Veronika Part

Veronika Part (born 21 February 1978) is a Russian ballet dancer. She is a former principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. She served as a ballet mistress for Atlanta Ballet during the 2019–20 season.

Early life Veronika Part was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). The doctor who delivered her said she had beautiful legs, therefore her mother believed Part should be a ballet dancer. However, Part started in gymnastics at age 4, and continued for six years. In 1988, at age 10, her mother sent her to audition for Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. She was accepted and started training at the academy. She graduated in 1996, under the class of Inna Zubkovskaya.

Career In 1996, at age 18, Part joined the Kirov Ballet (now Mariinsky Ballet), and became a soloist in 1998. At age 20, she made her debut as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake and the title role in Raymonda. She was coached by Gabriella Komleva, Ninel Kurgapkina, Yelena Yevteyeva and Lubov Kunakova.

Part considered leaving the ABT and return to Russia, as she wanted to dance more and more support offstage, but was promoted to the rank of principal dancer in 2009. She decided to stay for personal reasons. Since her promotion, she had danced many of lead roles of the company's repertoire, including works by McKenzie, Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine and Alexei Ratmansky.

Outside of ABT, she had appeared on Late Show with David Letterman. She had danced with the Royal New Zealand Ballet as a guest artist.

In 2017, Part retired from ABT as her contract was not renewed. Her departure was announced days before her final performance. Her fans started a petition on Change.org to ask the company's leadership to let Part stay. Part exited the company following a performance of Balanchine's Mozartiana. Kaleidoscope Within You Without You: A Tribute to George Harrison

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