On the rise: Polina Semionova: destiny's Ball-a young ballerina's journey from student to Cinderella.

In Vladimir Malakhov's Cinderella, Polina Semionova's captivating femininity and girlish spontaneity are reminiscent of a young Audrey Hepburn. Tall and thin with weightless limbs and an elongated torso, she draws attention to herself with her strong technique, luxuriant musicality, and supple, easy grace.

Semionova is a young ballerina at Berlin's Staatsoper Unter den Linden under the artistic direction of Vladimir Malakhov, and while only 19 years old she has a surprising maturity. In 2001, she received the junior division gold medal at the First International Ballet Competition in Moscow. In 2002, she won the junior division first prize in the Nagoya (Japan) International Ballet Competition, and the gold medal at the Vaganova Prix in St. Petersburg.

"My theatrical life has always been full of unexpected but happy occurrences," says Semionova, who received invitations to join the Bolshoi Ballet, The Kirov Ballet, and Berlin's Staatsoper unter den Linden after graduating from the Bolshoi Ballet's official school in 2002. "I chose Berlin because Malakhov invited me as a principal dancer and because I would get to be his partner," she says.

But a ballet career did not always seem to be in the stars for Semionova. At 8 years old, she dreamed of attending the famous Bolshoi Academy and prayed that she would gel in but was rejected after her first audition. Since her brother, Dmitry (who is currently with The Kirov Ballet,) was accepted, Semionova's family encouraged her to keep trying. One year later, she was accepted into a preparatory class and two years later, she was enrolled in the academy.

Malakhov first spotted Semionova in ballet class. He was visiting the academy--his alma mater--during the filming of the PBS documentary Born to Be Wild: The Leading Men of American Ballet Theatre (see "Born to Be Wild at ABT," DM, February 2003, page 29). "From the first moment I saw her, I thought her line was beautiful," says Malakhov. "And I just understood she was a ballerina." Even though Sofia Golovkina, Semionova's teacher and the director of the academy until her death in March (see Transitions, DM, August, page 63), tried to draw his attention to another student, Malakhov could not take his eyes off of Semionova.

Malakhov values Semionova's professional readiness and artistic individuality so highly that during her first season in Berlin, he gave her lead roles in The Nutcracker and La Bayadere. During her second season, Semionova danced Tatiana in Onegin, the role she has grown to love above all others. "I danced Tatiana with such enjoyment," she says. "There is so much to work on in that part."

Onstage Semionova is an actress beyond her years, and the interplay of light and shadow on her face highlights the details of her performance. "Malakhov is a very emotional artist," says Semionova. "As a result, I am very different when I am with him. I am much more emotional than with other partners.

This past June Semionova debuted in Swan Lake with the English National Ballet in London to glowing reviews. "I'm amazed they [the Bolshoi] let her escape and it will be fascinating to see how she develops," wrote Bruce Marriott in online magazine Ballet.co.uk.

Next season Semionova will dance her firs! Giselle and Brunchild in Bejart's Ring Around the Ring. "And because she is dying to dance Juliet and we don't have Romeo and Juliet in our repertoire," says Malakhov, "I will find a place for her to dance Juliet as a guest artist."

Ballet lovers can look Forward to seeing Semionova's career unfold. Who knows, maybe Juliet will bring her to the U.S. sooner rather than later.

Nina Alovert is a photographer, critic, and the author of Baryshnikov in Russia.