Ilze Liepa

Ilze Marisovna Liepa(Russian:Илзе Марисовна Лиепа;born 22 November 1963 inMoscow) is a Russianballetdancer and actress. She has been asoloistballerinaat theBolshoi Theatresince 1981. She was invested with the title ofMerited Artist of the Russian Federationin 1996, thePeople's Artist of Russiatitle in 2002, and was awarded theState Prize of the Russian Federationin 2003. She won aGolden Mask Awardin 2003 for her performance in the ballet productionPadaemand.She has also appeared in the filmsBambi's Childhood(1985),Lermontov(1986),Parallel Voices(2005), andThe Bottomless Bag(2017), and theminiseriesEmpire Under Attack(2000). She has further authored the booksLiepa method. Philosophy of the body.(2012), andTheatrical Sculptures(2014).

Liepa held dual Lithuanian and Russian citizenship. After an interview where she expressed support forVladimir Putinin theRussian invasion of Ukraine,Liepa was illegally stripped of her Lithuanian citizenship in 2024.