Olesya Novikova


Olesya Novikova is a Russian ballet dancer who has been first soloist with the Mariinsky Theatre.
She was born in Saint Petersburg and studied at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. Upon graduation, she joined the Mariinsky Theatre; she has toured with them in Great Britain, Germany and China. Novikova won a prize at the International Vaganova-Prix Ballet Dancers' Competition in 2002.
Novikova created the female lead role in Du Côté de chez “Swann” by Alexei Miroshnichenko. In 2011, she played the lead role in the ballet Raymonda.
She is married to Leonid Sarafanov.

Repertoire

In 2011, at Teatro alla Scala she appeared in the lead role in the premiere performance of the ballet Raymonda