For over a decade Diana Vishneva was principal dancer at the Mariinsky Ballet in St Petersburg, and later became lead dancer at the American Ballet Theater in New York. An icon of her art on the international stage, the ballerina is equally at ease performing neo-classical and contemporary dance as she is with classic ballet roles. A cultural and social activist, she recently created her dance festival to help train up-and-coming choreographers.

Diana undoubtedly embodies the philosophy of Jaquet Droz. Since its inception in 1738, the brand with the two stars has perpetuated the spirit of innovation and aesthetic refinement established by its founder. By coincidence the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet –where Diana graduated in 1995– was founded in the same year. Another common point of interest is Béjart Ballet Lausanne, which the watchmaker partnered with three years ago, and where Diana in 2013 danced the legendary Bolero by Maurice Béjart, becoming the first ballerina since Maya Plisetskaya to perform this dance.

This year Swiss company Béjart Ballet Lausanne will participate in Diana Vishneva’s Context festival for the first time with the support of Jaquet Droz. The international festival works to promote contemporary dance in Russia and awards grants to support up-and-coming choreographers.

From the automata to the Ateliers d’Art, each Jaquet Droz model is a masterpiece of watchmaking, featuring cutting-edge complications and imbued with character and sophistication. The brand is proud to join forces with Diana Vishneva to celebrate common values of creativity, the sharing of passion and knowledge, and a quest for excellence.

Visit her website: http://www.vishneva.ru/en