People’s Artist of the RSFSR, director of the Moscow Classical Ballet Theater Natalia Kasatkina died at the age of 89. reported RIA Novosti her assistant Valentina Buryanova.
According to the assistant, the choreographer died on the night of March 14. TASS Buryanova statedthat Kasatkina died late in the evening of March 13 at the Sklifosovsky clinic.
Natalya Kasatkina was born on June 7, 1934 in Moscow. In 1953 she graduated from the Moscow Choreographic School, after which she performed at the Bolshoi Theater. As a ballerina, Kasatkina is known for performing character roles in the ballets “The Nutcracker” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky (the role of the Indian Doll), “The Rite of Spring” by Igor Stravinsky (the role of Besnovataya), “Carmen Suite” by Georges Bizet – Rodion Shchedrin (the role of Rock) and other productions.
Since the 1960s, Kasatkina has worked with her husband, dancer and choreographer Vladimir Vasilyev, acting as a choreographer and screenwriter. In 1977, Kasatkina and Vasilev became permanent artistic directors of the Classical Ballet ensemble. In 1992, they headed the Moscow Classical Ballet Theater.
