Mariam Aleksidze - professional dancer, the first female professional choreographer of contemporary ballet in Georgia, Chairwoman of Giorgi Aleksidze Foundation for the Development of Contemporary Choreography and Artistic Director of Giorgi Aleksidze Tbilisi Contemporary Ballet was born in 1978 into a family of prominent choreographer and professor Giorgi Aleksidze and principal ballet dancer and ballet master Marina Aleksidze.
In 1987-1993, she studied in Tbilisi Vakhtang Chabukiani Choreographic School. In 1994, Prima Ballerina Natalia Makarova awarded Mariam Aleksidze with her scholarship and Mariam continued her studies at the Swiss Ballet-Berufschule (SBBS) in Zurich (Switzerland). In 1997, she received an engagement at the Zurich Opera and Ballet Theatre. In 1999-2011, Mariam Aleksidze was a soloist at State Ballet of Georgia.
In 2009, she presented her first contemporary ballet DOVIN-DOVEN-DOVLIi… based on great Georgian poet Galaktion Tabidze’s poetry at Rustaveli National Theatre.
In 2011, Mariam established Giorgi Aleksidze Foundation for the Development of Contemporary Choreography.
In 2012, she completed the Higher Professional Programme of Choreographers at Vano Sarajishvili Tbilisi State Conservatoire, specialising as a choreographer.
In 2013-2016, she was the Artistic Director of South Caucasus Contemporary Dance and Experimental Art Festival.
In 2016, on the initiative of Mariam Aleksidze, Tbilisi City Municipality established the first contemporary ballet company in Georgia – Giorgi Aleksidze Tbilisi Contemporary Ballet – with Mariam as its Artistic Director.
Since 2016, Mariam Aleksidze has been staging original ballets for the company, creating its original repertoire. Mariam Aleksidze has carried out special projects in cooperation with the company director, Tbilisi State University Professor David Maziashvili.
Tbilisi’s contemporary, innovative dance company is notable for its unique quality, aesthetics, search for contemporary forms, artistic vision and original repertoire. It contributes to the development and promotion of contemporary Georgian choreography and contemporary dance.
In 2019, Mariam marked 10 years of working in choreography; it was a very active, productive and important decade in Georgian contemporary choreography.
In 2020, Mariam Aleksidze’s work received special recognition when she participated in David Maziashvili’s special academic event Shakespeare in Georgia (exhibition, seminar, video screening) which was presented at the Bodleian Library of the University of Oxford. Mariam Aleksidze was invited by the University of Oxford; a video screening of the choreographic fantasia Shakespeare.Love and a meeting with the choreographer were part of the event. Later, Mariam was invited to Malta to conduct a creative workshop for Maltese dancers at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta.
In 2020, Mariam Aleksidze’s video performance Marijan’s Room, based on the diaries of a pioneering Georgian woman poet Marijan and Lucia’s Room contemporary ballet-hallucination created for camera by Mariam Aleksidze and David Maziashvili, inspired by the works of James Joyce as well as the dramatic life of his daughter Lucia Joyce, were a reaction to the new reality that has taken shape as a result of the pandemic and were the part of the Company’s digital contemporary choreography performances series.
In 2021 the world marked 700th anniversary of death of great Italian poet, philosopher and thinker Dante Alighieri and, in accordance with David Maziashvili’s idea and concept, and under his direction, Mariam Aleksidze staged for the company the original contemporary ballet based on The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. The world premiere of contemporary ballet-vision BEATRICE took place at the Grand Stage of Rustaveli National Theatre. In accordance with David Maziashvili’s idea, contemporary Italian composer, winner of Oscar, Golden Globe and many other awards, Dario Marianelli, created original music especially for this ballet. Tbilisi State Chamber Orchestra – Georgian Sinfonietta performed the music live on stage. The role of Beatrice was performed by the company’s principal, Mariam Darchia. Famous Georgian Designer Tamuna Ingorokva designed the costumes. According to Mariam Aleksidze’s concept, the visual backdrop of the ballet was an audio installation of Konstantine Mindadze’s paintings.
In 2022 Mariam Aleksidze launched original project – THE BACH PROJECT - a series of contemporary ballets staged to J. S. Bach’s music, in cooperation with musicians and contemporary composers.
In 2022, LUCIA’S ROOM directed by David Maziashvili and Mariam Aleksidze was selected at BLOOMSDAY FILM FESTIVAL 2022 in Dublin, Ireland. The film received SPECIAL MENTION award in the Best International Joycean category. Later, Mariam Aleksidze’s Solo Dance Miniature The Street - a portrait of a woman performed by Mariam Koiava was presented at the Jerusalem International Solo Dance Festival, which took place in the courtyard of the historic Hansen House in Jerusalem, Israel.
In 2009-2022, Mariam Aleksidze staged 14 full-length and 11 short contemporary ballets, 5 performances created especially for camera and 4 original children’s ballets; she has implemented numerous educational projects. She has been working productively in Drama Theatre. Her ballets feature musical genres from Baroque to electronic music. An important direction in Mariam Aleksidze’s work is cooperation with composers and creation of original music for her ballets as well as staging performances to live music and cooperation with musicians, ensembles, bands and orchestras. When creating her ballets, Mariam collaborates with artists and designers. The creation of contemporary ballets based on literary works and texts is a strong suit of her work, she often cooperates with writers and academics. Staging the musicality of words and poems is a signature style of Mariam Aleksidze. In her choreography, Mariam often uses mythology, basic concepts of Georgian folklore, polyphonic ideas of Georgian music, touches on universal human as well as topical issues in her ballets.
Mariam Aleksidze makes a significant contribution to the development and promotion of contemporary ballet and dance in Georgia. Her artistic vision and main idea is freethinking in choreography, searching for contemporary forms in art and aspiring to the process of constant development while preserving traditions.