Lada Dance (real name Lada Yevgenyevna Volkova; born 11 September 1966, Kaliningrad, RSFSR, USSR) is a Soviet and Russian pop and jazz singer, actress, songwriter and performer of many popular hits of the 1990s. She is best known for the songs “Devочка-ночь” (“Girl-Night”), “Жить нужно в кайф” (“You’ve Got to Live for Pleasure”), “Аромат любви” (“The Scent of Love”), “Танцы у моря” (“Dancing by the Sea”), as well as for her roles in films and TV projects.
Early years
Lada Volkova was born in Kaliningrad. She graduated from a music school in piano, and later from a music college: first from the academic department and then from the jazz and pop department.
Her first performances took place in a school band where she both sang and played keyboards. While studying at college, she performed at dance floors and as part of restaurant bands.
Career beginnings: the trio “Zhensoсvet”
In 1988, Lada took part in the “Yurmala-88” festival, where she met singers Alina Vitebskaya and Svetlana Lazareva. Soon they formed the trio “Zhensoсvet”, focused on songs with social themes.
During the same period, Lada also worked with Filipp Kirkorov as a backing vocalist, gaining experience of professional stages and touring.
After the trio split up, she stayed in Moscow and began building a solo career.
Solo career
In 1992, Lada Dance released one of her first major works — the song “Devочка-ночь” (“Girl-Night”), which brought her wide popularity. A year later, her debut album “Ночной альбом” (“Night Album”) was released, cementing her success on the Russian pop scene.
In the mid-1990s, the singer released several studio albums, appeared regularly on television, toured extensively and became one of the most recognizable vocalists of the decade. Her repertoire included both pop and eurodance material, as well as more jazz-oriented songs.
Acting career
From the late 1990s onwards, Lada Dance began acting actively in film and on television. She gained the greatest fame as an actress thanks to her role as lawyer Alla Prikhodko in the TV series “Balzakovsky vozrast, ili Vse muzhchiny svoi…” (“Balzac Age, or All Men Are the Same…”), as well as her participation in projects such as “Taiskiy voyazh Stepanycha” (“Stepanych’s Thai Voyage”), “Territoriya krasoty” (“Territory of Beauty”), “Etazh” (“The Floor”) and others.
In the 2010s, she took part in the celebrity impersonation show “Toch-v-toch” and became a finalist in the fourth season of the show “Maska” (“The Mask”) in the character of the Poodle.
Personal life
In the early 1990s, Lada was in a relationship with composer Leonid Velichkovsky, who played an important role in her development as a solo singer.
Later, she was married to businessman Pavel Svirsky. The singer has two children — a son, Ilya (born 1997), and a daughter, Elizaveta (born 1999).
Car accident in 2023
On 5 August 2023, Lada Dance was involved in a car accident on the M-2 “Crimea” highway. She suffered head and spinal injuries but, after rehabilitation, returned to her work.
Discography
Studio albums
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1993 — “Ночной альбом” (“Night Album”)
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1994 — “Танцы у моря” (“Dancing by the Sea”)
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1995 — “Самое новое — самое лучшее” (“The Newest — The Best”) (compilation + new versions of songs)
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1996 — “Вкус любви” (“The Taste of Love”)
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1997 — “Фантазии” (“Fantasies”) (with Oleg Lundstrem’s orchestra)
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1997 — “На островах любви” (“On the Islands of Love”)
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2000 — “Когда цветут сады” (“When the Gardens are in Bloom”)
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2019 — “Нефть” (“Oil”)
Selected hits
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“Девочка-ночь” (“Girl-Night”)
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“Жить нужно в кайф” (“You’ve Got to Live for Pleasure”)
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“Танцы у моря” (“Dancing by the Sea”)
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“Аромат любви” (“The Scent of Love”)
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“Половинка моя” (“My Other Half”)
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“Только ты” (“Only You”)
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“Сахар” (“Sugar”)
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“Нефть” (“Oil”)
Compilation albums
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“Лучшие хиты Лады Дэнс” (“Lada Dance: Greatest Hits”)
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“Золотая коллекция” (“Golden Collection”)
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“100% Лада Дэнс” (“100% Lada Dance”)
Selected filmography
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“Старые песни о главном” (“Old Songs About the Main Thing”)
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“Бальзаковский возраст, или Все мужики сво…” (“Balzac Age, or All Men Are the Same…”)
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“Тайский вояж Степаныча” (“Stepanych’s Thai Voyage”)
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“Испанский вояж Степаныча” (“Stepanych’s Spanish Voyage”)
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“Территория красоты” (“Territory of Beauty”)
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“220 вольт любви” (“220 Volts of Love”)
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“Этаж” (“The Floor”)
Significance
Lada Dance holds a notable place in the history of Russian pop music of the 1990s. Her early hits became part of the cultural backdrop of that era, and her acting work ensured a strong media presence in the decades that followed.
She continues to be creatively active, performing, acting and taking part in television projects.
