Diana Baranova
Diana Baranova (married name – Mancevich; 1st of November 1978, Riga, Latvian SSR) – a ballerina, a ballet teacher.
In 1996, Diana Baranova graduated from the Riga Choreography School (RCS; since 2020 – the Riga Ballet School). At RCS she studied under the following outstanding teachers: Valentina Blinova, Aleksandra Kolbina, Lora Lyubchenko, Regina Kaupuža, Sarmīte Jakše-Graudiņa, and Alla Sakharova.
From 1996 to 2008, ballerina Diana Baranova had been a soloist of the ballet company of the Latvian National Opera and Ballet (LNOB). In parallel, in 2003 she completed training courses for choreography teachers at the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music. From 2003 to 2008, she had been pursuing higher education at the Institute of Languages of Riga Technical University (RTU) and obtained a diploma as a technical translator.
On the stage of the Latvian National Opera and Ballet, Diana Baranova primarily was performing roles of a lyrical and playful character, while also consistently appearing in classical solo parts. According to ballet critics, very few ballerinas were able to so sensitively capture and convey all the nuances of Frédéric Chopin’s romantic music.
Roles and ballet parts performed by Diana Baranova at the LNOB:
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Pas de trois, Little Swan (Swan Lake by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, 1996, 2000);
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Fairy in the Prologue, White Kitten, Jewel Fairy (The Sleeping Beauty by P. Tchaikovsky, 1997);
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Svanilda’s Friend (Coppélia by Léo Delibes, 1997);
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Cupid, soloist in the classical Bolero (Don Quixote by Ludwig Minkus, 1997);
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Grand pas (Raymonda by Alexander Glazunov, 1997);
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Peppi Doll (Pippi Longstocking, music by Arturs Maskats and Alfreds Vinters, 1997);
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Mazurka and Waltz (Chopinianа to music by Frédéric Chopin, 1998);
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Maria, Princess Doll, Ballerina (The Nutcracker by P. Tchaikovsky, 1998, 2000);
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Annelle (By the Blue Danube to music by Johann Strauss, 2000);
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Pas de deux (Giselle by Adolphe Charles Adam, 2000);
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Dzirkstīte (The Silver Veil by Juris Karlsons, 2001);
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Odalisque (Le Corsaire by A. C. Adam, 2003);
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Pearl (Precious Stones to music by Jāzeps Vītols, 2003);
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Zina’s Friend (The Bright Stream by Dmitri Shostakovich, 2004), and others.
In 1999, Diana Baranova gave a brilliant performance as Pimpinella in Igor Stravinsky’s ballet Pulcinella at the 4th International Baltic Ballet Festival. In 1995, she took part in a ballet seminar organized by the Bartholin International Ballet Seminar in Copenhagen, Denmark.
According to ballet critic Eriks Tivums (1945–2008), ballerina Diana Baranova,
“…having danced the role of Masha in The Nutcracker, demonstrated that she is capable of performing leading roles in ballet.”
Teaching career
From 2005 to 2007, Latvian ballet artist Diana Baranova had been teaching choreography at the International Pre and Primary School of Riga, while simultaneously teaching classical dance at the Rondo ballet studio of the Riga Children’s School of Aesthetics.
Since 2013 and up to the present day (2025), Diana Mantsevich has been working as a classical dance teacher at the Riga Choreography School (since 2020 – the Riga Ballet School). In parallel, from 2014 to 2018, she had been conducting master classes as a teacher at the Russian Ballet School in Melbourne, Australia.
Testimonial from Riga Ballet School student Natalia Osipova about her teacher:
“My classical dance teacher is Diana Mantsevich. She is a very good person and an excellent teacher. Strict and demanding, yet kind and humane, she pays attention to every student and corrects any mistake. I am very happy to be studying under such a talented teacher.”
(11 April 2020)Sources of information:
Latvijas baleta un dejas enciklopēdija. Projekta vadītāja un autore Dr. paed. Gunta Bāliņa. Līdzautori: Mag. art. Ramona Galkina, Mag. art. Regīna Kaupuža. – Rīga: SIA “ULMA”, 2018.
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