Elza Leimane-Martinova

ELZA LEIMANE-MARTINOVA graduated from the Riga Choreography High School in 2001 and the same year joined the LNO Ballet Company. She also was the member of the European Youth Ballet (in 2000 and 2004). She complimented her education at Paris Conservatoire, Anaheim Ballet summer courses (USA), summer courses at the Vienna Conservatoire, training at the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre, and Hamburg Ballet Company (Germany). In 2002 and 2003, Elza Leimane-Martinova participated in Bartolin International Ballet Seminar (Denmark).

 

The ballerina won 3rd place at the Ballet Competition in Yalta (1998), the Best Young Dancer title in Rudolf Nuriev Ballet Competition and Diagilev Special Prize (Budapest), the 1st place at Vienna Ballet Competition (1999), diploma winner of the Eurovision Young Dancers Competition (1999). In 2005, she became a diploma winner at the New York International Ballet Competition. In 1998 and 1999, Elza Leimane received the Award of the Latvian Ministry of Culture. In 2005, she was awarded the Aldaris Annual prize as the Best ballet soloist, and Latvian Theatre Spēlmaņu nakts Prize as the Best Dancer of the Year for her interpretation of Giselle and Marquise de Merteuil in 2006. Elza Leimane-Martinova was awarded the Latvijas Gāze Annual Opera Prize as the Best ballet soloist (2011).

 

Elza Leimane-Martinova has performed in Great Britain, Israel, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Holland, Germany, Luxemburg, Switzerland and other countries. In January 2009, Elza Leimane participated in the guest performances of the Ballet Russe as Giselle.

 

Elza Leimane- Martinova's roles in LNO include the title roles in Romeo and Juliet, La Sylphide, Giselle, Kitri in Don Quixote, Katarina in The Taming of the Shrew, Gulnare and Odalisque in Le Corsaire, Ballerina in Petroushka, Tzarevna the Beautiful in Firebird, Ballerina in The Bright Stream, Odile in Swan Lake, Clara in Christian Spuck's Der Sandmann, Zarema in The Fountain of Bakhchisaray, Marquise de Merteuil in Les Liaisons Dangereuses.

 

Her roles with the Cape Town City Ballet include Juliet (Veronica Paeper's Romeo and Juliet) and Anna Glawari (Veronica Paeper's Merry Widow).