A talented ballet master
and dancer Iliko Sukhishvili (1907-1985) danced since childhood. From
the very beginning of his career Iliko's dancing was famous. A temperament
for dancing burned from within him. In 1923-26 he studied at dance studio
and soon became the assistant and dance teacher. In 1927 he began to dance
in Tbilisi State Opera and Ballet house as a staff member. In 1928, he won
the First Prize - Gold Medal and became leading soloist.
In 1935 Iliko got first place in the World Folk Dance Festival in London
and was awarded the gold medal, which was presented by Queen Mary. In 1935-37
Iliko studied the show-business management at the State Institute of Theatre
and Art in Moscow. He was full of ideas, the most important of which was the
desire to set up the Georgian State Dance Company. He wanted to show the rest
of the world his different view of the fantastic ballet created on the border
of the Georgian traditional folk art and modernism.
Nino Ramishvili (1910-2000) began to dance from the age of
10. Studied at Maria Perini's private Ballet Studio in Tbilisi, was
trained as a classical dancer and joined the Tbilisi State Opera and
Ballet Theatre. From 1927 performed as a soloist in "Swan Lake", "Don
Quixote" and many other classics. During this time she met her future
husband Iliko Sukhishvili. Until 1937 Nino and Iliko worked at the
Opera Theatre. They also gave many popular dance concerts.
Their duet
was already very well known. In 1945 her dream became true when together
with her husband she founded The Georgian Dance Company where she
was soloist and dance teacher at the same time. She became chief choreographer
and matriarch of The Georgian National ballet.
