Mariinsky Ballet in 2025: A Year of New Faces and Strong Personalities

The year 2025 was not particularly rich in premieres for the Mariinsky Ballet, although in April the ballet Dance Scenes by Vyacheslav Samodurov was presented to the public. Nevertheless, the past year was a year of strong personalities for the company.

Giselle. Photo: Alexander Neff (2025) © Mariinsky theatre

In January 2025, fans were delighted with the long-awaited appointment of Philipp Stepin as a Principal Dancer. Artistic and precise, Stepin looks great both in the classical repertoire (just look at his Basilio or Romeo!) and in modern, often abstract ballets that require high technical skill. Now we wish him a speedy recovery from his injury, as Stepin’s vibrant characters, whether a prince or a pirate, are truly remarkable.

Romeo and Juliet. Photo: Julia Sumzina (2025)

With the beginning of the 2025/26 season, another appointment took place: Maria Iliushkina was elevated to the rank of Principal Ballerina of the theatre.

Mariinsky Ballet icon Victoria Tereshkina continues to delight audiences with every appearance. Her passionate and tender heroines are never just “characters”, they have their own temperament and personality, which is manifested in Tereshkina’s polished movements and her light steps. She is “at home” in both vibrant drama (like Giselle or The Legend of Love) and delicate, ultimate classics (Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, etc.).

The Nutcracker. Photo: Natasha Razina (2025) © Mariinsky theatre

It is worth noting how the graceful and elegant May Nagahisa has transformed from a promising young ballerina into a true master and is now rightfully considered one of the most outstanding ballerinas at the Mariinsky Theatre. In 2025, I was able to see her as the desperate Juliet, striking in the depth and purity of her interpretation; as the ethereal Sylphide; and as the touching Masha in The Nutcracker, the embodiment of a Christmas fairy tale. The precision and expressiveness of Nagahisa’s variations, combined with her broad emotional range—which allows her to perform both lyrical, dreamy roles and intensely tragic ones with equal sincerity and dedication—truly delight ballet lovers.

The Nutcracker. Photo: Natasha Razina (2025) © Mariinsky theatre

A newcomer of the season, second soloist Ryoma Hudzeleu, who debuted as the Nutcracker Prince in a duet with May Nagahisa, shows strong potential, in my opinion. In 2025, Hudzeleu joined the Mariinsky Ballet company and has already debuted as one of the Prince’s Friends in Swan Lake, as well as performed the role of Ali in Le Corsaire during a tour in China. A winner of international competitions (including First Prize at the Youth America Grand Prix), he demonstrates a strong technical level and confidence on stage.

The year 2025 was a challenging one for Kimin Kim. In the second half of the 2024/25 season, he was, as always, a key figure at the Mariinsky Ballet, performing leading repertoire roles. However, in the fall, his injury deprived fans of the opportunity to see him on stage. We wish Kimin a speedy return.

Giselle. Photo: Mikhail Vilchuk (2025) © Mariinsky theatre

Another newcomer to the ballet company, Minchul Jeon, is often compared to Kimin Kim because both are from South Korea and both are graduates of Korea National University of Arts in Seoul.
In 2025, Jeon debuted in several leading roles. I have already written about his debut as Solor in La Bayadère, one of the most spectacular male roles in the classical repertoire.

I was able to witness two more debuts of the young First soloist:
On October 25, he performed the role of Albrecht in Giselle, partnering the magnificent Olesya Novikova, a ballerina with a distinctly individual style and stunning stage presence. With a noble manner and a clear academic foundation, Minchul Jeon proved himself to be an attentive and reliable partner for Novikova’s exemplary Giselle. His dance is built on precise technique: stable poses, clear lines, confident leaps, and strong rotational technique. Jeon possesses musicality, never rushes on stage, and remains reserved and focused on his character.
On November 8, Jeon made his debut as Prince Désiré in The Sleeping Beauty (with Renata Shakirova as Aurora). The restrained, classical character—with an emphasis on purity of form and musicality, without striving for excessive expression—was perfectly suited to the young soloist’s performance.
In December, Jeon debuted as Siegfried in Swan Lake, in a duet with second soloist Valeria Kuznetsova, who is also gradually approaching the theatre’s leading repertoire, as well as in the role of the Prince in The Nutcracker.

I cannot say that Kimin Kim and Minchul Jeon are similar dancers; they have different types of charisma and represent different generations. The experienced Principal Dancer Kimin Kim is expressive and, despite his ability to perform “white classics” (with Solor being one of his key characters), gravitates more toward vibrant, dramatic, and artistic characters. The young and promising Minchul Jeon, in turn, despite his distinctly classical approach, has potential for dramatic roles, but appears more suited to romantic and traditional heroic roles.

Two more soloists joined the company in 2025: Yana Peneva and Alexei Orohovsky, both graduates of the John Cranko School in Stuttgart (like Ryoma Hudzeleu) and winners of international competitions. They have already made major debuts and formed a duet as Masha and the Prince in The Nutcracker. It is worth noting that Yana Peneva spent the 2024/25 season at the Stuttgart Ballet, where she rose from corps de ballet to soloist.

I would also like to note the appointments of Vlada Borodulina and Maria Bulanova, who have delighted audiences in various roles for many years, as First Soloists of the Mariinsky Ballet in early 2025. I personally would like to see these young ladies in new leading roles in both the classical and contemporary repertoire in the near future.

In conclusion, I can say that 2025 was a year of renewal for the Mariinsky Ballet. New faces, alongside the company’s established leaders, continue to draw audiences, allowing fans to appreciate their talent and hard work on stage.

Text: Julia Sumzina

LA NOTTE MAGAZINE