Irina Chistyakova b. 1957 Mariinsky Ballet Photo: Photo: Photo: Alexander Orloff All photos copyright by their respective owners. Irina Chistyakova was born in Leningrad in 1957. She graduated from the Vaganova School (pupil of L. Tyuntina and A. Chernova) in 1975 and joined the Mariinsky Ballet that same year. She danced leading roles in the classical repertory and also in modern ballets. Her best roles were in Swan Lake (Odette-Odile), Giselle, La Bayadere (Gamzatti), Don Quixote (Kitri), Le Corsaire (Medora), The Sleeping Beauty (all Princesses), solo parts in Chopiniana, Sylphide, Paquita. She has danced as a guest artist in Austria, United States, England, Holland and 34 other countries. Awards: Silver Medal at the Varna International Ballet Competition 1983. Read more: Irina Chistyakova - Enterprise of Irina Chistyakova.