About Liudmila
Biography
Every day I do everything I can to become better. If you give up and don’t act to your maximum, then you'll lose.
Liudmila’s Childhood
1984-
Liudmila was born in Moscow, Russia in 1984. Her mother, a ballet enthusiast, enrolled her in auditions for The Bolshoi Ballet Academy, where she was accepted and embarked on rigorous training. However, her adolescence was marked by profound challenges: at 15, she and her brother were placed in an orphanage, followed by the loss of their mother the next year. Amidst these challenges, Liudmila’s dedication to dance became a means of survival and support for her brother.
Almost nobody has ever believed in me. Anyone could hardly imagine I would become a prima ballerina, but I always knew I would.
Early Career
2002-
Liudmila’s career progressed further in 2007 when she joined the Staatsballett Berlin, becoming a soloist in 2009. In Berlin, she continued to showcase her exceptional skill in principal roles across various choreographers’ works such as Vladimir Malakhov’s Cinderella, The Sleeping Beauty (in which she danced with Vladimir himself), Patrice Bart’s The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Frederick Ashton’s Sylvia, and many more. Her journey then led her to the Wiener Staatsballett in 2010 as a soloist, and she has been a prima ballerina since 2011.
To get the confidence, the freedom and to feel the motions with sense, you have to practise it one hundred times - think and analyse to feel what you are doing.
Dancing Worldwide
2013-
With the Wiener Staatsballett, Liudmila’s extensive repertoire features leading roles such as Odette/Odile in Rudolf Nureyev’s Swan Lake, Clara in Nureyev’s The Nutcracker, the title role in Nureyev’s Raymonda, Medora and Gulnare in Manuel Legris’s Le Corsaire, Princess Perdita in Christopher Wheeldon’s The Winter’s Tale, and the list goes on. Notably, she has also appeared in the prestigious Vienna New Year’s Concert. Beyond her company work, Liudmila has also appeared as a guest principal dancer with esteemed companies throughout Europe, North America, South America and Asia, such as the Ballet de l’Opéra National de Bordeau, the Slovenské Národné Divadlo, the Teatro dell´Opera di Roma and the Tokyo Ballet.
It was an honour to represent ballet, bringing high fashion into dialogues with art and movement.
Expanding Horizons
2024-
Liudmila’s career highlights go beyond the stage. In 2024, she collaborated with fashion designer Veronika Jeanvie for Paris Fashion Air, seamlessly blending the worlds of fashion and ballet as she embodied grace and elegance in striking attire and pointe shoes. In 2025, she demonstrated her dedication to inclusivity by participating in a dance festival with Ich bin O.K., a cultural and educational association for people with and without disabilities. Furthermore, Liudmila shares her expertise by coaching young dancers through summer intensive courses and master classes, nurturing the talent of tomorrow.
Professional Accolades
2007 1st Place at the Ballet Competition “Premio Roma” in Rome (The president of jury: Maya Plisetskaya)
2007 1st Place at the ÖTR-Contest in Vienna
2007 2nd Place at the International Ballet Competition KIBC in Seoul
Participation in the Ave Maya Gala
2016
In memory of Maya Plisetskaya at London Coliseum
ORF DVD production
2012
Rudolf Nureyev’s The Nutcracker as Clara
Naxos DVD
2016
Manuel Legris’s Le Corsaire as Gulnare
