Ballerina’s swan song

One of the most sought-after ballet dancers of all time, 46-year old Nina Ananiashvili, will give her farewell performances at the Metropolitan Opera House in June.

The leading light of the American Ballet Theatre will appear in ‘Giselle’, ‘La Sylphide’ and ‘Swan Lake’ for the last time. Ananiashvili has been with the company since 1993.

Russia, Georgia and America have reaped the laurels of the celebrated ballerina for several decades, each calling her their ‘very own’ treasure.

Born in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, Ananiashvili studied ballet in Moscow, and became the principal dancer at the Bolshoi Theatre. With a roster of prestigious international awards, she danced with the New York City Ballet before she joined the American Ballet Theatre. In 2004, she was appointed Artistic Director of the State Ballet of Georgia.