Australian dancer Kyra Martynov has progressed to Round II of the XV Moscow International Ballet Competition, currently taking place at the Bolshoi Theatre.
Held every four years, the Moscow International Ballet Competition is one of ballet’s most prestigious international events. Founded in 1969 on the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre, it has long been regarded as a significant platform for young dancers, with past prize-winners including some of the major names in twentieth and twenty-first century ballet.
Martynov, who is competing for Australia in the Junior Solo category, was born in Maitland in New South Wales and trained at Queensland Ballet Academy, where she achieved the highest overall examination result across all core subjects and was awarded the inaugural Li Cunxin Scholarship.
She later moved to Russia to train at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, from which she has recently completed her graduation exams. While in Moscow, she performed the Classical Pas de Deux and variation, Masha in The Nutcracker, and the duet and variation from La Fille mal gardée.
Before moving overseas, Martynov trained with Queensland Ballet Academy for five years, performing classical, character and contemporary repertoire, including the principal couple in Paul Boyd’s Donizetti Variations. She also appeared with Ballet Theatre Queensland in Cinderella and Coppélia.
Martynov will now compete in Round II of the Junior Group, which will be held on 2 July at the Bolshoi Theatre. The final round is scheduled for 4 July, followed by the awards ceremony and laureates’ gala on 5 July.