Tamaz Vashakidze Ballet dancer, premier of the Georgian State Ballet, choreographer Date of Birth: 14.04.1961 Country: Georgia

1. Early Life and Training
2. Debut and Career
3. Choreographic Career
4. International Recognition
5. Awards and Honors
6. Artistic Leadership
7. Exile and Refuge

Early Life and Training

Tamaz Vashakidze was born on April 14, 1961, in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR. He entered the Tbilisi State Choreography School in 1972, where he studied under Vivien Metreveli and Vakhtang Chabukiani.

Debut and Career

Upon graduating in 1979, Vashakidze joined the Tbilisi State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre as a leading soloist. He also became a principal dancer with the Moscow Provincial State Theatre "Russian Ballet" from 1989 to 1991.

Choreographic Career

In 1991, Vashakidze founded the "New Georgian Ballet" theater of contemporary dance. He became the artistic director of the Tbilisi State Choreography School named after V. Chabukiani the same year.

In 1993, Vashakidze choreographed the theater's first production, "We Begin" (premiered in Tbilisi's Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre), which featured a medley of classical composers. The theater debuted internationally at the Aspen International Ballet Festival (Turkey) in 1994 with "Class-Concert."

International Recognition

Vashakidze graduated from the Saint Petersburg State Conservatory named after N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov in choreography in 1995. In 1999, he choreographed "Anbani," the first Georgian contemporary dance performance. It was presented at the International Festival of Contemporary Dance in Montpellier, France, and received critical acclaim.

Awards and Honors

In 2001, Vashakidze initiated the "Chabukiani-Balanchine..." International Ballet Festival in Tbilisi. He was awarded the Order of Honor of Georgia for developing and promoting Georgian ballet art and organizing the festival.

Vashakidze also established the Chabukiani-Balanchine International Foundation for the Promotion of Ballet Art in 2002.

Artistic Leadership

Vashakidze served as artistic director of the Tbilisi State Choreography School from 1993 to 2004, leading it to a new stage of development.

He staged Johann Strauss's "The Grand Waltz" in Moscow in 2005, after which he was unjustly accused and persecuted by the Georgian authorities.

Exile and Refuge

In 2006, Vashakidze became a ballet master at the Yekaterinburg State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. In 2007, he was granted political asylum in Russia. In 2008, he became the theater's artistic director as ballet master.

In 2010, Vashakidze joined the Russian State Circus Company "Rosgoscirk" as director-choreographer. He is also a member of the Union of Theatre Workers of Russia.