Giorgi Aleksidze – choreographer, People’s Artist of Georgia, holder of the State Prize and the Order of Honour. Until the end of his life, he was the head of department at the Ballet Master Faculty of A. Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg and professor at the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts, principal choreographer of L. Yakobson Ballet Company in St. Petersburg.
Giorgi Aleksidze was born on 14 November 1939 into a family of eminent theatre director Dimitri (Dodo) and Tamar Aleksidze.

He acquired the profession of a ballet master at Leningrad Conservatoire, under the supervision of the great ballet master-reformer, ballet theoretician who founded the ballet master department, Fyodor Lopukhov. While still studying at the Conservatoire, Aleksidze, together with the like-minded people, established a chamber ballet company in Petersburg and staged many innovative performances there. Famous stars, such as M. Baryshnikov, A. Osipenko, N. Makarova, I. Kolpakova, N. Dolgushin, Y. Soloviev, K. Fedicheva and others, participated in the young choreographer’s ballets.

In 1972, Aleksidze became the Artistic Director of Tbilisi Z.Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Theatre. He introduced to the Georgian ballet the genre of symphonic dance and neo-classical style, presented classical performances with a new vision, created many new ballets by fusing the elements of Georgian and classical dance, using Georgian themes and the music by Georgian composers S. Nasidze, R. Gabichvadze, O. Taktakishvili, S. Tsintsadze, B. Kvernadze, V. Kakhidze, G. Kancheli. Famous scenographers worked on his performances, including S. Virsaladze, K. Ignatov, I. Gegeshidze, G. Aleksi-Meskhishvili, M. Murvanidze, G. Gunia, I. Inashvili.

In 1980-1982, he was the principal ballet master of Perm Opera and Ballet. In 1983-1985, he was the director of the ballet company of Leningrad Conservatoire Opera Studio. In 1992-1994, he established a contemporary ballet company in association with Petersburg State Capella.

From 1985 until 2004, he returned to the position of the Artistic Director of Z.Paliashvili Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre, and, at various times (1978-1980, 1985-1990, 1995-2000) was the Artistic Director of Tbilisi Vakhtang Chabukiani Choreographic School. In 2005, Aleksidze was invited as a principal choreographer to the L. Yakobson company.

Giorgi Aleksidze productively worked in drama, cinema and opera. Pedagogy was a brilliant part of Giorgi Aleksidze’s work in the ballet master field. Today, in St. Petersburg Ballet Academy and Tbilisi Conservatoire, future choreographers are taught according to Giorgi Aleksidze’s original programme.

Regardless of the form in which Giorgi Aleksidze expressed his idea, one could always feel his unique approach to the musical material and his vivid interest in universal themes. Aleksidze’s work peaked in the genre of choreographic miniature and chamber ballet. For the highest achievements in the development of ballet miniature, he was posthumously awarded the Russian theatre prize – Golden Sofit.

Giorgi Aleksidze died on 20 June 2008 in Tbilisi. He was buried in the Didube Pantheon of Writers and Public Figures.