballet dancer.

During 2008-2015 she performed her art in the academy's theatre troupe named “Choreographic miniatures”, then toured Russia and abroad.

Maria enrolled in preliminary courses offered by the Vaganova Ballet Academy and in 2011 she was in the first class of the academy.

Her teacher was Lyudmila Komolova.

However, at the end of the first term, Maria left the academy due to the impossibility of balancing her education and performances in school theatre.

She participated in the international ballet competitions Youth America Grand Prix in 2012 and 2013.

She was a finalist in 2015 (top-12 in junior group).

In 2015, Maria graduated from secondary school after passing her final examinations and passing two years of education as external student.

In the same year she returned to Vaganova Ballet Academy class of famous Russian ballet tutor Professor Lyudmila Kovaleva to participate 1st course.

She was a prize-winner at the International Vaganova-Prix Ballet Dancers’ Competition (1st prize, St Petersburg, 2016).

In 2018, she graduated from the academy with an excellent diploma and was invited to join the Mariinsky Ballet.

She has been a soloist of the Mariinsky Ballet since 2019 and was nominated for the national theatre award “Golden Mask” (2022).

Born in Saint Petersburg, Bulanova started her ballet training at the Academy of Classical Russian Ballet, managed by Vladislav Kuramshin, and had been trained under his tutoring.

Since November 2019 Maria has been the 2nd soloist of the troupe.

In 2022, she became the nominee of the highest theatre award “Golden Mask” in a category “Ballet – modern dance/the best female performance” for the role of 1st Fairy in the ballet Renard. Mavra. The Fairy's Kiss.

Ballet critic Anna Gordeeva had written about Maria Bulanova: “Young dancer has significant tragic talent – she is able to tell about mutual relationship between her heroine and the Death: Myrtha, the Queen of the Wilis or Zarema, who is ready to murder out of jealousy – they are in the memory for a long time after the seeing stage play.

Meanwhile another “coloures” are sweated, including clear Balanchine style.

Ms. Bulanova looks great in the “Rubies”.

It's even hard to assume her next solid role.

For now it seems that she will conquer any technique and any style absolutely.

One of the most interesting Ms. Bulanova's debuts was the role of Lilac Fairy in the “Sleeping Beauty” – gracious dreamy character.

Actually she stood against Evil, but despite of ballerina's fragility that character was convincing confident vigour.

Her Lilac Fairy was ensurimg happy-end in the sweet story, which has so scary beginning.”