Background
Mezentseva, Galina was born on November 8, 1952 in Stavropol, now Toliatti.
Mezentseva, Galina was born on November 8, 1952 in Stavropol, now Toliatti.
Mezentseva completed her dancing studies in 1970 at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in Saint St. Petersburg, Russia.
She was the first of the crop of tall Kirov ballerinas with long and thin lines, introducing a new aesthetic look to ballet audiences. Mezentseva is recognized as a dramatic performer, and is known for her improvisation. After graduation, she got the position of principal dancer at the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet, keeping it for almost 20 years.
In 1990 she left Russia to live in the United Kingdom. From 1990 to 1994, Mezentseva worked as a guest dancer at the Scottish Ballet (Glasgow).
From 1994 to 2000, she toured the United States and other countries as guest star with the Saint-Petesburg State Academic Ballet, directed by Askold Makarov. Since then Mezentseva has worked as a ballet teacher and as an occasional performer.
Ulyana Lopatkina, the Kirov"s principal dancer (2007), compared Galina Ulanova, Ekaterina Maximova and Galina Mezentseva, her favorite ballerinas, in an interview given in 2005:
They all had different personalities. Ulanova was sincere, she astonished ballet-goers with her utter fidelity to human feelings.
Maximova had exceptional physique and moved very beautifully.
And Mezentseva – oh, she was serene, she was a queen, she had poise, beautiful lines and a profound dramatism. She could cast a spell effortlessly. The strongest impression anyone has made on me was Mezentseva with her Dying Swan.
Mezentseva performing Dying Swan Video on YouTube (retrieved January 2, 2008).