Faculty

Elizaveta Kokoreva was born in Moscow into a family of the ballet artists. In 2019, graduated from the Moscow State Academy of Choreography (class of Tatiana Galtseva) and joined the Bolshoi Theatre Ballet Company. At the end of 2021-22 season she was promoted to the leading soloist, in 2023 — to the principal dancer.
At first she rehearsed under the supervision of Nadezhda Pavlova. Currently her teacher is Maria Allash.

Her diverse repertoire includes roles in Giselle (Giselle), Romeo and Juliet (Juliet), Spartacus (Phryngia), The Queen of Spades (Lisa), The Nutcracker (Marie), The Sleeping Beauty (Aurora), Jewels (the leading couple) and many others.

Elizaveta was a participant of Russian Masters Ballet camp.

In 2011 Ivan Zaytsev joined the ballet company of one of the best theatres of the world - Mikhailovsk, where very soon he became a Principal dancer, his repertoire includes solo and principal roles in La Sylphide, Le Corsaire, Cipollino, Don Quixote, Laurencia, The Flames of Paris, La Fille mal gardée, and Class Concert
as well as productions of Nacho Duato The Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, Multiplicity, Forms of Silence and Emptiness, Prelude, Invisible, and White Darkness. Ivan has toured with the Mikhailovsky Ballet Company to Japan, USA, Germany etc.

He start his career from Krasnodar Ballet School in 1997 and while studying he was training at the Yury Grigorovich Ballet Theatre where he performed roles in the ballets Spartacus, Romeo and Juliet, Raymonda, The Golden Age, The Nutcracker, and Cipollino.
In 2002 Ivan graduated from Krasnodar Ballet School and entered the Department of Choreography at St. Petersburg State University for Culture and Arts.
After graduation from the University in 2007, he joined Leonid Jacobson Ballet Theatre in St. Petersburg, where he danced Romeo (Romeo and Juliet), Jose (Passion for Carmen), Siegfried (Swan Lake), Prince (The Nutcracker), Albrecht (Giselle), and Rodin (The Kiss).

After participation in the 11th Moscow International Ballet Competition in 2009, he was invited to join Boris Eifman Ballet Theatre. Ivan´s parties in Eifman Ballet were:

• Basil in Don Quixote, 
• Onegin in Onegin, 
• Vronsky in Anna Karenina, 
• Ekaterina´s son in Russian Hamlet, 
• The Prince,
  
• The Young man & The Joker in Chaikovsky.
  

More information on the website of the Mikhailovsky theatre.

Anna was born in Siberia. She started to dance at 5 years old and graduated from the Krasnoyarsk Ballet School in Siberia. 

Anna started her career with the Siberian State ballet (Krasnoyarsk, Russia) as a soloist. Later she became a guest-principal dancer with Mikhailovsky theatre (Saint-Petersburg) and Tatarstan state ballet (Kazan). Since 2012 Anna joined Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre ballet company as a principal dancer. During this period of dancing with Russian ballet companies her repertoire was very diverse. 

At 2015 she joined Dutch National Ballet as a principal dancer. Since that moment Anna became an international guest-principal dancer .She worked with Teatro Colon (Argentina) for “La Bayadere” by Natalia Makarova,  with Semperoper Dresden ballet for “Manon” by K.McMillan. Currently Anna is working with Staatsballet Berlin as a guest.

Anna’s repertoire is very diverse. During her carrier she dances principal roles in almost all well known classical ballets as “Nutcracker” , “Sleeping beauty”, “La Bayadere”, ”Gizelle”, “Copelia”, “La fille mal gardee”, “La Sylphide” , “Snow Maiden”, “Don Quihote”, ”Romeo and Juliette”, “Swan lake” and others. Her repertoire also includes main roles in lots of neoclassical ballets by such a famous choreographers as K.McMillan, J.Robbins, J.Kranko, G.Balanchine, A.Ratmansky, C.Wheeldon , Hans van Manen ,D.Dawson,Y.Grigorovich, Rudi van Danzig ,Ted Brandsen and others. In a different time her partners on stage were Sergei Polunin, Ivan Vasiliev, Leonid Sarafanov and others. 

In a studio legendary Natalia Makarova, Guillaume Graffine, Alexey Ratmansky, Michael Messerer , Patricia Neary, Patricia Ruann , Karl Burnett, Olga Evreinoff, Yukari Saito,Yannick Boquen ,Larissa Lezhnina, Rachel Beaujean and many others helped her to improve her skills of dance. At 2008 and 2010 she won gold medals on International ballets competitions in Krasnoyarsk and Perm. She is a winner of «Dance Open 2018- miss virtuosity» prize in Sankt Petersburg.

Currently Anna is working successfully with Dutch National ballet as a principal dancer and participates lots of  Ballet Galas around the world.

Francesca was born in Bucharest, Romania and began her ballet training at the age of 4, attending the Choreography High school in Bucharest until she was 15 years old. After receiving 2nd place at Youth America Grand Prix, she was invited to study at Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow. Following her two years of study in Russia, at the age of 17 she joined the Romanian National Opera and Ballet for one year while studying for her state exams in Bucharest.
She is currently a Junior Soloist with English National Ballet.

Her repertoire includes:
Clara/Sugar Plum in Wayne Eagling's 'Nutcracker',
3rd Principal Couple in Liam Scarlett' s 'No man's land' ,
First Couple in George Balanchine's 'Theme and Variations',
Kitri in Alexander Gorski's 'Don Quijote' ,
Trio Couple in Alexey Ratmansky's 'Concerto DSCH',
1st couple in Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s ‘Laid in Earth’,
Henriette in Tamara Rojo’s ‘Raymonda’,
Vegas in William Forsythe’s ‘Playlist’.

In 2018 she won the 'Laurence Olivier Award' for 'Outstanding Achievement in Dance' following her performance of 'The Chosen One' in Pina Bausch' s 'Le Sacre du printemps'. She was chosen to be part of Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2019.

Jan Špunda, originally from Ostrava, Czech Republic, is a soloist with Dutch National Ballet, recognized for his elegant technique and expressive artistry. After beginning his professional career with Bayerisches Staatsballett, he joined Dutch National Ballet, where he quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a soloist.

Jan trained at the English National Ballet School on a scholarship and was supported throughout his studies by the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation. His talent was recognized early on, winning third prize at the Tallinn International Ballet Competition in 2014. In 2017, he won third prize and the Outstanding Artistry Award from Dance Europe Magazine at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) in New York.

Jan’s repertoire reflects his wide range, spanning both classical and contemporary works. He has performed principal roles in Nutcracker, Raymonda, Diamonds, Emeralds, Four Schumann Pieces, The Four Temperaments, Blake Works, and Anima Animus. He has worked with some of the most influential choreographers in the ballet world, including William Forsythe, Hans van Manen, John Neumeier, Ted Brandsen, Alexei Ratmansky, David Dawson, Jiří Kylián, Wayne McGregor, and Christopher Wheeldon.

Jan continues to expand his ballet journey, broadening his repertoire and performing at international galas.

Patrik Benák was born in Prague (Czech Republic). He started hip-hop at the age of four and ballet at the age of ten. A year later, he was admitted to the Pražská konzervatoř - Prague's conservatory - where his professional training began.

In 2016 he attended Russian masters ballet camp for the first time. In 2017, he was admitted to the Staatliche Ballettschule Berlin. He was allowed to represent the school in a competition in Riga, where he came in second in two categories.

In 2019, he was admitted to the Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg. During his training there, Patrik had the opportunity to dance at the historic Mariinsky Theatre, the Mikhailovsky Theatre and the Hermitage Theatre. He also danced major roles in school productions such as the prince in The Nutcracker, a solo in August Bournonville's Le Conservatoire and a friend in Coppelia.

In 2022, Patrik returned to the Staatliche Ballettschule Berlin to complete his training. During the final year of his training, he danced, among other roles, the role of Count Albrecht in Giselle at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin. In 2023, Patrik was accepted into the Junior Company of Dutch National Ballet.

Dmitry Zagrebin was born in Moscow, Russia, the son of two former Bolshoi Ballet dancers. Following in their footsteps, Dmitry studied at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy before joining the Bolshoi Ballet in 2007.

In 2012, he was named a Soloist at Stanislavsky Ballet in Moscow and in 2015 he joined the Royal Swedish Ballet as a Soloist, before quickly being promoted to the rank of Principal. His repertory includes leading roles in most of the classical ballet repertoire such as Christopher Wheeldon's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Rudolf Nureyev's production of Don Quixote and Marcia Haydée's Sleeping Beauty; Natalia Makatova's Giselle; to name a few.

Dmitry Zagrebin has assembled several competition awards, including gold medals at the International Ballet Competition in Seoul and at the Moscow International Ballet Competition. He was nominated for the Benois de la Dance Award for his performance as Basilio in Nureyev's Don Quixote with Royal Swedish ballet in 2016.

Daniil Potaptsev was born in Saint Petersburg. In 2022, graduated from St. Petersburg Boris Eifman Dance Academy (class of Maxim Prokofiev) and joined the Bolshoi Ballet Company. In the 2022/ 23 season he was promoted to the soloist.
Now Daniil Potaptsev rehearses under the supervision of Vitaly Breusenko.

At the end of 2023 he was promoted to the solois, at the end of 2023/ 24 season — to the first soloist.

Born in Madrid, she trained at the Carmen Amaya Professional Dance Conservatory with Mariví Hinojosa, graduating with honours. 

Valeria Garcia del Castillo received a two-year scholarship to the English National Ballet by Viviana Durante, where she worked with renowned choreographers and teachers such as Zenayda Yanowsky, then she joined the Joffrey Studio Company in Chicago. She completed her training with renowned teachers such as Hervé Ilari, Marlon Dino, Alicia Alcaraz, Antonio Castilla, Marta Ruiz Estrampes, and Lola de Ávila.

She is a finalist and winner in competitions such as the YAGP in Barcelona, ​​Nice, Toulouse, Ribarroja, and Castellón, where she won several scholarships, as well as a silver medal in Nice.

She has performed solo roles such as Gamzatti (Bayadere), Queen of the Dryads (Don Quixote), Raymonda, Paquita, and Esmeralda, sharing the stage with stars such as Polina Semionova and Anna Ol.

In November 2024, she joined the Compañía Nacional de Danza, under the direction of Muriel Romero.

Tomas Sanza was born in the city of Mallorca, Spain. He started his ballet education at the Professional Conservatory of Palma de Mallorca finishing it at the English National Ballet School in London. Tomas is an ex Russian Masters Ballet student of the Alicante summer camp.

First years of his career upon graduation he had been working with the Bucharest National Opera and eventually returned to the homeland, Spain, to work with National Dance Company in Madrid and expansing his repertoire.

Winner of prizes in national and international competitions

Liudmila Konovalova was born in Moscow (Russia). She graduated from Moscow Bolshoi Ballet Academy and joined the Russian State Ballet in 2002. In 2004 she was appointed First Soloist and danced the leading roles. In 2007 she joined the Staatsballett Berlin and was appointed Soloist in 2009. In 2010 she joined the Wiener Staatsballett as a Soloist and was promoted to First Soloist in 2011.

She has appeared as a guest dancer in many European Countries and overseas.
During the season 2013/14 she joined the Ballet de l'Opéra National de Bordeaux, the Slovenské národné divadlo, the Teatro dell ‘Opera di Roma and the Tokyo Ballet as a guest soloist.
In March 2016 (London Coliseum) she had the honor to take part in the Ave Maya Gala in memory of Maya Plisetskaya.
For the ORF DVD production of “Der Nussknacker'' in the choreography of Rudolf Nureyev she danced the main role of Clara.

She has received many awards and honors:
3rd Place in the competition “Young Russian Ballet” in Krasnodar (2004).
Special Price from the Serge Lifar Ballet Competition in Kiev (2006).
2nd Place in the International Ballet Competition KIBC in Seoul.
1st Place in the ÖTR-Contest in Vienna (2007)
1st Place in the Ballet Competition “Premio Roma” (2007).
Premio Capri Danza International (2018).

In June 2019 Liudmila Konovalova was honoured by the Russian Embassy in Vienna for her merits of the cultural relation between Russia and Austria.

Svetlana Bednenko became ballet soloist at the Donetsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre when she was only 15 years old and danced leading parties of numerous classical ballets.
At the same time Svetlana took part in numerous international ballet competitions where she used to win leading first prizes.

In 2011 she became soloist of St Petersburg State Academic Eifman Ballet Theatre (her tutor was Tatiana Kvasova).
Svetlana´s repertory in Eifman ballet:
Me - Don Quijote (Kitri),
Russian Hamlet (Imperess Ekaterina II),
Chaikovsky (the wife of Chaikovsky),
Red Giselle (Olga Spesivtseva),
Who is who (Linn),
Onegin online (Olga),
Anna Karenina (Kiti) etc
As part of the ballet company Eifman Ballet Svetlana toured around Europe, Asia, Australia and USA.

From 2013 and up to now Svetlana Bednenko is a soloist of the ballet company of one of the best ballet theatres in the world - the Mikhailovsky Theatre ( St. Petersburg).
She dances leading solo parties in classical ballets such as “The Swan Lake”, “Don Quijote”, “La Bayadère “, “Le Corsaire”, “The Flame of Paris”, “Cipollino”, “The Sleeping Beauty”, “The Nutcracker” , “Romeo and Juliet” and many others

Ksenia Shevtsova graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy and began her career as a soloist at the Stanislavsky Theatre in Moscow. She won the Bolshoi Ballet's Best Ballerina Nomination Project in 2018 and the Soul of Dance Award in 2019. That same year, she was appointed prima ballerina of the Stanislavsky Theatre. In the 2023/24 season, Shevtsova joined the Bayerisches Staatsballett as a First Soloist.

Her repertoire includes iconic roles such as Nikiya and Gamzatti in "La Bayadère," Odette/Odile in "Swan Lake," and Manon in "Manon" by Kenneth MacMillan, among others. She has also performed as Kitri in "Don Quixote," Giselle in "Giselle," and Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet," among others. She has taken on challenging parts in works by choreographers like Roland Petit, Yuri Possokhov, Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato, and Alexei Ratmansky.

Debuting with the Bayerisches Staatsballett, she has performed in "The Storm" from Tchaikovsky Overtures, "La Bayadère," "Romeo and Juliet," and "Onegin," among others.

Tatiana Melnik graduated from Perm Ballet Academy in 2006. She was principal dancer of Russian ballet theatre V.M. Gordeev (Moscow), first soloist of Stanislavsky theatre (Moscow) and from 2015 Tatiana Melnik is working with Hungarian National Opera (Budapest) as a principal dancer.

Her repertoire includes:
Dantzig/Schayk/Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake – Odette/Odile
Eagling/Solymosi/Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker – Princess Maria
Petipa/Tchaikovsky: The Sleeping Beauty – Princess Aurora
Petipa/Minkus: Don Quixote – Kitri
Petipa/Adam: Giselle – Giselle
Petipa/Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake – Odette/Odile
Ashton/Prokofiev: Cinderella – Cinderella
McMillan/Massenet: Manon – Manon
McMillan/Liszt: Mayerling – Princess Stephanie, Maria Vechera
Vainonen/Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker – Princess Maria
Burmeister/Tchaikovsky: Snow Maiden – Snow Maiden
Petipa/Minkus: La Bayadère – Nikiya
Van Manen/Satie: Trois Gnossiennes, Black cake
Ashton/Hérold: La fille mal gardée – Lisa
Lander/Riisager: Études
Cranko/Tchaikovsky: Onegin – Tatiana
Petipa/Deldevez/Minkus: Paquita – Paquita
Seregi/Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet – Juliet
Kylián/Mozart: Petite Mort

Awards include:
Bronze medal International ballet competition “Arabesque” (Perm), 2012
Silver medal “Moscow ballet competition”, 2013
Best ballerina of Hungary, 2016
Etoile, 2019-2020
The Hungarian gold cross, 2021

Participation in Etoile World Ballet Galas all over the World.

Denis Matvienko was born in 1979 in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. He began his training in classical dance at a very young age at the Kiev State Choreography School, and at the age of 18 he joined the Ukrainian National Ballet as a first figure.

In 2001 he joined the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg as a soloist. In 2003 he returned to the Ukrainian National Ballet and in 2007 he moved back to St. Petersburg to the Mikhailovsky Theatre as a principal dancer. Two years later, in 2009, he returned as principal star to the Mariinsky.

He has been a guest dancer with numerous companies, such as the Bolshoi, the New National Theatre of Japan, the Alla Scala Theatre and the Paris Opera.

During his career he has performed numerous princely roles, but he is a dancer with great versatility, which allows him to excel in neoclassical and contemporary works.

He has won major dance awards, including first place in the Luxembourg ballet competitions in 1997 and Budapest in 1998; the gold medal in Nagoya in 1999; and first place in the Moscow competition in 2005.

From 2011 to 2013 Matvienko was appointed artistic director and principal dancer of the ballet company of the Ukrainian National Opera and since June 2016 he has been artistic director of the ballet company of the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Spanish-Cuban Ricardo Castellanos (born in 1997) began dancing at the age of nine with La Companya Juvenil de Ballet Clàssic de Catalunya in Barcelona before continuing his studies with his father, Rodolfo Castellanos.

He studied at the Royal Ballet School in London and performed in such ballets as Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle and Le Corsaire before joining the Norwegian National Ballet 2 in the autumn of 2016. In 2017, he went on to the main company becoming a principal dancer.

After Ricardo Castellanos' debut in the leading role of Solor in La Bayadère, ClassicalMusic.com wrote the following: «He achieves a weightless height in his leaps, almost seeming to hang in the air, his pirouettes are dead-on and last impossibly long. He conveys the dramatic story with technique and feeling and it is harder to imagine a stronger debut than this.»

He has danced the role of Rothbart in Holmes’ Swan Lake, the Nutcracker Prince in Boyadjiev’s The Nutcracker, the leading male role in Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante and soloist in the 1st movement in Balanchine’s Symphony in C, Prince Albrecht in the 2nd act of Giselle, Romeo in the balcony pas de deux from Romeo and Juliet and Prince Siegfried in a pas de deux from Swan Lake. He has also danced in MacMillan’s Manon and Kylián's One of a Kind.

His repertoire includes:
Albrecht in Giselle
Flames of Paris Pdd in A Night of Dance x 12
Giselle 2. akt - Albrecht in Norwegian National Ballet
Le Corsaire Pdt in A Night of Dance x 12
Onegin in Onegin
Romeo og Julie: Romeo in Lyset på Nasjonalballetten
Solor in La Bayadère
Voluntaries Pas de trois in A Night of Dance x 12
etc.

Currently Luisa María Arias is a freelance dancer, choreographic assistant to Nacho Duato and a part of the Nacho Duato Training Program. Luisa María is frequently invited to create choreographic pieces, master classes and workshops in different national and international schools and actively collaborates with the CaraB Danza Company.

Throughout her career Luisa María Arias has danced in companies such as:
- the National Dance Company;
- Netherlands Dance Theater;
- National Ballet of Nancy et la Lorraine;
- Opera National du Rhin.

She has worked with choreographers such as Nacho Duato, Jiri Kylian, Mats Ek, W. Forsythe, Johan Inger, Ohad Naharin, Paul Lightfoot, Sol Leon, Cristal Pite, Marco Goecke, W. Vandekeibus, Hofesh Shechter, Alexander Ekman and many others.

Polina Semionova was born in Moscow and studied at the Bolshoi Ballet School. At 17 years old, she joined the Berlin State Opera Ballet as a principal dancer. In September 2012 joined American Ballet Theatre as a Principal Dancer.

Her repertoire includes:
Odette-Odile in Swan Lake; Nikiya in La Bayadere; Marie in The Nutcracker; Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty;Swanilda in Coppellia; Kitri in Don Quixote;Giselle, Myrta in Giselle; Tatiana in John Cranko's Onegin; Sieglinde and Brunhilde in Maurice Bejart's Ring um den Ring; Manon in Manon; Juliet in John Cranko's,Sir Kenneth McMillan's, Leonid Lavrovskij's, Nacho Duato's Romeo and Juliet; Scheherazade; Les Sylphides; Carmen in Roland Petit'sCarmen; Sylvia in Sir Frederick Ashton's Sylvia.Principal roles in Jerome Robbins' Afternoon of a Faun; George Balanchine's Ballet Imperial, Apollo (Terpsichore), A Midsummer Night's Dream, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Diamonds, Theme and Variations, Symphony in C; William Forsythe's The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude, Herman Schmermann; John Neuemeyer 's Nutcracker, Midsummer Night's Dream, The Lady of the Camellias, Kylian's Return to the Strange Land.

She has also appeared in works by Nacho Duato, Mauro Bigonzetti, Patrice Bard, Renato Zanella, Uwe Scholz, Alexey Ratmanskij, Twyla Tharp, Anthony Tudor, Christian Spuck...

Semionova has also danced as a guest artist with La Scala, American Ballet Theatre, Bayerische State Opera, Mikhailovskiy Theatre, Semper Opera, English National Ballet, Tokyo Ballet, Vienna State Opera Ballet, Zurich Ballet, Maryinsky Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Opera del Roma ..

Awards include:

• a gold medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition in 2001,
• First Prize at the Vaganova-Prix Ballet Competition in St. Petersburg ,
• the Junior Prize at the Nagoya International Ballet Competition in 2002;
• Daphne Prize (2004);
• German Critics Choice Award (2005);
• Dancer of the Year (2007);
• Prize of Heinz Spoerli( 2007);
• Prize Benois de la Dance(2014);
• Kammertänzerin (2017);
• Dancer of the Year (2018).

In 2013 she became a professor of Staatliche Ballett Schule in Berlin, Germany.

The Canadian-British dancer James Stout (Calgary) got interested in dance through his parents’ Argentinian tango dance club. From an early age, he helped out as a dance partner at the milongas (dance evenings). He went on to take lessons in ballroom and ballet, among other things. At the age of thirteen, he went to The School of Alberta Ballet – “because they needed boys”.

Later on, James trained with the Goh Ballet Academy in Vancouver; a period of tough, completely Chinese-oriented training that he says formed him. The final year of James’s training was spent at The Royal Ballet School in London.

Partly due to his great admiration for the former star principal Sofiane Sylve, James decided to join Dutch National Ballet in 2007, where he was promoted to soloist in season 2012-2013. Since 2018, James has been a principal with Dutch National Ballet; his promotion came immediately after his performance of the role of Tristan in David Dawson’s Tristan + Isolde. James succeeded in reaching the finals of ballet competitions in Varna, Hong Kong and Beijing.

Aidos Zakan began his training in1997 at Anna Selezneva School in Almaty, Kazachstan, and graduated in 2005 from Vaganova Academy of Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia.

2006-2009 he was a soloist at Musa Dshalil theatre before joining Mikhaylovskiy Theatre, St. Petersburg in 2009. 2010, he became a member of Stanislavski- and Nemirovich-Danchenko theatre, Moscow and in 2013 was engaged as a soloist with Boston Ballet company. His repertoire comprises parts as Siegfried („Swan Lake“), Prince Désiré in „Sleeping Beauty“, Albert in „Giselle“, James in „La Sylphide“ and Basile in „Don Quichotte“.

At the Vaganova Competition 2006 he was awarded with the prizes.

Other awards include Arabesque-2010 in Donetsk, Ukraine, and Korean International ballet competition in 2010 and 2011.

In december 2015, Aidos joined Aalto Ballett Essen as a soloist with group commitments and has performed roles like Karl („The Nutcracker“), Basile („Don Quichotte“) and solistic parts in „Queen“.

Alexei Timofeyev is a Soloist Dancer at the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg.

He graduated from the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in 2004, in class of Gennady Selyutsky and he joined the Mariinsky Theatre that same year.

His awards include 3rd prize in the VII International Ballet Competition of Seoul. Diploma in the XI International Competition of Ballet Dancers and Choreographers of Moscow and in the XVI International Ballet Festival Rudolf Nureyev.

He has a wide repertoire as a soloist behind his back.

Alexey Popov was born in Chisinau, Republic of Moldova. He graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy in 2010 and joined the Mariinsky Ballet the same year.

Popov has toured with the Mariinsky Ballet to Italy, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the USA and Great Britain.

In 2014 he won the first prize at the Yuri Grigorovich World Youth Ballet International Competition.

He joined the Bayerisches Staatsballett in the 2016/2017 season as first soloist and was promoted to principal in September 2019. There he interpreted many principal roles such as James in La Sylphide, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, Le Spectre de la Rose or Tchaikovsky-Pas de deux.

In July he will begin a new contract in the Vienna State Ballet as Principal Dancer, where he is being very awaited.

Evgeniya Victory Gonzalez was born in St. Petersburg, Russia.

In 2015 she completed her education at the Royal Swedish Ballet School. During her time at the Ballet School, she has been practicing and appeared several times on stage at the Royal Swedish Opera.

Evgeniya is a former student of Russian Master Ballet Camp.

From 2015 until 2018 she was a dancer at the Mariinsky Theater Ballet Company in St. Petersburg.
From 2018 until 2019 Evgeniya was a member of the Bavarian State Opera Ballet Campany.
In 2019, she became a demi-Soloist of the Czech National Ballet in Prague, where in April 2021 she was made a soloist.

Evgeniya has danced at prestigious ballet galas with the Russian Master Ballet Stars Gala, the Veterans Aid Charity in London and the Ballet Summer Estonia Gala.
In 2014, she received the third prize at the International Nordic Baltic Ballet Competition in Sweden, Falun and the Grand Prix at the Jeune Ballet Mediterranean in France, Grasse.

One of the most outstanding European artists and choreographers, Denis Untila, will be one of the invited artistsfor the Stars Gala.

Denis Untila began his dance career in his homeland, Moldova, and completed his training by graduating from the Vienna Conservatory. He joined the Ballet Kiel in 2001 under the direction of Mario Schröder as a soloist. He performed as a guest dancer in Schröder’s choreography “The Wall” in Essen in 2004. Further guest appearances have taken him to the Moldovan National Opera, and to Salzau, France and Italy (“Europe Dance”), then to the ballet company of the Vienna State Opera, where he performed in “The Nutcracker” and as Oscar in Vladimir Malakhov’s ballet “A Masked Ball”.

Since the autumn of 2006 Denis has been a member of the Aalto Ballet Essen, firstly as a group dancer with solo obligations and then from 2009 as a soloist with group commitments. On the Aalto stage he has danced solo roles as Dmitri (“The Brothers Karamazov“), Valerio (“Leonce and Lena”), Blue Bird (“Sleeping Beauty”), Bécaud (“La vie en rose”), Lillas Pastia (“Carmen/Boléro”), Moritz (“Max and Moritz), as well as further soloist roles in “Homage to Queen” and “Irish Soul”. He has also choreographed “The Soldier’s Tale” (Family Concert), “Game” (“PTAH”) and together with Michelle Yamamoto, “Alice” (“PTAH II”), "Jo“ and "Passacaglia“ ("PTAH III“). In the 2012/2013 season he choreographed his first full-length ballet “Othello” for the Aalto Theatre. Denis Untila is the winner of the Aalto Stage Prize for young artists 2012. After successfully creating „Vibrations“ for Essener Philharmonie, he presents a new choreography in 2018: „Moving Colours“, together with Armen Hakobyan.

Alejandro Virelles is a distinguished Principal Dancer born in Cuba, known for his exceptional  talent and captivating performances. His journey in the world of ballet began at the prestigious National Ballet School of Cuba, where he honed his skills and developed a profound love for the art form.

Throughout his illustrious career, Alejandro has participated in numerous competitions and received esteemed accolades. In 2002, he triumphed at the International Ballet Competition of Ballet Schools in Havana, securing the Gold medal and a Special Prize. In 2004, his exceptional talent earned him the Silver medal at the Varna International Competition, followed by another Gold medal at the International Ballet Competition of Ballet Schools in Havana.

Alejandro's artistic endeavours have taken him to various renowned ballet companies across the globe. He graced the stage as a Principal Dancer with the Cuban National Ballet until 2009, showcasing his remarkable skill and artistry. From 2009 to 2014, he enchanted audiences with his performances as a member of both the Barcelona Ballet and the Boston Ballet. In 2014, Alejandro joined the English National Ballet as a Principal Dancer, leaving a lasting impression with his breathtaking interpretations. In 2017, he became a Principal Dancer at the prestigious Bayerisches Staatsballett, and in 2018, he further enriched his career as a Principal Dancer at the Staatsballett Berlin.

Alejandro's extensive repertoire showcases his versatility and mastery of various ballet classics. Under the guidance of acclaimed choreographers, he has embodied iconic roles such as Siegfried in Marius Petipa's "Swan Lake," Albrecht in Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot's "Giselle," and Prince Desiré in Petipa's "Sleeping Beauty." He has also breathed life into characters like Franz in Ronald Hynd's "Coppélia" and the Prince in Frederick Ashton's "Cinderella." Alejandro's interpretations of George Balanchine's works have mesmerised audiences, including his performances in "Jewels" ("Diamonds" and "Emerald") and Alexei Ratmansky's "La Bayadère" as Solor.

In Berlin, Alejandro has enriched the dance landscape with his artistry. His repertoire with the Staatsballett Berlin includes standout performances in Alexei Ratmansky's "La Bayadère" as Solor, George Balanchine's "Theme and Variations" as part of the "Balanchine | Forsythe | Siegal" program, and the captivating "Diamonds" Pas de deux from Balanchine's "Jewels." He has also portrayed Prince Sigfried in Patrice Bart's rendition of "Swan Lake," Romeo in John Cranko's "Romeo and Juliet," James in August Bournonville's "La Sylphide," and showcased his talent in duets such as George Williamson's "Mesh." Additionally, Alejandro's captivating performances include David Dawson's "Voices" and the compelling title role in John Cranko's "Onegin."

Beyond his accomplishments on stage, Alejandro Virelles has been a cultural ambassador, gracing audiences in Russia, the United States, and South America and Asia (China, Hong Kong and Japan) with his guest performances. His artistic excellence and commitment to his craft have garnered him widespread acclaim, establishing him as a true luminary in the world of ballet.

Alejandro's journey as a Principal Dancer is a testament to his unwavering dedication, extraordinary talent, and profound passion for ballet. With each performance, he continues to inspire and captivate audiences worldwide, leaving an indelible mark on the art form he holds dear.

Yolanda Correa was born in Cuba and studied in the Vocational School of Art Holguín and in the Cuban State Ballet School Havana.

Before coming to Oslo, she danced with the Cuban National Ballet, where she was given the highest accolade of primera bailarina.  She was also the Principal Dancer of the StaatsBallett Berlin. Then Yolanda came to Oslo and became a Principal Dancer with the Norwegian National Ballet.

She has received several awards:
1999 Winner of the “International Meeting of Ballet Academies”
2010 “Grand Prix Giuliana Penzi”
2012 “Premio Positano”: best female newcomer
2014 “Wilhelmsen Holding ASA Company Award for Opera and Ballet”
2014 Nomination “Benois de la Danse” as best female dancer

She has also been guest artist in many international companies: Royal Swedish Ballet Stockholm, Ballet of Teatro di San Carlo Napoli, The Kremlin Ballet Moscow, Ballet of Kazan, Compañía Nacional de Danza Madrid.

Her vast classical and contemporary repertoire includes among others:
Snow Queen and the Sugar Plum Fairy. Dina Bjørn’s Nutcracker
Odette-Odile. Alicia Alonso’s Swan Lake
Kitri. Alicia Alonso’s Don Quixote
Aurora. Cynthia Harvey’s Sleeping Beauty
Tatiana. Cranko’s Onegin
Giselle. Alicia Alonso’s Giselle
Juliet. Cranko’s Romeo & Juliet
Cinderella. Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella
Medora. Grigorovich’s  L’Corsaire
Esmeralda. Grigorovich’s L’Esmeralde
Duato’s Multiplicity
Tiger Lily
Stepping Stones
Tetley’s Voluntaries

Bakhtiar was born in the city of Saryozeke, Almaty region. He graduated from the Almaty Choreographic School named after A.V. Seleznev (2003-2011). From 2011 to 2013 - soloist of Astana Opera and Ballet Theatre. Since 2013 he had been a soloist of State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Abay. Since 2015 he has been the principal soloist of Astana Opera.

Awards:
Prize-winner at the VII International Competition of Choreographic Schools of Siberia (Novosibirsk, 2008);
Diploma of the International KIBC Contest (South Korea, 2009);
Prize-winner at the International Contest of Ballet Artists "Arrow" (2010);
The holder of the scholarship of the First President of RK NA. Nazarbayev (2010-2011);
Laureate of the 1st prize of the International Festival of Creative Youth "Shabyt" (2012);
The winner of the II Prize of the International Ballet Competition "Grand Prix of Siberia" (Krasnoyarsk, 2014);
Grand Prix of the V International Ballet Competition in Istanbul (Turkey, July 8, 2016);
Laureate of the 1st Prize of the XIII International Dance Contest in Seoul (South Korea, August 10, 2016);
Grand Prix of the III International Ballet Competition in Astana (September 16, 2016);
Grand Prix of the International Competition of Ballet Dancers VKIBC (New York, USA, 2017);
Prize-winner at the XIII International Competition of Ballet and Choreographers in Moscow (Russia, 2017).

Repertoire:
Spartacus (Spartak A. Khachaturyan)
Benvolio ("Romeo and Juliet" by S. Prokofiev)
The Jester ("The Swan Lake" by P. Tchaikovsky)
Syrym ("Karagoz" G. Zhubanova)
Nutcracker-Prince (The Nutcracker by P. Tchaikovsky)
Nurali ("The Fountain of Bakhchisarai" by B. Asafyev)
Solor (La Bayadère by L. Minkus)
Quasimodo (Notre Dame de Paris)
Basil (Don Quixote by L. Minkus)
Lesko ("Manon" to the music of J. Massenet)

Born in Uruguay, Nelson López Garlo began his music studies at an early age, later discovering his passion for classical dance.

In 2004 he entered the SODRE National Dance School where he graduated, complementing his studies in Buenos Aires. Later he became a member of the Joven Ballet de Uruguay company.

In 2009 he entered the Sodre Dance Corps with the second best qualification of all alumni. Next year Nelson López joined the Argentine company Ballet Concierto de Iñaki Urlezaga, giving performances in Argentina and in various parts of the world.
In 2011 he returned to his country, Uruguay, to join the Ballet Nacional del Sodre as a dance group under the direction of Julio Bocca.

In 2019 Nelson López ventured into stage and costume design, playing this role for the dance company Telón Arriba, a resident of the Solis Theater. A year later he joined the German company Deutsche Oper am Rhein as a soloist under the direction of the choreographer Demis Volpi, where he remains to this day.

Nelson López has covered both the classical and contemporary repertoire, participating in works by Balanchine, John Cranko, Jirí Kylián, Nacho Duato, Boris Eiffman, Twyla Tharp, Sharon Eyal, Roland Petit, among others, performing roles in the dance troupe as well as soloist and major.

The South Korean dancer Young Gyu Choi started dancing at the age of eight on his mother’s initiative. “I wasn’t immediately enthusiastic, but after a few lessons I stopped thinking about it and just went”, he says. At the age of ten, he was admitted to the ballet course at the Sun Hwa Arts School in Korea, and in 2006 he continued his training at the Tanz Akademie in Zurich, Switzerland.

Young danced with the Korean National Ballet and Universal Ballet Korea, both in Seoul. He entered the Dutch National Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2011. In 2013, he was promoted no less than twice: first to coryphée and later in the year to soloist. He then danced leading roles in Don Quixote and Cinderella, among others. On the first of January 2016, immediately after his debut as the prince in The Nutcracker and The Mouse King, he was promoted to principal.

Young also frequently performs as a guest principal dancer with leading international companies.

Young has received several awards.
2017, Alexandra Radius Award.
2010, Boston International Competition, 1st.
2010, Ballet Competition (Varna, Bulgaria), 1st.
2007, Youth America Grand Prix (New York City, United States), 1st.

Born in Madrid. He began his training at the age of eleven at the Carmina Ocaña and Pablo Savoye Ballet School.

While studying intensive courses at Russian Masters Ballet in 2016, he was noticed and accepted into the famous Vaganova Ballet Academy. In September 2016 he moved to St. Petersburg and after graduating two years later from the Vaganova Ballet Academy in the class of Alexei Iliyn, he joined the corps de ballet of the Mariinsky Theatre Ballet Company under the direction of Yuri Fateev.

In the repertoire of this company he performed in ballets such as Giselle, Don Quixote, The Corsair, Raymonda, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty, as well as in Anna Karenina (Alexei Ratmansky), Cinderella (Alexei Ratmansky), The Little Humpbacked Horse (Alexei Ratmansky), Firebird (Michel Fokine), Leningrad´s Symphony (Igor Belsky), Legend of Love (Yuri Grigorovich), Shurale (Leonid Yakobson), The Fountain of Bakhchisarai (Rostislav Zakharov), The Bronze Horseman (Rostislav Zakharov, Yuri Smekalov).

He has also performed semi-solo and solo roles in Sylvia (Frederick Ashton), The Sylphide (August Bournonville), Bayadère (Marius Petipa), Scheherezade (Michel Fokine), Carmen Suite (Alberto Alonso), Le Sacre du Printemps (Vaslav Nijinsky), Romeo and Juliet (Leonid Lavrovsky), Le Parc (Angelin Preljocaj), Spartacus (Leonid Yakobson), The Stone Flower (Yuri Grigorovich) and The Nutcracker (Vasili Vainonen and Chemiakin).

In September 2022 he joined the Compañía Nacional de danza, under the artistic direction of Joaquín de Luz.