PRIMA
Larissa Ponomarenko
Larissa Ponomarenko, of Odessa, Ukraine, joined Boston Ballet's artistic staff as ballet master for the 2011-2012 season. Born in Odessa, Ukraine, and trained at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Ponomarenko came to the United States as a member of the Donetsk Ballet in 1990. After three years with Ballet Mississippi and Tulsa Ballet, she landed in Boston, where (except for a stint as guest artist with the English National Ballet in 1999) she has memorably danced ever since.
Ponomarenko danced with Boston Ballet for 18 years. Her versatile repertoire includes Odette and Odile in Swan Lake, Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, the title roles in Giselle and Cinderella, Medora in Le Corsaire, Swanhilda in Coppelia, Nikiya in La Bayadere, and countless other roles. Ponomarenko has also performed a wide repertoire of Balanchine works including Symphony in C, Who Cares?, The Four Temperaments, Diamonds, Divertimento No. 15, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Serenade.
She has danced works by John Cranko, Antony Tudor, Paul Taylor, Mark Morris, Christopher Wheeldon, and Twyla Tharp, among many others. Over the years, Ponomarenko has worked closely with Boston Ballet Resident Choreographer Jorma Elo and has served as a muse for almost all of his ballets. She has also created roles in original works including Rhyme, choreographed for her by her husband, Viktor Plotnikov.
Ponomarenko has appeared internationally in galas and festivals and as a guest artist with English National Ballet in London, NBA Ballet Company in Tokyo, Opera Theatre of Rome, and Teatro Comunale of Florence in Italy. She was nominated for Benois de la Danse award in 2005 and is a recipient of the E. Virginia Williams Inspirational Award.