Zhanna Ayupova - Artistic Director of the Vaganova Ballet Academy Zhanna Ayupova
Artistic Director of the Vaganova Ballet Academy
First Vice-rector of the Vaganova Ballet Academy
Zhanna Ayupova was born in Petrozavodsk. In 1984 she graduated from the Leningrad Choreographic School (coached by Ninel Kurgapkina) and was invited to become a member of the Kirov Ballet Company (Mariinsky Theatre). From 1987 Zhanna Aupova appeared as a featured soloist with the company preforming both lyric and dramatic parts. From 2000 to 2013 she had been coaching ballet dancers at the Mikhailovsky Theatre.

From 2013 – First Vice-rector and Artistic Director of the Vaganova Ballet Academy.

Over the course of her dance career Zhanna Ayupova has performed a great number of roles in major classical and neo-classical works. Her most prominent roles include Giselle (Giselle), Princess Aurora (The Sleeping Beauty), Marie (The Nutcracker), Raymonda (Raymonda), Kitri (Don Quixote), Nikiya (La Bayadère), Odette/Odile (Swan Lake), Manon (Manon), Soloist (Theme and Variations), Soloist (Symphony in C), Terpsichore (Apollo), Young Lady (Le Spectre de la Rose) and many others.

Zhanna Ayupova is a prize winner of the Moscow International Ballet Competition (1985).

In 2008 she was honored with the title People's Artist of Russia.
Maria Khoreva by Anastasiya Livun - First Soloist Maria Khoreva
Mariinsky Theatre First Soloist
Vaganova Academy graduated
Maria Khoreva is one of the greatest promises of the ballet world in many years. Graduated in 2018 at the Vaganova Academy with the class of the famous professor Lyudmila Kovaleva, Khoreva joined the Mariinsky Ballet Theatre that same year.

In October 2018, she danced the lead role in Paquita, something extremely unusual for such a recent graduate, and at the end of the month she was promoted from Dance Corps to First Soloist, a rank just one step below the main dancer.

Forming part of the Mariinsky for only a few months, her repertoire with the company already includes: The Nutcracker, Masha; Paquita, Paquita; Sleeping Beauty, Princess Aurora (Rose Adagio); Apollo, Terpsichore; Don Quixote, Queen of the Dryads; Jewels, Diamonds; Le Corsaire, Trio of Odalisques; Lake of the swans, Friends of the princess.

She has also toured the United States and Italy.

More information is on the website of the Mariinsky theatre.
Ivan Vasiliev - Principal dancer Ivan Vasiliev
Principal dancer with Mikhailovsky theatre
Guest star principal with Bolshoi theatre
Honoured Artist of Russia
Winner of multiple international awards
Born in Vladivostok, he studied at the Dnepropetrovsk Ballet School in Ukraine and later at the Belarus State Ballet School in Minsk, graduating in 2006. While still a student, Vasiliev danced Basilio in Don Quixote and Ali in Le Corsaire with the Belarus National Ballet. In 2006, he was invited to join the Bolshoi Ballet as a soloist, making his debut with the Company, at the age of 17, as Basilio in Don Quixote. He was promoted to principal dancer in 2010.

In 2011, he joined the Mikhailovsky Ballet as a principal dancer. Vasiliev’s repertoire with the Mikhailovsky includes principal roles in Don Quixote, Giselle, ou Les Wilis, The Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, La Fille mal gardée, Swan Lake, La Bayadère, Laurencia, La Sylphide, The Flames of Paris, Le Corsaire, Spartacus, and his own ballets.

In 2012–2013, Ivan Vasiliev was a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. In 2015, he made his debut as a choreographer with his Ballet no. 1. In 2016, he staged the one-act ballets Morphine, Blind Affair, and Bolero and the full-length ballet A Christmas Carol which are included in the repertoire of the Mikhailovsky Theatre. In May 2016, Vasiliev’s ballet Love is All Around premiered at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and in February 2017 – at the Mikhailovsky Theatre.

He has been recognized for his artistic excellence at the international ballet competitions in Varna, Moscow, and Perm. He is also the winner of the Triumph Youth Prize, British Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards, and the Benois de la Danse Award. In 2014, he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Russia.
Xander Parish by Natasha Razina - Principal Dancer Xander Parish
Principal Dancer at Mariinsky Teatre
Dancer at Royal Ballet of London
Graduated at Royal Ballet School
Xander was born in England, and studied at there at the Royal Ballet School. After the School he joined The Royal Ballet Company, in August 2005. Here Xander's repertoire included: 'The Sleeping Beauty' (Lilac Fairy Cavalier), 'The Nutcracker' (Arabian Dance, Waltz of the Flowers), 'Swan Lake' (Cadets, Mazurka), 'La Fille Mal Gardee' (Colas' Friends), 'Les Patineurs' (Brown Boys), McGregor's 'Dido and Aeneas' and Fenton's 'Song Without Words' and 'Seacastles'. Xander created roles in Wheeldon's 'DGV: danse a grand vitesse', Tuckett's 'The Seven Deadly Sins' and Fenton's 'Monument'. He also choreographed for The Royal Ballet's 'Draftworks' program.

In 2009, Xander was invited to join The Mariinsky Ballet by its ballet director Yuri Fateyev and joined the company in January 2010 aged 23 as its first and only British dancer. His repertoire includes: Prince Siegfried (Swan Lake), Count Albrecht (Giselle), Prince Desiré (The Sleeping Beauty), Romeo (Romeo & Juliet), The Nutcracker Prince (The Nutcracker ch. Vainonen), Vronsky (Anna Karenina ch. Ratmansky), Jean de Brienne (Raymonda), Male Principal (Le Parc), Vaslav (The Fountain of Bakhchiserai), Andrés (Paquita), The Golden Slave (Scheherazade), The Poet (Chopiniana/Les Sylphides), John the Baptist (Salome ch. Faski), Ashton's Sylvia (Aminta) and Marguerite & Armand (Armand), Balanchine ballets including Apollo, Jewels (Emeralds & Diamonds), Serenade (Waltz, Elegy) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Demetrius), Hans Van Manen's 'Adagio Hammerklavier' & 'Variations For Two Couples', Millepied's 'Without' & 'La nuit s'achève' and McGregor's 'Infra'. His repertoire as a guest artist also includes Gauthier's 'Ballet 101', 'Le Spectre de la Rose', and Ashton's 'The Dream' (Oberon).

Xander has toured with the Mariinsky Ballet to Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Oman, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, the UK, and the USA, and has been a guest artist with English National Ballet, The Kremlin Ballet, The Ballet Company of the Opera National Bucharest, The Stanislavsky Ballet and has also performed with 'Roberto Bolle and Friends'.

Xander was the recipient of the Taglioni Award in the category “Best Young Male Dancer” (Berlin, 2014), the recipient of the Léonide Massine Prize in the category “Emerging Talent on the International Scene" (Positano, Italy, 2014) and won the UK Critics' Circle National Dance Awards 'Outstanding Male Performance (Classical)' category for 'Apollo' 2014.

In May 2016 Xander made his debut with American Ballet Theatre at The Metropolitan Opera House in New York as an ABT Exchange Artist dancing the role of Aminta in Ashton's 'Sylvia' partnering ABT Principal Isabella Boylston. In January 2017 The University of Hull bestowed on Xander an Honorary Degree "Doctor of the University, honoris causa".

More information on the website of Mariisky theatre.
Yekaterina Osmolkina - invited guest of the RMB intensives Ekaterina Osmolkina
Honored Artist of Russia
First soloist of the Mariinsky Theater
Graduate of the Vaganova Academy
Ekaterina Osmolkina was born in Kishinev (Moldova). Graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy (class of Professor Inna Zubkovskaya). Joined the Mariinsky Ballet in 1999. The dancer of the perfect dance and acting gift for more then 20 years touches hearts of the Mariinsky Theatre viewers.

She is the first soloist and much more:
Honoured Artist of Russia.
Prize-winner at the Vaganova-prix competition (St Petersburg, 1998).
Prize-winner at the International Ballet Competition (Seoul, 2004).
Recipient of the Golden Sophit, St Petersburg´s highest theatre prize (2006).
During the Stars of the White Nights festival in 2008 she appeared in the gala concert Great Ballerinas of the Mariinsky Theatre.

Ekaterina Osmolkina danced all leading roles of the repertoire as Giselle, Kitri, the Sylph, Odette-Odile, princess Aurora, Masha, Raymonda, Juliet, Cinderella and many others. She danced beautiful duets with Farukh Ruzimatov, Carlos Acosta, Andrian Fadeev, Marcelo Gomez, and many others virtuoso artists.

“She has long deserved the title of genius. Her mastery has been honed to the degree that it is not just powerful, but meaningful too”, - critics say about Ekaterina Osmolkina.

Ekaterina Osmolkina will conduct masterclasses in Burgas, Bulgaria at Summer intensive course in August.
Yolanda Correa - Ballet Artist and guest of RMB intensives Yolanda Correa
Principal Dancer with the Norwegian National Ballet and Cuban National Ballet
Former Principal Dancer with StaatsBallett in Berlin
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
Maria Vinogradova - Leading Soloist Maria Vinogradova
Leading soloist with Bolshoi theatre
Born in Moscow. In 2006, she graduated from the Moscow Ballet Academy, and joined the Bolshoi Ballet Company. She rehearsed with Tatiana Golikova. Now she is rehearsing with Nina Semizorova.

In repertoire:
  • Phrygia, sweetheart to Spartacus (Grigorovich’s Spartacus);
  • Anastasia (Grigorovich’s Ivan the Terrible);
  • Myrtha, the Queen of Wilis (Vladimir Vasiliev’s Giselle);
  • Giselle (Grigorovich’s Giselle);
  • Olga (John Cranko’s Onegin);
  • Princess Shireen (Grigorovich’s A Legend of Love);
  • Sylphide (Johan Kobborg’s La Sylphide);
  • Bella (Yuri Possokhov’s A Hero of Our Time);
  • Marie (Grigorovich’s Nutcracker)

And many others

More information on the page of the Bolshoi theatre.
Polina Semionova by Vladislav Marinov Polina Semionova
Principal Dancer at Berlin Staatsballet
Principal Dancer at the American Ballet Theatre
Principal Guest Artist at Mikhailovsky Theatre and Bayerische Staats Oper
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 and many others.

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.
Leonid Sarafanov - Principal star Leonid Sarafanov
Principal star at the Mikhailovsky Theater
Benois awarded
First Prize in the Moscow International Competition
First Prize in the International Competition of Paris
International guest artist
Leonid Sarafanov is one of the biggest stars of the moment. Globally acclaimed by the public and critics.

He has received numerous international awards of first level such as the BENOIS AWARD (known as the Oscar of Dance), First Prize in the Moscow International Competition, First Prize in the International Competition of Paris, prize in Rudolf Nureyev International Competition in Budapest and many others.

In 2000 Leonid graduated from Kiev State Academy of Choreography and entered as a soloist the National Ballet of Ukraine. After that he began his work at the Mikhailovsky Theater where he is currently the principal star.
Ivan Zaitsev - Principal artist of Mikhailovsky theatre Ivan Zaytsev
Principal artist of Mikhailovsky theatre
Former principal artist of Eifman Ballet
Special RMB partner in the ballet intensive course organisation in Saint Petersburg
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.





Svetlana Bednenko - Artist and RMB guest. Photo by Sigrid Reinichs Svetlana Bednenko
Dancer of Deutsche Oper am Rhein
Ex first soloist of Mikhailovsky Theatre
Ex principal dancer of Eifman Ballet
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
Slava Tutukin - Soloist dancer, Coach, Manager Slava Tutukin
Soloist dancer, Coach, Manager
Mikhailovsky Theatre, Magdeburg Theatre, Aalto Ballet Theatre Theatre, Ballet Dortmund Theatre
Winner of prestigious awards
The currently principal dancer and company manager of Ballett Dormtund and NRW Juniorballett, Slava Tutukin, has is one of the best contemporary representatives of the Vaganova expression in all its glory.

Tutukin is a real star of classical, neoclassical and contemporary ballet who at same time manages some of the most impotant ballet companies and projects of Germany.

We are glad of having this special guest, that will give a talk about Professional Orientation and will be one of the invited guests for the Ballet Auditions.

Splashes of his CV:
Considered one of the most talented young dances of present century, has worked as a soloist in the best ballet companies in the world (including The Mikhailovsky Theatre), even making the leap to the big screen in the tv most important Germany;
He has given numerous master classes throughout the world with overwhelming success.
Slava won the prestigious “Farukh Ruzimatov” prize in 2007;
and Rieti prize in Italy in 2009.
Anna Ol - Anna Ol - Principal of Dutch National Ballet Anna Ol
Principal of Dutch National Ballet
Former soloist of Mikhailovsky Theatre
Gold Medal at the Grand Prix of Ulanova in 2008
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.
Veronika Markova - special guest of RMB Veronika Markova
Nutritionist
Soloist of the Mikhailovsky theatre
Graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy
Graduated from the FPA (Association of Fitness Professionals in Moscow)
Beautiful, light and very technique dancer Veronika Markova in 2010 graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy and in 2012 joined the Mikhailovsky Ballet Company. Her repertoire includes solo, corps de ballet and character roles in the ballets Giselle, ou Les Wilis, Swan Lake, La Bayadère, Don Quixote, La Sylphide, Coppélia, Le Corsaire, Laurencia, The Flames of Paris, Cipollino, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Prelude, and others.

In 2020 Veronika graduated from the FPA (Association of Fitness Professionals in Moscow) as nutritionist (nutrition specialist) and started to provide individual consultations, master classes, webinars, and seminars in person and remotely. She is mainly working with ballet dancers, children of different ages and adult artists. Veronica patiently helps to plan the diet wisely, enjoy food, lose weight and solve related problems.
Sergey Laletin - special guest of RMB Sergey Laletin
Ballet scholar, ballet critic
Teacher at Boris Eifman Ballet Academy
Associate Professor of the Department of Ballet Master Education at the Vaganova Academy
Passionate about his work, Sergei Laletin, being a dancer at St Petersburg theatre “Russian ballet”, graduated from the Vaganova Academy as a ballet critic and later became Associate Professor of the Department of Ballet Master Education at the Vaganova Academy.

He is a teacher at Boris Eifman Ballet Academy and Lecturer at the St. Petersburg Institute.

Senior researcher at the St. Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Musical Art and Chairman of the Youth Association of the Council on Ballet and Choreography of the St. Petersburg Branch of the Union of Theatre Workers of the Russian Federation.

Author-compiler of the album series "Legends of Russian Ballet". Author of articles in the magazines "Ballet", "Stage", "Ballet ad libitum", "PRO Dance", scientific collections and newsletters.
Aida Gómez - Classical Spanish dancer Aida Gómez
Teacher and choreographer at the Nacho Duato Academy
Director of her own dance company
Former soloist and Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Spain
Winner of multiple Spanish and international awards
At the age of six, Aida Gómez began her dance studies mastering Spanish Dance and Classical Ballet.

From thirteen years she began working professionally in the company “Los Goyescos” and was admitted to the National Classical Ballet School under the direction of Víctor Ullate. In 1982, at the age of fourteen, she joined the Spanish National Ballet as a soloist becoming principal dancer at 1985.

During her career Aida Gómez performed multiple times on the most important European and American stages including Mariinsky and Bolshoi Theatres well as the Royal Albert Hall in London and Radio City in New York with famous Spanish pieces like “ Zarabanda”, “El Fandango del Candil”, the pas de deux “Puerta de Tierra” and “El Sombrero de Tres Picos”, etc.

In 1997, she was called to collaborate and teach with Maurice Bejart and his Rudra school as well as the Lausanne company. In January 1998, she became the youngest Artistic Director in the history of the National Ballet of Spain.

In 2001, Aída Gómez created her own company and dedicated her time to the production of such performances as “Salomé". “Sueños”, “Duende”, “Carmen”, “Permíteme bailarte”, “La Revoltosa”, etc. The show “Salomé" received the award for “Best Artistic Contribution” at the Montreal International Film Festival and the Goya Award for Best Song.

During her career Aída gave master classes in Spain and other countries all over the globe. She also directed several Galas and festivals contributing a lot to the Spanish dance scene. In 2023 she began a new project with Nacho Duato as a teacher and choreographer.

Below we list her Awards and Honors:
1997 Max Award for Best Dancer, SGAE Foundation.
2000 Silver Medal from the Fine Arts Theater of Mexico.
2004 National Dance Award (Interpretation), Ministry of Culture.
2005 Glamour Magazine Award. Woman of the Year for her professional career.
2006 Silver Slipper. City of Almeria and Indanza.
2007 Chivas Telón Award. Best performer.
2008 Culture Award, Community of Madrid.
2008 APDE Award. Association of Spanish Dance Teachers.
2009 Juan Bravo Theater Award (Segovia).
2010 La Barraca Award. Menéndez Pelayo International University.
2012 Rojas Award. Rojas Theater (Toledo).
2012 Spring Award. Chicote Club (Madrid).
2013 Actúa Award. AISGE Foundation.
2015 Grand Cross of the Order of May 2. Community of Madrid.
2017 Gold Medal for Merit in Work. Ministry of Employment and Social Security.
Luisa María Arias - RMB and NDA Teacher Luisa María Arias
Teacher of the Nacho Duato Training Program
Choreographic assistant to Nacho Duato
Invited teacher to national and international masterclasses and workshops
Luisa María Arias is currently a choreographic assistant to Nacho Duato, a teacher of the Nacho Duato Training Program and a freelance dancer. 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.
Raquel Santacruz  - RMB nutritionist Raquel Santacruz
Dietitian-nutritionist, dance pedagogue and dancer
Certified professor specialized in Sports Nutrition and Childhood Nutrition

Raquel Santacruz has diploma in Human Nutrition and Dietetics. She specializes in children's nutrition and sports nutrition.

She is a director of the "Nutrition, Health and More" clinic and also director and presenter of the television program "Salud y Más".

Raquel graduated in Dance Pedagogy, and has been a professional contemporary dancer previously.
Sergey Scherbakov - Professional photographer Sergey Scherbakov
Professional photographer with more than 20 years of experience
Winner of several national and international awards
Currently a collaborator in the prestigious Mikhailovsky theater
Winner of several national and international awards, currently a collaborator in the prestigious Mikhailovsky theater, professional photographer with more than 20 years of experience in the artistic world. Our students will have an exclusive opportunity to be portrayed by this magnificent artist, whose work has been recognized by the most emblematic museums of St. Petersburg and is part of the collection of numerous exhibition halls both in Russia and abroad.

More information about the individual and group sessions as well as the free pack of Russian Masters Ballet at info@russianmatersballet.com

Sergey Shcherbakov, specialist in commercial and art photography, member of the Creative Union of Photographers of Russia.

Featured awards:
  • "Photographer of a year, 2005" (Reportage, series);
  • Stipendium of International Project "Network Baltic" in graphic - center "Grafikens Huns", Sweden, 2004.

The works of Sergey are exposed in the collections of:
State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg
Museum of the History of the City of St. Petersburg
National Center of Photography "Rosphoto", Saint Petersburg
Graphic-Center "Grafiken Hus", Sweden
and many more.

Participant in more than 15 exhibitions

10 individual exhibitions

Instagram.com/Shcherbakov.foto
Esther Schiffman Selechnik  - RMB nutritionist Esther Schiffman Selechnik
Nutritionist
Certified professor specialized in applied nutrition, obesity and comorbidity
Esther Schiffman Selechnik ia a nutritionist specialized in applied nutrition, obesity and comorbidity by the Iberoamericana University Campus Santa Fe. Esther has extensive experience in private practice, with more than 18 years of work in Mexico City, with the objective of improving the nutritional state and health of her clients and also strengthening health of sports/dance professionals in nutrition issues.

She is a professor for undergraduate and graduate students at the UIA for more than 10 years. Passionate about sharing her knowledge based on evidence and bringing people closer to having a healthy relationship with food.

Ms. Schiffman Selechnik is a part of the Nutrinet-Mexico Project (2016-2026), developed by the Franco-Mexican Foundation for IAP Medicine. In addition, she is a certified Educator (2017) in the treatment of childhood obesity, by the Association “Children in Motion” ANEM, Vall d´Hebrón University, Barcelona.

During our ballet intensive courses she will indulge in such topics as:
  • Nutrition and dance
  • Nutritional strategies to face the hormonal changes of adolescence
  • How to increase muscle mass in a healthy way?
  • Strategies to lower our children's anxiety on food issues

Carlos Quezada - ballet photographer Carlos Quezada
Photographer from Mexico specialized in Dance photography in studio and stage
Carlos Quezada is a well known photographer from Mexico specialized in Dance photography in studio and stage.

He began his studies in Classical Dance in the Superior College of Music and Dance of Monterrey and he received a scholarship for the Miami City Ballet to continue his studies there. He decided to leave his professional dance career and focused his knowledge in photography.

He has worked and collaborated officially with numerous prestigious companies such as National Dance Company of Mexico, Ballet of Monterrrey, National Dance Company of Spain, Zürich Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Staatsoper Berlin, Het National Ballet, Royal Opera House, Wiener Staatsoper, Nacional Ballet of Cuba, among others, and his work has been published in the international press: The New York Times, Financial Times, Berliner Zeitung, Dance Magazine, Dance Europe, Dance Magazine Japan, El País, El Mundo…

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Ira Yakovleva - Ballet Photographer of international renown Ira Yakovleva
Ballet Photographer of international renown
Former ballerina with L. Yakobson theatre
Ira Yakovleva is one of the most important ballet photographers in St. Petersburg and her international reputation has led her to work with the greatest ballet stars of the globe. Her training and previous career as a professional dancer bring to her works a point of view of the highest technical and artistic quality that unites with the expressive strength and delicacy of her images.

Yakovleva graduated from the State Choreographic School of Kiev and joined the ballet theatre L. Yakobson of St. Petersburg. She has toured throughout Russia, Europe, America and Asia with this prestigious company. For the past 7 years she has been exclusively dedicated to dance photography, where she has achieved international success and collaborates with dance brands from all around the world including Scena Shop, Susha More, Sonumberone, Balletpapier, Baustelle Berlin, Wezzarium, KeithLink , Dance Wear for all, Zi dancewear, Nina Shterenberg, Katerina Kelberg, Lets go dress or Virtuozo.

Apart from photographing countless ballet stars individually, she is an assiduous collaborator with large institutions in Russia such as the Mariinsky Theater, Eifman Ballet, Eifman Ballet School, Balleroosha, SPB City Guide or Dance Open. As well as in magazines such as: La Personne, Beatrice Magazine, Kadance.

Ira Yakovleva joins Russian Masters as one of the great representatives of dance photography worldwide and it’s a real proud for us to have someone of her stature and thus swelling the number of experts who, in their respective fields, help to make Russian Masters a unique experience of the highest level.
Elena Karsten Elena Karsten
Permanent makeup artist of the Mikhailovsky Theatre
For more than 30 years Elena Karsten has been preparing dancers to go on stage. Elena does makeup of the most varied complexity: from Fairy Carabosse from “The Sleeping Beauty” and the Brahmin from “La Bayadère” to Rothbart from “Swan Lake” and the Tsar from “The Little Humpbacked Horse”.

Despite her high professionalism, one of her duties is to lift the mood of the dancer, regardless of what happened before. She worked with such ballet idols as Farukh Ruzimatov, Nikita Dolgushin, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, Roberto Bolle, Nacho Duato and others. Elena did hairstyles, did makeup, prepared for the stage and tuned many of our favorite artists for a specific role, such as Ivan Vasiliev, Ivan Zaytsev, Denis Rodkin, Vladimir Shklyarov, Kimin Kim and others.

“The make-up artist at the Mikhailovsky Theatre is also a psychologist, maybe even first by profession, and then a make-up artist,” jokes Elena. “The artists come to me and sit in my chair right before going on stage, before the start of the performance. It’s so important to lift their spirits and convince them that they are the best in this world.”
Photografer Antonio Gervasi Antonio Gervasi
Professional photographer with more than 20 years of experience
Since 20 years in the world of photography Antonio Gervasi has collaborated as a photographer and assistant with important fashion photographers and stylists and grew up professionally in Milan.

Towards the end of the nineties has decided to start photographing the world and this has led him to travel for almost 15 years, turning the world twice and participating in expeditions to the North Pole and Antarctica collecting a large archive of images, and especially putting him in contact with different cultures giving him the opportunity to learn different languages.

He is Italian but is living in Spain and his work is mainly dedicated to ballet and dance.
Ieva Immertreija - specialist in Boris Knyazev's gymnastics Ieva Immertreija
Graduated in costume design
Specialist in Boris Knyazev's gymnastics
Professional dancer
Ieva Immertreija - ballet studio "Baleta Klase" owner, choreographer, pedagogue, costume designer for operas, theaters and ballets, children's games, theater of operetta and musicals, and owner of the brand "Ieva" and a specialist in Boris Knyazev's gymnastics.

Ieva was a professional dancer, soloist of the dance company "Liesma" for 16 years, studied the pedagogy of classical ballet technique as well as the history of Russian ballet at the Vaganova Academy.

Ieva is a specialist in Boris Knyazev's gymnastics. Boris Knyazev’s parterre gymnastics was aimed at developing the elasticity of the ligaments, strengthening the muscles of the lower extremities, beautiful posture, stability, and good coordination of movements. “Floor Barre” can be used as a light warm-up before the main ballet lesson, as well as a separate “lesson on the floor” for intensive training and strengthening the back muscles, building good posture, and stretching.

She has the degree of costume designer and technical specialist, of classical ballet pedagogue and choreographer, so she knows everything and from different angles on ballet costumes: as a dancer, as a designer and as a choreographer. Therefore, our students have a chance not only to study how to make headbands by themselves (and it is really important, since it is difficult and expensive to find a unique and original headband), but also have the opportunity to know interesting things about the history of ballet costumes and many other secrets. It is a beautiful opportunity to relax during manual work with a brilliant teacher of ballet fashion.