Biography
Born in Tbilisi where he began to study dance at Tbilisi Ballet School. In 1992, he completed his studies at the Moscow Choreographic College of (Pyotr Pestov’s class) and joined the Bolshoi Theatre where, very soon, he was noticed by Yury Grigorovich and began to receive solo parts. In 1996, he completed his studies at the pedagogical faculty of the Institute of Choreography (today College and Institute have been amalgamated into the Moscow Choreographic Academy). He rehearsed with, among others, Galina Ulanova and Marina Semyonova. Tsiskaridz‘s teacher-repetiteur is Nikolai Fadeyechev.

Main Repertory

1993
Don Juan (Love for Love. Music by Tikhon Khrennikov. Vera Boccadoro production)
French Doll (Nutcracker. Yuri Grigorovich production)
Prince Fortune (The Sleeping Beauty. Yuri Grigorovich production)

1994
Variety show compere (The Golden Age. Music by Dmitry Shostakovich. Production by Yuri Grigorovich)

1995
The Nutcracker-Prince (Nutcracker)
Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet. Yuri Grigorovich production)
Little Count Cherry (Cipollino. Music by Karen Khachaturyan. Genrikh Mayorov production)
James (La Sylphide. Choreography by August Bournonville)
Rotbart (Swan Lake. Choreography by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, Alexander Gorsky. Yuri Grigorovich production)
The Bronze Idol (La Bayadere. Yuri Grigorovich production)
Title role (Paganini to the music by Sergei Rakhmanonov. Choreography by Leonid Lavrovsky)
Mercutio, Troubadour (Romeo and Juliet. Choreography by Leonid Lavrovsky)
Soloist (Chopiniana)

1996
Ferkhad (A Legend of Love. Music by Arif Melikov. Yuri Grigorovich production)
The King (Swan Lake. Vladimir Vasiliev production) - creation
Blue Bird, Prince Desire (The Sleeping Beauty)
Solor (La Bayadere. Yuri Grigorovich production)

1997
Count Albrecht (Giselle. Vladimir Vasiliev production)

1998
Title role (Le specter de la rose. Choreography by Mikhail Fokin)
Jean de Brienne (Raimonda. Yuri Grigorovich production)

1999
Soloist Part 3 (Symphony in C) - creation at Bolshoi Theatre

2000
Lord Wilson/Taor (La Fille du Pharaon. Pierre Lacotte production after Marius Petipa)

2001
The Evil Genius - creation, Prince Siegfried (Swan Lake. Yuri Grigorovich production)
Hermann (La Dame de Pique to music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Rolan Petit production) - creation

2003
Quasimodo (Notre-Dame de Paris. Rolan Petit production) - creation at Bolshoi Theatre

2004
Evil Fairy Carabosse (The Sleeping Beauty)
Ballet Dancer (The Bright Stream. Music by Dmitry Shostakovich. Alexei Ratmansky production)
Theseus/Oberon (A Midnight‘s Summer Dream. John Neumeier production) - creation at Bolshoi Theatre

2007
Conrad (Le Corsaire. Production and new choreography by Alexei Ratmansky and Yuri Burlaka after Marius Petipa)
Teacher (Georges Delerue's The Lesson; choreography by Flemming Flindt)

2010
Lucien d'Hervilly (Paquita. Staging and new choreographic version by Yuri Burlaka)

Tours
With the Maryinsky Ballet Company, he danced the following roles: in 1997, James (La Sylphide); in 2001, Ferkhad (Legend of Love) and the solo part in Rubies; in 2002, the Slave in Scheherazade to music by Rimsky-Korsakov (choreography - Mikhail Fokine); in 2003, Solor in the ‘authentic’ version of La Bayadere (a reconstruction of the Petipa ballet by Sergei Vikharev).
In 2001, Tsiskaridze made his Paris National Opera debut in the part of Solor in La Bayadere (Rudolph Nureyev version).
In 2003, he danced the part of the Youth in Roland Petit‘squo; Le Jeune homme et la mort with the Asami Maki Ballet Company (at Tokyo‘s New National Theatre).
In 2002, he danced at a gala-concert in memory of Rudoph Nureyev at La Scala (partner - Svetlana Zakharova).
In the same year, he participated in the gala-concert, forming part of the opening ceremony for the new theatre in the city of Apollo (USA). His partner was Maria Aleksandrova.
He dances the role of Death in Gerard Presgurvic‘s Romeo and Juliet, the musical, which was premiered in 2004 at Moscow‘s
Operetta Theatre.
In 2005, at the Maryinsky Festival, held at the Maryinsky Theatre, he danced Chevalier des Grieux in Manon and, also at the Maryinsky Theatre, at the Stars of the White Nights Festival, he made his debut in William Forsythe‘s ballet In the middle, somewhat elevated, to music by Thom Willems.
In 2005, at the State Kremlin Palace, he danced the lead in Wayne Eagling‘s ballet The Blue God to music by Scriabin (an Andris Liepa project to resurrect the ballets of the Diaghilev Saisons Russes).

Awards
In 1992, he was included among the scholarship-holders of the New Names program.
In 1995, he was awarded the Ballet magazine Soul of Dance prize (Up-and-Coming-Star nomination) and won 2nd prize at the International Competition of Ballet Dancers in Osaka.
In 1997, he won the 1st prize at the International Competition of Ballet Dancers in Moscow and was awarded the title of Merited Artist of the Russian Federation.
In 1999, he won the Benois de la danse International Dance Association prize for his interpretation of the role of Jean de Brienne (Raymonda) and the Golden Mask National Theatre prize for his performance of the solo parts in Symphony in C and Agon (1998/99 season).
In 2001, Nikolai Tsiskaridze was awarded the title of People‘s Artist of the Russian Federation and the State Prize of Russia for his interpretation of several roles in the classical repertoire.
In 2000, he was voted Best Dancer of the Year by the Italian Danza & Danza journal.
In 2003, he was winner of the Triumph prize, and was again awarded the Golden Mask prize and the State Prize of Russia (both for his performance as Hermann in Roland Petit‘s La Dame de Pique ). He was also awarded the Order of Honor of the Republic of Georgia.

Nikolay Tsiskaridze official website www.tsiskaridze.ru

Photos © Marc Haegeman. All rights reserved.