Global star Natalia Osipova applies her hypnotic style to both classical ballet and modern dance.

One of the most sought-after ballerinas in the world, Natalia Osipova, is coming to Carmel.

Known for her dizzying jumps, the speed of her spiraling turns and her dramatic skills, Osipova began her ballet training when she was 8, and has since danced with the world’s most renowned companies.

But early on, she trained as a gymnast and dreamed about the Olympics. The decision to move to ballet wasn’t an easy one, as Osipova – now a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet in London – recalls in the 2019 documentary Force of Nature: Natalia, but suited her body and constitution better.

In 1996, she enrolled at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography, and in 2006, she joined the Bolshoi Theatre ballet company, one of the world’s oldest companies, achieving every Moscow dancer’s dream. There, she gained recognition for her performances as Kitri in Don Quixote, revealing her signature personality, ferocity and willingness to experiment.

Dark-haired and pale, Osipova is hypnotic, not only when she dances but also when she speaks; her face and eyes are expressive and intense.

“I love contemporary dance, not only classical ballet,” she shared in the film, explaining why she pursues not only ballet, but modern dance at the same time. “I like to play, I like to be a dramatic actress on stage, too.”

The audience in Carmel will have a chance to see a combination of both; the show will include her parts from Giselle (one of her favorite roles) and Manon, but also Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan, the iconic The Dying Swan and more contemporary works.

Osipova has performed as a guest with the American Ballet Theatre, where she danced the leading roles in The Sleeping Beauty and again in Don Quixote, and with The Royal Ballet in London, where she danced in Swan Lake. In 2013, she became a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet.

“I wanted to stay here [in London],” she said. “I liked the company and I liked the city.” This way, Osipova repeated the story of her mentor, choreographer and prima ballerina Natalia Makarova, who left the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad for London in 1970.

Later this year, Osipova will be performing in London – in Giselle, in Mayerling and in La Fille mal gardée.

NATALIA OSIPOVA performs at 7:30pm Friday, Feb. 27. Sunset Center, San Carlos and 9th, Carmel. $65-$175; $350/VIP. (831) 620-2048, sunsetcenter.org.