Marina Aleksidze (Goderdzishvili) – ballet teacher, ballet master-tutor, Merited Artist of Georgia.

Marina Aleksidze graduated from Tbilisi Choreographic School in 1967, her teachers were Tamara Vikhotseva and Vakhtang Chabukiani. In 1977, she graduated from Ilia Chavchavadze Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages, majoring in French, while in 1986-1988, she took a course of teaching classical ballet. Between 1967 and 1992, Marina was a principal dancer at Tbilisi Zakaria Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Theatre. She performed solo and lead parts in all classical and neo-classical performances of the ballet company’s repertoire. She participated in all of Giorgi Aleksidze’s original ballets. In the film-ballet Medea made in 1978 and choreographed by Giorgi Aleksidze, Marina Aleksidze created a special and unforgettable Medea character. From 1992 and until the end of Giorgi Aleksidze’s life, Marina worked as his assistant, while in 1994-2004, she was the head of the ballet company at Tbilisi Zakaria Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Theatre. For years, she cooperated with many theatres of the former Soviet Union as a ballet master/restorer. At various times, she worked as a ballet teacher at Tbilisi Vakhtang Chabukiani Choreographic School, a choreographer at children’s ballet studio and children’s figure skating school. Since 2004, she has been a ballet teacher-tutor at Tbilisi Zakaria Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Theatre.

In 2011, the Aleksidze family established Giorgi Aleksidze Foundation for the Development of Contemporary Ballet. Marina Aleksidze has been a consultant in all of the projects implemented by the Foundation. She continues Giorgi Aleksidze’s path in training future tutor-choreographers. Since 2009, she has been the head of the Ballet Tutor-Choreographers Programme associated with V. Sarajishvili State Conservatoire, where Giorgi Aleksidze’s teaching methodology is used.

Marina Aleksidze has played a great role in preserving a video archive of Giorgi Aleksidze’s choreography. She is an heiress to Giorgi Aleksidze’s choreography which includes about 300 choreographic performances. Currently, Marina Aleksidze works on publishing Giorgi Aleksidze’s book which the maestro did not manage to complete in his lifetime. This book of autobiographic and professional nature is a worthy and special gift to choreography, art and the country.

Since 2016, Marina Aleksidze has been the company manager and principal ballet master of Giorgi Aleksidze Contemporary Ballet chamber company.