BIOGRAPHY
Tamara was born in Russia, where she took her first steps in dance. At the age of 11, she started her professional ballet education at the Yerevan State Choreographic College in Armenia. At 14, Tamara was accepted to Zurich Dance Academy and moved there to live with her brother and continue pursuing professional ballet training.
- Date of birth: 31 May 2007
- Eye colour: Dark Brown
- Hair colour: Brown
- Height (in cm): 162
- Languages: Armenian, Russian, English, German
CONTACT
- tamara_grigoryan@hotmail.com
- https://www.instagram.com/ragerslife
DANCE EXPERIENCE
Thüringer Staatsballett 2025
- Dryads, Court Dancers / “Sleeping Beauty” / Marius Petipa / Vitaliy Petrov
Tanz Akademie Zürich, "Curtain Up!", Opernhaus Zürich 2023-2026
- “Moving Still” / Cathy Marston
- “Défilé” / Ákos Sebestyén
- “Sang Mêlé” / Julieta Martínez
- “Simply Bach” / Altea Nuñez
- “Napoli” / August Bournonville (coached by Dinna Bjørn)
- “Only the Window” / Ihsan Rustem
Tanz Akademie Zürich, Fussspuren XVIII, Opernhaus Zürich 2022:
- “Rendezvous hinter den Kulissen” / Maged Mohamed
VARIATIONS AND COMPETITIONS
Yerevan State Choreographic college performances and competitions 2018-2021
- Medora Variation, act 3 / “Le Corsaire”
- Fairy of Generosity Variation, Little Red Riding Hood & Wolf / “Sleeping Beauty”
- The Talisman Variation / “Le Talisman”
- Ramze Variation / “Pharaoh’s Daughter”
- Pizzicato Variation / “Raymonda”
AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS / PREISE UND STIPENDIEN
Bubeníček Ballet Masterclass 2025 Special Prize Winner: a week of classes with Semperoper Dresden
Q&A WITH TAMARA GRIGORYAN
What does dance mean to you?
- Dance is an irreplaceable part of my life. Why? Because dance makes me feel things in a way nothing else can. It brings me emotions ranging from euphoric joy, a sense of accomplishment, confidence, freedom, and empowerment to pain, vulnerability, tragedy, pressure, and just deeply personal emotions. Growing up in a ballet family, as a kid I claimed that this definitely wasn’t something I wanted to do for a living. Clearly, it didn’t take long for me to discover how dancing and being on stage made my soul breathe, and I realized that I wanted this to become my life. I feel most alive and most complete when I dance.
What memory will you take with you from your time at ZHdK?
- taZ is literally the place where I grew up. Thinking that I arrived here as a 14-year-old kid, terrified of a totally new and unknown chapter of life, yet so excited for my dream to come true, and that I am now leaving this place as a 19-year-old dancer who got to grow up in these studios is genuinely insane. So instead of picking one literal memory, I can share the epiphany I had about this, about what this place means to me. In my third year of studying at TaZ (H2), I visited the studios in the summer, not long after the holidays had started. I was walking past each studio, and the emptiness and silence made this realization hit me: my middle brother, who graduated from taZ five years ago, grew up in these exact same studios just like I did. He lived through similar situations, challenges, moments of joy, happiness, sadness... And just like him, I will very soon leave this place as a totally different person. I will never forget how appreciative that moment made me feel for the time I had here and for the time I still had left. Five years later, all I have to say is thank you.
Which work or choreographer particularly inspires you, and why?
- Ihsan Rustem and his choreography "Only the Window" will always have a special place in my heart. Prior to coming to Zurich, back in Armenia, I had no contemporary training at all. Even though I struggled in contemporary classes and rehearsals for quite some time, I always felt that it was a style I really love and want to be better at. So when Ihsan Rustem arrived and started working with us on "Only the Window", he was the first person to see potential in me and bring it out throughout all the rehearsals. I loved his approach and this fierce, fun, and energetic atmosphere he created in the studio every day. I loved the piece just as much. Its music combined mysterious, dark elements with a lyrical piano section, and together with the choreography (as well as how much I enjoyed the whole creation process) it made the experience very special for me. I will never forget the goosebumps and the overwhelming happiness I felt in my body while performing it at the end-of-year performance. I am so thankful for these memories.