Natalia Azhikmaa-Rusheva Tuvan Soviet ballerina. Date of Birth: 20.11.1926 Country: Russia

1. Early Life and Dance Education
2. Pioneer of Tuvan Ballet
3. The First Ballerina of Tuva
4. Later Life and Recognition

Early Life and Dance Education

Natalia Dojdalovna Azhikmaa-Rusheva, born Natalia Azhikmaa Salchak on November 20, 1926, is a renowned Tuvan-Soviet ballerina. Her mother was the talented but short-lived artist Nadya Rusheva. Before her ballet career, she studied at a circus school. In 1943, she enrolled in the ballet school established by Moscow ballet master Anatoly Shatin, who arrived in Tuva to create a national ballet.

Pioneer of Tuvan Ballet

Azhikmaa became a soloist in the first Tuvan women's ballet number, "Zvenyashchaya Nezhnost" ("Ringing Tenderness"), choreographed by Shatin in 1943 to music by Alexei Aksyonov. Shatin drew inspiration from Tuvan customs and traditions in this dance. The iconic bells played by the dancers, representing the "shan" bells of the lamas, were specially crafted for the performance.

The First Ballerina of Tuva

Alongside Galina Bady-Saagaan, who performed the first solo dance for Shatin, Azhikmaa is considered the first ballerina in Tuvan history. After the dissolution of the Kzyl Theater ballet company in 1949, she performed in theaters in Ulaanbaatar and Moscow.

Later Life and Recognition

Azhikmaa-Rusheva currently resides in Moscow. Despite living outside Tuva, she remains a highly respected figure in her homeland. In 2006, on the occasion of her 80th birthday, she was nominated for the symbolic title of "Siberian of the Year," competing with 34 candidates from across Siberia, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.