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Worldwide recognized and one of the best representatives of St. Petersburg ballet culture, educated in the best traditions of academic dance. She´s actual and one of the most acclaimed teachers of Vaganova Academy.

Upon graduating with honors, Galina has completed specialization courses in the class of NATALIA DUDINSKAYA AND IRINA TROFIMOVA at Vaganova Academy.

After she worked as first soloist at the Theatre of Choreographic Miniatures of Leonid Jacobson, an exceptional and principal choreographer of Kirov Theatre (now Mariinsky), in his time. With the company Galina danced around the world with great success.

In 1998 she graduated as a classical ballet teacher in Vaganova Ballet Academy. Since then she has acquired an extensive teaching practice and methodical didactic in ballet.

Currently, she teaches ballet in Vaganova Academy in Saint Petersburg, basically on elementary and intermediate levels. Also, Galina gives Stage Practice classes for children in the Mariinsky Theatre.

She has given numerous master classes in Japan, Denmark, Italy and other countries.

More information on: http://vaganovaacademy.ru/academy/structure/kafedri/classica/enikeeva.html

Yulia Kasenkova is an acclaimed teacher at the Vaganova Academy, outstanding because of all her achievements in such a short pedagogic career.

Yulia Kasenkova graduated from Vaganova Ballet Academy, and joined the Mariinsky Ballet Company as a soloist from 1993 to 2014. She received a teaching degree from Vaganova Academy in 2010, and was immediately hired as a coach by Mikhailovsky Theatre. She joined Vaganova Academy in 2013, teaching international trainees, before being promoted in 2014. She has been teaching upper school classes ever since.

Yulia has only been teaching for 7 years, but she has already received major awards for her work and achieved some great results with her students. It is such a privilege to have this gifted teacher in our faculty.

In 1996 she graduated from Vaganova Academy of Ballet as a student of legendary Inna Zubkovskaya. She has been working since then with the Mariinsky Ballet where she dances soloist roles.

In addition, she graduated as teacher from the Vaganova Academy and the last four years she has been giving lessons in this prestigious school to the intermediate levels.

She has performed, among other soloist roles, the Sylph from La Sylphide by August Bournonville, Aurora and Princess Florine from The Sleeping Beauty by Marius Petipa and more neoclassical choreographies such as The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude by William Forsythe.

The Russian newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta praises her versatility by saying that “her feet can command any tempi, emotions and styles”.
In our courses Ms. Ivanova will teach the intermediate levels. We are honored and lucky to be able to work with such a talented and professional teacher.

Tatiana graduated from the Vaganova Academy in 1989. Since then her professional ballet career started in the State Opera and Ballet Theatre of Conservatory of St. Petersburg Rimsky-Korsakov.

Since 1990 Tatiana Cherkashina has been the soloist of this theatre. Her work as a ballet dancer and her labor in the cultural scope of the country has been recognized several times by most prestigious national awards from the Ministry of Culture of Russian Federation.
In 2008 she got the official grade of Teacher of Classical Ballet in the Vaganova Academy and has been teaching classical dance for over 10 years.

Tatiana Cherkashina has offered already various master classes of classical ballet in Norway, Israel and Japan.

Her major jobs:
• Soloist – “Classical Syphony” S. Prokofiev
• “Grand pa Classic” F. Ober/ V. Gazovsky
• Ballet dancer – “Petrushka” I. Stravinsky/M- Fokin
• Princess Aurora, princess Florina – “The Sleeping Beaty” P. Chaikovsky / M. Petipa (under reducción of Dolgushin)
• "Opus №45" А. Berg\ G.Contreras
• Ballet dancer – «Dreams» P. Chaikovsky/N. Dolgushin
• Odetta-Odilia – “The Swan Lake” P. Chaikovsky/ L. Ivanov, М. Petipa (under reducción of N. Dolgushin)
• Gisele – “Gisele” А. Аdan / Corrali, G. Perro, М. Petipa
• Fairy Drazhe – “The Nutcracker” P. Chaikovsky/V.Vaionen, L.Ivanov, N. Dolgushin
• "Grand Pa" soloist – "Pajita" L. Minkus / M. Petipa
• Julietta– "Epitafia" Т. Albinoni/N. Dolgushin
• Kitri – "Don Quijote" L. Minkus/A. Gorsky (under reducción of N. Dolgushin)
• Pimpinella – "Pulchinello" I. Stravinsky/K. Chubashev
• "Choreographic Miniatures” L. Yakobson

More information on <a target="_blank" href="http://vaganovaacademy.ru/academy/structure/kafedri/classica/tcherkashina.html"><b><u>Vaganova Academy website</u></b></a>.<br>

Born in Leningrad. Graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy in 1998.

Joined the Mariinsky Ballet сompany the same year. Her repertoire included La Sylphide (Nancy, Sylphs), La Bayadère (Manu, Bayadères, Trio of Shades), The Sleeping Beauty (Carefree Fairy, Playfulness Fairy, Little Red Riding Hood), Swan Lake (Cygnets, Neapolitan Dance), Raymonda (Grand pas, variation), Le Corsaire (Trio of Odalisques), Don Quixote (Amour) etc.

Prize-winner at the International Vaganova-Prix Competition (2nd prize, St Petersburg, 1998).

Since 2019 she has been a coach with the Mariinsky Ballet, working with Vaganova Ballet Academy students engaged in the theatre’s performances.

Alexey graduated from the Perm State Choreographic School in 1985 (class of V.N. Tolstukhin).

After that he entered the Gorky Opera and Ballet Theater named after Alexander Pushkin. He danced all the solo ballet repertoire of the theater.
He was invited to Leningrad, to the International Foundation of Leonid Yakobson - the Maly Ballet of the Mariinsky Theatre. There Alexey danced leading parts in classical ballets and solo parts of the concert repertoire of the troupe led by O.M. Vinogradov.

In the late 90's he entered the Academy of Russian Ballet named after A.Ya.Vaganova at the Pedagogical Faculty (class of V.V. Rumyantseva). Throughout the training he taught in classes and rehearsed parts for concerts.

After graduating from the Academy he worked as a choreographer at the SABT Theatre and the Academy of the theatre in South Africa. Upon his return to Russia, he began teaching at the ARB in the Department of Classical and Duet-Classical Dance.

PARTIES: Pas de Trois (Swan Lake), Spartacus, Crassus (Spartacus), Albert (Giselle), Harlequin (Harlequinade).

Due to her spectacular curriculum and teaching experience Polina is the best representative of professional ballet environment to transmit Character Dance.

Polina is also a tutor and lecturer in Vaganova Academy in Saint Petersburg, as well as character dance soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre, considered one of the leading ballet theaters.

Her work in our intensiveы marked a turning point in our students. This discipline is vital and crucial for a ballet artist. It has its origin and development in Russia but in Europe unfortunately there are not many well formed specialists. Dance character usually marks a fundamental difference between one dancer and another, and can even decide their fate.

During the Russian Masters courses Polina teaches Character Dance to all professional groups.

Some notes about her professional activity:
Polina was born in St. Petersburg. In 1994 she graduated from the Vaganova Academy in the class of NATALIA DUDINSKAYA y ALISA STROGOYA, prominent legends in the history of ballet.

More information on Vaganova Academy website.

Alexander Omar graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy in 2004 and the same year he joined the Mikhailovsky Ballet Company.

His repertoire included the roles of Tybalt (Romeo and Juliet, chor. by Nikolay Boyarchikov; chor. by Oleg Vinogradov), Spartacus, Crix and centurions (Spartacus, chor. by George Kovtun), Moor’s Friend (The Moor’s Pavane, chor. by Jose Limon), Gringoire (Esmeralda), solo in the Indian dance (La Bayadère), the role of Fairy Carabosse (The Sleeping Beauty, rev. by Nikolay Boyarchikov), Mr Drosselmeyer, Abdurrahman and solo role in panaderos (Raymonda), Rose waltz and Spanish dance (The Nutcracker, chor. by Nikolay Boyarchikov), Ali and Isaac Lanquedem (Le Corsaire, rev. by Farukh Ruzimatov).

“A tall, and with noble elongated lines, she perfectly embodies the modern type of the Petersburg ballerina - elegant and aristocratic.” - Ballet Magazine.

Sofia Gumerova graduated from the Russian Ballet Academy in 1995. And from the same year, she entered the troupe and to 2016 she has been the first soloist of the Mariinsky Theater.

In 2010 Sofia received the title of honored Artist of Russia.

Sofia’s repertoire includes more than 30 roles, including the beloved Giselle (Giselle, Manna, Mirta), Swan Lake (Odette - Odile, large swans), La Bayadere (Nikia, Grand pas, trio of shadows), Corsair (Medora, a trio of odalisks), La Sylphide (La Sylphide), the Sleeping Beauty (Princess Aurora, Candide Fairy, Princess Florine), Raymonda (Raymonda, Clemance, Grand pas), Don Quixote (Kitri, Street Dancer, Queen of the Dryads), Michel Fokine’s ballets The Dying Swan, Chopiniana, and many many others!

Repertoire also includes:
Ondine (Queen of the Sea); choreography by Pierre Lacotte,
Reverence; choreography by David Dawson,
the duet from the ballet The Ghostly Ball; choreography by Dmitry Bryantsev,
Goya-Divertissement (Duchess of Alba); choreography by José Antonio,
Like an Old Organ Grinder; choreography by Alexei Miroshnichenko,
Pas de quatre (Carlotta Grisi, Lucile Grahn); choreography by Anton Dolin
and Euphoria; choreography by Nikita Dmitrievsky.

Sofia Gumerova works as a pedagogue at the Vaganova Academy and a teacher at the Conservatory of Rimsky Korsakov at the department of directing ballet. In addition, she gives master classes all over the world.

Russian Masters organisation is glad to introduce the teacher of historical and character dances: Aleksandra Lebedeva. She will be working with us in the next courses and she has been recommended specifically by the Vaganova Academy.

Graduated from the Vaganova Academy of Dance, she has worked since 1997 in the Mariinsky Theatre as a dancer. Since 2018 she is also a student of the pedagogical faculty of the Vaganova Academy. She also conducts rehearsals of the students from the Academy sometimes.

She has a lot of experience working the historical repertoire on the Mariinsky Theatre stage. She performed as a soloist in “The Fountain of Bakhchisarai'' (Krakowiak), "The Swan Lake'' (mazurka) “Don Quixote'' (Gipsy), “The Nutcracker'' (Lady) and "Polovtsian dances'' and she has also danced every kind of historical dances such as quadrilles, minuets, sarabandes, polonaises and other kind of dances highly used in classical repertoire.

During the course of historical dance, students will study and get familiar with the following dances from Mariinsky Theatre: the Minuet from “Rigoletto”, the Quadrille from “The Queen of swords” and the Polonaise from “Eugene Onegin”, among other pieces and apart from the theoretical material following the methodology of the Vaganova Academy.