Kirov Academy of Ballet
Encyclopedia
The Kirov Academy of Ballet of Washington, D.C.
is a ballet
school that serves students in grades 7 through 12 and offers a high school
diploma in addition to its dance instruction. It was founded to train dancers in a pedagogy based on that of the Vaganova Ballet Academy and the performance aesthetic of The Kirov Ballet (now the Mariinsky).
It was founded in 1990 under its original name, The Universal Ballet Academy, due to its affiliation with The Universal Ballet in Seoul
, South Korea
. The name was changed to Kirov when Oleg Vinogradov (former director of the Mariinsky Theatre
became the artistic director. The name was changed back to The Universal Ballet Academy, and in September 2006 the name again became The Kirov Academy of Ballet of Washington, DC.
The Academy trains students in the Vaganova method
. The Academy has its own in-house academic and residence program. Students at the Academy can live, eat and attend school, all in the same facility, while focusing primarily on their dance training.
The current faculty includes Martin Fredmann (Artistic Director), Elena Tenchikova, Yeu-Jung Lee, Marianna Lobanova, Nikolai Kabaniaev and Victoria Yanchuck.
Previous instructors include Marat Daukayev, Ludmilla Morkovina, Jacqueline Akhmedova, Lyubov Fominich, Rudolph Kharatian, Nikolai L. Morozov, Adrienne Dellas Thornton, Andrei Garbouz, Alla Sizova
, Sasha Yapparov, Anatoli Kucheruk, Angelina Armeiskaya, and Vladimir Djouloukhadze.
Graduates of The Kirov Academy of Ballet include Patricia Zhou, Sascha Radetsky
, Rasta Thomas
, Michelle Wiles, Danny Tidwell
, Tyler Nelson
, Oscar Hawkins, Maria Bystrova, Adrienne Canterna and Ashley Canterna.
In September 2010 The Kirov Academy of Ballet announced its hiring of Martin Fredmann as Deputy Artistic Director and Nikolai Kabaniaev as senior boys’ teacher. Both studied under Konstantine Chatilov at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
is a ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
school that serves students in grades 7 through 12 and offers a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
diploma in addition to its dance instruction. It was founded to train dancers in a pedagogy based on that of the Vaganova Ballet Academy and the performance aesthetic of The Kirov Ballet (now the Mariinsky).
It was founded in 1990 under its original name, The Universal Ballet Academy, due to its affiliation with The Universal Ballet in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. The name was changed to Kirov when Oleg Vinogradov (former director of the Mariinsky Theatre
Mariinsky Theatre
The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov received their premieres. The...
became the artistic director. The name was changed back to The Universal Ballet Academy, and in September 2006 the name again became The Kirov Academy of Ballet of Washington, DC.
The Academy trains students in the Vaganova method
Vaganova method
The Vaganova method is a ballet technique and training system devised by the Russian dancer and pedagogue Agrippina Vaganova . Fusing elements of traditional French technique from the romantic era, with the athleticism and virtuosity of the Italian school, the method is designed to work the body...
. The Academy has its own in-house academic and residence program. Students at the Academy can live, eat and attend school, all in the same facility, while focusing primarily on their dance training.
The current faculty includes Martin Fredmann (Artistic Director), Elena Tenchikova, Yeu-Jung Lee, Marianna Lobanova, Nikolai Kabaniaev and Victoria Yanchuck.
Previous instructors include Marat Daukayev, Ludmilla Morkovina, Jacqueline Akhmedova, Lyubov Fominich, Rudolph Kharatian, Nikolai L. Morozov, Adrienne Dellas Thornton, Andrei Garbouz, Alla Sizova
Alla Sizova
Alla Sizova is a twentieth-century ballet dancer, best known for her work with the Kirov Ballet. She was the preferred dance partner of Rudolph Nureyev before his defection, and Nureyev is rumoured to have said in his later years that Sizova was the only thing that could conceivably entice him...
, Sasha Yapparov, Anatoli Kucheruk, Angelina Armeiskaya, and Vladimir Djouloukhadze.
Graduates of The Kirov Academy of Ballet include Patricia Zhou, Sascha Radetsky
Sascha Radetsky
Sascha Radetsky is a soloist with the American Ballet Theatre and an actor.He was born in Santa Cruz, California, and began studying ballet in the San Francisco Bay Area. He was invited to study at the Bolshoi Academy in Moscow when he was 15 and after spending a year there, he went to The Kirov...
, Rasta Thomas
Rasta Thomas
Rasta Kuzma Ramacandra was born on July 18, 1981 in San Francisco and is a dancer, martial artist, gymnast and choreographer.-Early life:Rasta Thomas was raised in Washington, DC...
, Michelle Wiles, Danny Tidwell
Danny Tidwell
Daniel Arnold Tidwell is best known for being the runner-up on Fox's third season of So You Think You Can Dance in 2007....
, Tyler Nelson
Tyler Nelson
Tyler Nelson is a dancer best known for being star of a musical reality show called, Taking the Stage where his life as junior and senior at STMA High School, as well as the lives of other students was chronicled. The show was produced by Nick Lachey, a SCPA alumnnus, for the MTV network. He has...
, Oscar Hawkins, Maria Bystrova, Adrienne Canterna and Ashley Canterna.
In September 2010 The Kirov Academy of Ballet announced its hiring of Martin Fredmann as Deputy Artistic Director and Nikolai Kabaniaev as senior boys’ teacher. Both studied under Konstantine Chatilov at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia.