Kochetkova joins Nat’l Ballet as lead principal dancer

One of the most highly acclaimed ballerinas nowadays, Maria Kochetkova has joined the Finnish National Ballet as a lead principal dancer for the entire season of 2020–2021, said a press release on Tuesday.

During her impressive international career, Kochetkova has been a principal dancer at leading ballet companies like American Ballet Theatre and San Francisco Ballet.

Since 2018, Kochetkova has focused entirely on guest appearances in various productions around the world.

She has been seen in gala performances and lead roles in venues like the Bolshoi Ballet and the Stanislavsky Ballet in Moscow, Mariinsky and Mihailovsky Ballet in St. Petersburg, American Ballet Theatre, Teatro dell'Opera in Rome, La Scala in Milan, the Tokyo Ballet, the Cuban National Ballet, the Spanish National Dance Company in Madrid, Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Hong Kong Ballet, Dresden Semperoper Ballett, Staatsballett Berlin, and the Norwegian National Ballet. She performed in the Finnish National Ballet’s gala performances in 2014.

“The contract for the entire 2020–2021 season with the Finnish National Ballet is exceptional for a world-class artist who focuses primarily on guest performances around the world. Kochetkova will be seen in several lead roles in this season’s ballet productions,” said Madeleine Onne, the Artistic Director of the National Ballet. “While based in Helsinki, Kochetkova will also continue to make international guest performances.”

Kochetkova’s first performance will be the premiere of Le Corsaire on 25 September.