For Moscow-born artist Alina Mayakovskaya, the boundary between a dance studio and a painter’s easel does not exist. A professional ballerina with over 25 years of experience, including time as a performer at the Bolshoi Theatre, she has found a new stage in Lisbon, Portugal. Here, she translates the disciplined movement of ballet into the expressive freedom of abstract painting, creating a unique fusion of two distinct artistic worlds.
Now residing in the Portuguese capital, the 29-year-old artist is merging the strong traditions of Russian art with the vibrant light and color palette of her new home. Her work, whether in dance or on canvas, is a testament to her philosophy that creativity is the soul's most honest language.
Key Takeaways
- Alina Mayakovskaya is a Russian ballerina and painter who has relocated from Moscow to Lisbon.
- With over 25 years in professional dance, she views painting as a continuation of her choreographic expression.
- She founded the MAYAKDANCE studio in Moscow in 2016, which has gained international recognition, including a feature in Vogue.
- Her painting style is described as expressive abstraction, primarily using oil and a palette knife to convey energy and emotion.
- Mayakovskaya finds inspiration in the fusion of Russian artistic depth and the perceived freedom and brightness of the Portuguese art scene.
A Lifetime of Movement
Dance has been the central pillar of Mayakovskaya's life since childhood. Her journey in the profession spans more than two and a half decades, a path that took her from a student to a performer at the prestigious Bolshoi Theatre. Her career evolved from dancer to teacher, choreographer, and ballet master, a continuous exploration of movement and expression.
"Dance is the movement of the body, while painting is the movement of colour and line," Mayakovskaya explains. "For me, they are inseparable. In dance, I express myself through plasticity and music, and in painting - through brushstrokes and the rhythm of color."
The MAYAKDANCE Legacy
In 2016, she founded MAYAKDANCE in Moscow, describing it not just as a school but as a "space of freedom and inspiration." The studio became a hub for creating competition pieces and staging original productions, such as her one-act ballet, “Chekhov and Clipper. Love in Décadance.”
The studio's success led to its work being broadcast on Russia's main federal television channel and attracting film stars and well-known artists for training. A feature in Vogue magazine solidified its reputation as a center for artistic excellence. Today, MAYAKDANCE continues to operate with a strong online presence, offering programs like “Stretching with a Ballerina.”
A Career in Numbers
- 25+ years: Professional dance experience.
- 2016: Year the MAYAKDANCE studio was founded in Moscow.
- 2011: Began working with Vyacheslav Zaitsev’s modeling agency, participating in Fashion Weeks.
The Transition to the Canvas
While dance has defined her professional life, a love for painting was kindled in her youth. Mayakovskaya recalls being deeply moved by lessons in world cultural history, where she discovered the works of impressionists and abstractionists. It was then she realized that paints could communicate with the same depth as physical movement.
"When I pick up a palette knife, it feels as if I continue to dance - only now on canvas. These two arts nourish one another and create harmony."
Her decision to paint was driven by a desire to express feelings that couldn't be conveyed through words or choreography. For her, the act of painting is an intuitive and sincere process where time seems to stop, allowing for total immersion in the moment of creation.
Expressive Abstraction
Mayakovskaya describes her artistic genre as expressive abstraction. Her style is not focused on replicating images but on capturing and conveying raw emotion and energy. She primarily works with oil paints and a palette knife, a tool she feels allows her to impart a sense of vitality and breath into each stroke.
"My style is based on emotion and energy," she states. "In every stroke, you can hear movement, in every colour - feel breath. It is a dialogue with the viewer through sensation rather than image."
This approach gives the viewer the freedom to find their own meaning in her work. Abstraction, she believes, invites a personal dialogue rather than imposing a specific narrative.
Artistic Influences
Mayakovskaya cites a wide range of artists as sources of inspiration, including Kazimir Malevich, Wassily Kandinsky, Claude Monet, and Edgar Degas. She feels a particular connection to abstractionism and impressionism, finding a resonance with their expressiveness and poetry. Her travels, especially to Paris, also fuel her creative process.
A New Chapter in Portugal
The move to Lisbon marks a significant new phase in Mayakovskaya's artistic journey. She observes a distinct difference between the art scenes in her home country and her new one. In Russia, she notes the strong academic traditions and depth, while in Portugal, she is struck by the brightness, lightness, and freedom.
"I believe it is the combination of these two approaches that nourishes my creativity and makes it alive," she reflects. The prevalence of public art on the streets of Portugal has been a particular source of inspiration, creating an atmosphere where creativity feels ever-present.
This new environment is influencing her work, as she subtly merges the disciplined foundation of her Russian background with the luminous qualities of the Portuguese landscape. Each painting becomes a unique artifact of a specific moment, an emotional trace left on the canvas.
"For me, it is important to leave not just an image, but a living testimony of emotions and time," Mayakovskaya concludes. "Each painting becomes a trace - the very thing that will remain after me."
She actively shares her work through social media, online auctions, and her personal website gallery, with the dream of holding a solo exhibition where viewers can experience the energy of her paintings in person.