A prima ballerina comes home

The most awaited event of the dance season takes place next week, a gala evening honoring the world-renowned ballet dancer Daria Klimentová, senior principal dancer of the English National Ballet company. During her years abroad, this Czech ballerina has become one of the world's most famous, engraving her name in the history of world ballet.

Klimentová started her outstanding career in 1989, when she joined the National Theater Ballet company in Prague as a soloist. Now, more than 20 years later, she returns to celebrate an amazing landmark: her 1,000th stage appearance as a prima ballerina. Joining her will be ballet stars from all over the world.

The program, which was still being finalized at press time, will be a selection of excerpts and short works ranging from classical ballet pieces, like Petipa's "Black Swan" pas de deux from Swan Lake, to more modern fare, such as George Harrison's "Within You, Without You" with choreography by Natalie Weir.

The guests are soloists from some of the world's foremost ballet ensembles. "All the dancers are my friends, and partners I have danced or collaborated with," Klimentová says.

Topping the list of high-powered names is Friedemann Vogel, principal dancer of the Stuttgart Ballet. Vogel and Klimentová have danced together many times, and their partnership has been compared to that of dance legends Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. Nureyev once said that when he danced with Fonteyn, it was "one body, one soul." The same is true of Klimentová and Vogel. "I experience on the stage something special with Friedemann that I don't have with any other dance partner," Klimentová says.

Other guests scheduled to appear include Tamás Solymosi, principal dancer with the National Ballet Budapest; Joan Boada and Maria Kochetkova, principal dancers with the San Francisco Ballet; Natalia Domracheva, principal dancer with the Kiev National Ballet; and the star of New York's American Ballet Theater, Daniil Simkin. Vadim Muntagirov, a 19-year-old Russian-born dancer who joined the English National Ballet in 2009 and became the youngest partner Klimentová has ever had, will perform at the gala too. "He is an unbelievably talented guy. His career has just started; soon he will become a big star," Klimentová predicts.

Born in Prague, Klimentová started gymnastics when she was just 5 years old, and, at the age of 10, entered the Prague Dance Conservatory. During her studies, she participated in numerous international ballet competitions, including the Prix de Lausanne, where she won a Paris Dance Foundation Award, and the International Ballet Competition in Pretoria, where she won a Gold Medal.

After graduating from the conservatory in 1989, Klimentová was offered a soloist position with Prague's National Theater Ballet company. In 1992, she joined the Cape Ballet Company in South Africa. In 1993, she was invited to join the Scottish Ballet in Glasgow, where she stayed for three years before being invited to join the English National Ballet as a principal dancer.

Klimentová's repertoire encapsulates all the major classical ballet roles, as well as works by many contemporary choreographers. "I never dreamt of particular dance roles; I took them as they came," she says. "The only role I was dreaming of was the role of a mother." Klimentová gave birth to her 9-year-old daughter, Sabina, at the height of her career, which is quite rare for a ballet dancer.

Photography is Klimentová's other main interest, and she has been quite successful at it. She has been published in a number of books and magazines throughout Europe, and has several exhibitions to her credit. She has also photographed a catalog of ballet clothes and publishes the official English National Ballet calendar herself.

Asked what her plans are when she retires, Klimentová says, "I have been thinking about the end of my career for two years now, and I have many plans. My problem is to choose just one. But, first of all, I will take a break and do nothing; I will just sleep and dedicate more time to Sabina."

For now, Klimentová is still dancing, and will have a packed house of adoring fans both nights in Prague next week. This may be the last time she performs in the Czech Republic, so for her many admirers, it's an absolute must-see.

Johana Mücková can be reached at
features@praguepost.com