Arts promoter Sergei Danilian's presentation of the work has also been nominated as "Best Ballet Event of the Season."

Diana Vishneva: Beauty in Motion is a co-production of Orange County Performing Arts Center of California and Ardani Artists in association with the Mariinsky Theater of St. Petersburg. Beauty in Motion was performed in Russia at the Stanislavsky Musical Theatre in Moscow in Feb. 2008, and will enjoy subsequent performances at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg (March 2009) and in Moscow (April 2009). The Awards will be presented at a ceremony in Moscow in April 2009.

Beauty in Motion featured the International ballet star in a program of three new ballets created for her by choreographers Alexei Ratmansky, Moses Pendleton and Dwight Rhoden. Ms. Vishneva was joined on stage by the American modern dancer Desmond Richardson and members of the Kirov Opera, Ballet and Orchestra.

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, Diana Vishneva graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy, joined the Mariinsky Theatre Ballet in 1995 and was promoted to principal in 1996. During her last year at the Academy, Ms. Vishneva began working at the Mariinsky Theatre. Her repertoire with the company includes the title roles in Giselle and Manon, Kitri in Don Quixote, Masha in The Nutcracker, Nikiya in La Bayadre, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Gulnare in Le Corsaire, the third movement in Symphony in C, "Rubies" in Jewels and Tchaikovsky's Pas de Deux and Grand Pas Classique, among others. She became a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre in 2005.

Ms. Vishneva's prizes and awards include the International Ballet Competition in Lausanne (1994), Benois de la Dance prize (1995), the St. Petersburg theatrical prize Golden Sophit (1996), the BALTIKA prize (1998), the highest theatrical prize of Russia Golden Mask (2001) and was named Best in Europe by Dance Europe magazine in 2002.

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The Golden Mask, founded in 1994, is the Russian National Theater Award and is awarded to acclaimed productions in all genres of theatre art: drama, opera, ballet, operetta and musical. The Golden Mask is also an All-Russian Theatre Festival featuring the most significant performances from all over Russia. (Diana Vishneva: Beauty in Motion will be featured in the 2009 Festival and Award Ceremony.) The culmination of the Golden Mask is the Award Ceremony, which takes place on one of Moscow's most famous stages and is broadcast by the national television channel.