Biography
Alla Osipenko was a Soviet and Russian ballerina and actress. Born in Leningrad on 16 June 1932, she studied at the Leningrad Choreographic School under Agrippina Vaganova and joined the Kirov Ballet (now Mariinsky) in 1950, becoming a prima ballerina in 1954.
She created roles in works including The Stone Flower (1957) and danced with partners such as Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Osipenko appeared in several films by Aleksandr Sokurov, including as herself in Russian Ark (2002). She later taught and coached dancers, including at the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St Petersburg, and died there on 12 May 2025.
