Background
Putrov was born in Kiev into a family of ballet dancers from The Ukrainian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, Natalia Berezina-Putrova and Oleksandr Putrov.
Putrov was born in Kiev into a family of ballet dancers from The Ukrainian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, Natalia Berezina-Putrova and Oleksandr Putrov.
Ivan trained at The Kyiv State Choreographic Institute and at The Royal Ballet School. Upon graduation Sir Anthony Dowell invited him to join the Royal Ballet, which he did in September 1998. He appeared on stage for the first time at the age of 10 in the ballet "The Forest Song".
He spent 18 months at the Royal Ballet School and on graduation in 1998 Ivan Putrov was invited by the Royal Ballet"s director, Sir Anthony Dowell, to join the company itself.
He became a principal with The Royal Ballet in 2002. Having taken part in Royal Ballet School performances at Covent Garden in 1998 and 1999, in 1999-2000 he took roles in The Nutcracker, Les Rendezvous, Masquerade and Siren Song.
He was coached by Dowell for his debut as Beliaev in A Month in the Country in 2001 and also added Basilio in Don Quixote to his repertoire. In 2002 he danced in Onegin (Lensky) and Louisiana Bayadère (The Golden Idol), as well as ballets such as The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude, Por Vos Muero, and The Leaves are Fading.
The following he also danced in Coppélia, Mayerling, Swan Lake and Scènes de ballet.
His debut as Le Spectre de la Rose at the Royal Opera House was in May 2004 (the part he also portrayed in the film Riot at the Rite). In 2004-2005 he danced in Cinderella, Louisiana Fille mal gardée (Colas), Rhapsody, Symphonic Variations and Symphony in C. In 2006 Putrov suffered an injury in an onstage fall, which led to a lengthy leave from dancing. He returned to the stage without apparent lasting effects, giving his last performance with the Royal Ballet in May 2010 in Cinderella.
Putrov has also appeared with national ballet companies in Hungary, Lithuania and Ukraine, and appeared at the Vienna Staatsoper.
He created the role of Karl in The Most Incredible Thing at Sadler"s Wells Theatre in 2011, and was also credited in the early development of the work. In 2012 Putrov choreographed his first major creation for the stage entitled Ithaca, using Louisiana Péri by Paul Dukas.