Mikhailovsky Principal Dancer Leonid Sarafanov was born in Kiev. He graduated from the Kiev State School of Choreography in 2000 and in the same year became soloist with National Ballet of Ukraine. With that company he performed a variety of roles including James (La Sylphide), Albrecht (Giselle), the Grand pas from Paquita, Désiré, Bluebird (The Sleeping Beauty), Siegfried (Swan Lake), the Prince (The Nutcracker), Basilio (Don Quixote), Pètrouchka (Pètrouchka) and Escamillo (Carmen Suite).
In 2002 he joined the Mariinsky Ballet with which he toured all over the world. In 2006 he made his debut at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan in Pierre Lacotte’s version of the ballet La Sylphide (as James). In the same year, he was the first performer of the role of Matteo (Ondine, choreography and staging by Pierre Lacotte).
In January 2011 he joined the Mikhailovsky Ballet Company.
Leonid Sarafanov is recipient of a plethora of awards and prizes: International Ballet Dancers’ Competition in Paris (1st prize and Gold Medal, 2000), International Rudolf Nureyev Ballet Dancers’ Competition in Budapest (2nd prize and Silver Medal, 2000), IX International Ballet Dancers’ Competition in Moscow (1st prize and Gold Medal, 2001), International Ballet Dancers’ Competition in Seoul (2004), International Benois de la Danse Prize and Ballet magazine’s “Spirit of Dance” prize in the category “Star” (2006), Golden Mask Awards for “Best Male Role in Ballet” (2010).
Repertoire at the Mariinsky Theatre included:
La Sylphide (James)
Giselle (Albrecht)
Pas de deux from The Flower Festival in Genzano - choreography by Auguste Bournonville
Le Corsaire (Ali, Lankedem)
La Bayadère (Solor)
The Sleeping Beauty (Prince Désiré)
Swan Lake (Prince Siegfried)
Don Quixote (Basilio)
Romeo and Juliet (Romeo, Mercutio)
ballets by George Balanchine Symphony in C (III Movement), Theme and Variations, The Four Temperaments, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Jewels (Rubies) and Tarantella
Etudes (Soloist) - choreography by Harald Lander
The Nutcracker (Prince) - choreography by Kirill Simonov
The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude - choreography by William Forsythe
Ondine (Matteo) - choreography by Pierre Lacotte
Farewell to the Jungle - choreography by Olga Vorobieva to music by the group Stamp
The Little Humpbacked Horse (Ivan the Fool) - choreography by Alexey Ratmansky
Flight of Angels (Soloist) - choreography by Edwaard Liang
His repertory at the Mikhailovsky Theatre includes:
Le Corsaire (Ali)
Swan Lake (Prince Siegfried)
Giselle (Count)
The Sleeping Beauty (Prince Désiré)
Don Quixote (Basil)
Cipollino (Cipollino)
Without Words, by Nacho Duato
Prelude, by Nacho Dauto