Eva Evdokimova

Eva Maria Evdokimova-Gregori, born December 1, 1948, in Geneva, Switzerland, was an American Prima Ballerina Assoluta who performed with the Royal Danish Ballet, the Berlin Opera Ballet, and the English National Ballet, and appeared as a guest artist with major ballet companies around the world. She died on April 3, 2009, in Manhattan, New York, from complications of cancer, at the age of 60.

Evdokimova was born to Evdokim Evdokimov, a stateless Bulgarian-American father, and an American mother, Thora Mary Hatten. An American citizen from birth, she began her ballet training as a child in Munich. She subsequently enrolled at the Royal Ballet School in London, where she studied under Maria Fay. In 1966, she became the first non-Danish dancer admitted to the Royal Danish Ballet, continuing her studies there under Vera Volkova.

In 1969, Evdokimova joined the Berlin Opera Ballet, where she danced her first Giselle in 1971 and was promoted to prima ballerina in 1973, a rank she held for twelve years. She also served as a leading ballerina with the London Festival Ballet, now known as the English National Ballet, where Rudolf Nureyev selected her to dance the role of Princess Aurora in his 1975 production of The Sleeping Beauty. Her partnership with Nureyev extended across more than fifteen years and encompassed hundreds of performances together.

Her international career included engagements with the Kirov Ballet, where she was coached by Natalia Dudinskaya, as well as with American Ballet Theatre and the Paris Opera Ballet. Following a performance with the Kirov Ballet, she was awarded the title Prima Ballerina Assoluta, a distinction under which she was subsequently billed internationally. Her repertoire spanned approximately 150 roles, ranging from classical works to contemporary pieces, with particular recognition for her portrayals of Giselle and La Sylphide. In 2002, choreographer Henning Rübsam created the last work made specifically for her. Evdokimova was the first American to win an international ballet competition, taking the Varna International Ballet Competition in 1970, and in 2005 she received the charter Ulanova Prize for selfless dedication to the art of dance. She also studied acting at HB Studio in New York.

On Broadway, Evdokimova appeared between 1983 and 1984, with credits that included Nureyev and Friends. She later joined the Boston Ballet Company as a dance teacher and ballet mistress, and served as a judge at numerous international ballet competitions. She is survived by her husband, Michael S. Gregori, and her brother, Boris Santini.