Marina Leonova

Dean of the Bolshoi Ballet Academy of Moscow, Artistic Director of the Summer Intensive Program and Master Teacher of Classical Dance,Ms Leonova began her ballet career at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. Upon being one of the most distinguished graduates of Mme. Sofia Golovkina,she was invited to join the famous Bolshoi Ballet company right after graduation and was soon promoted to one of company's prima ballerinas. During her dancing career she has been seen in the leading parts at the Bolshoi and worldwide, including Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Giselle and Myrtha in Giselle, Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty, Aegina in Spartacus among others. As a performer Ms. Leonova has collaborated with Elizaveta Gerdt, Raisa Struchkova, Yuri Grigorovich and other leading choreographers and ballet teachers. She began her teaching career at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy while still dancing at the Bolshoi. In 1991 she received her MFA cum laude from the School of Choreography. A Master Teacher of classical dance at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy since 1998, Ms. Leonova has represented Russia at some of the most prestigious international ballet competitions and has taught courses and master classes worldwide - among her prominent students are Natalia Osipova and many others. She became Dean of the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in 2002 and is the recipient of numerous prestigious national and international awards, including the highest honorary title of People's Artist of Russia.

Valery Anisimov

Associate Professor of Men's Classical Dance, Valery Anisimov studied at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy under legendary ballet teacher Peter Pestov from 1965 to 1977. After graduation he was immediately accepted into the Bolshoi Ballet Theatre where he partnered with legendary dancers like Ekaterina Maksimova, Nina Timofeyeva, Natalia Bessmertnova and Marina Leonova. He performed the leading roles in the company's productions of Swan Lake, Giselle, The Stone Flower, The Sleeping Beauty, and Don Quixote, and many others rehearsing under internationally celebrated Ballet Masters Galina Ulanova, Marina Semenova, Raisa Struchkova, and Asaf Messerer.  Professor Anisimov toured extensively with the Bolshoi Ballet throughout the world before he began his teaching career at the Academy. He became a laureate of the Moscow International Ballet Competition in 1977 and was named a People's Artist of Russia in 1997.

Natalia Arkhipova

Senior Professor of Women’s Classical Dance, Laureate of the International Competition of Ballet Artists, Ms. Arkhipova graduated from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in 1981 under the pedagogy of L.I. Bogomolova-Nikonova. That same year she was awarded the gold medal at the International Competition of Ballet Artists in Moscow. From 1981-1996 she was a member of the Bolshoi Theatre company and danced many leading roles in Don Quixote, Les Sylphides, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Giselle, and Spartacus. She has toured around the world, including countries such as Japan, Australia, Germany and the United States among many others. Ms. Arkhipova has taught at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy since 2002 and in 2005, she received her specialization in Choreographic Pedagogy. She has extensive experience choreographing Bolshoi Ballet Academy gala performances and also preparing students for international competitions. Her former students include Chinara Alizade, Anna Tikhomirova and Angelina Vorontsova.

Svetlana Ivanova

Chair of Folk, Scenic and Historical Dance at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. Svetlana Ivanova has extensive experience with staging classical and modern dance. She was accepted to the Bolshoi Ballet Company immediately after graduating from the Bolshoi Academy in 1978 and has been a soloist since 1996.

Marina Kotova

Professor of Classical Dance at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy.  Ms. Kotova continues the tradition of legendary prima ballerina and most celebrated ballet teacher, Marina Semenova.  Ms. Kotova studied and completed her pre-professional training at the Academy and was accepted to the Bolshoi Theatre upon graduation.  During her 20 years with the Company, her repertoire included the most prestigious roles.  After graduating from the Pedagogy institute, Ms. Kotova returned to teach at the Academy, where many of her students later became Soloists and Principal Dancers of the Bolshoi Ballet. Her most famous students include Natalia Osipova, Ekaterina Kudriavtseva, and Karina Zhidkova, and are laureates of many prestigious international ballet competitions. 

Tatiana Petrova

Ms. Petrova graduated from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in 1989, upon which she joined the Bolshoi Ballet Theatre Company performing internationally.  In 2002 she received her specialization in Choreographic Pedagogy with high honors.  As a Professor of Classical Dance, Folk and Historical Dance, her students now perform in leading theatres of Moscow including the Bolshoi Theatre, Stanislavsky Musical Theatre, and many others.  Her choreography has been featured in numerous prestigious ballet competitions and international stages, while her students continue to receive the highest honors and awards in competitions throughout Russia.

Olga Popova

Professor of Classical Dance at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy.  Ms. Popova studied and completed her pre-professional training under the pedagogy of I. Vasilieva at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy.  During her professional career,  Popova performed numerous leading roles including lead Wilis, Myrtha, and Batilda in Giselle, Friend of Kitri and leading Dryad in Don Quixote, Three Swans, Solo Mazurka, and Queen in Swan Lake, Prelude in Chopiniana, Soloist Sylphide, Nancy, and Effie in Les Sylphides, among many others.  In her teaching career, Ms. Popova has graduated with highest honors in Choreographic Pedagogy from the Academy, and has since been teaching elementary and intermediate classes.

Irina Sirova

Acting Professor, Deputy Chair of the Classical Female Dance Department of the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. In 1971-1975 Ms. Syrova was a soloist of the Perm Opera and Ballet Academic Theatre. Since 1979 she has taught classical dance at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, and has given master classes and participated in Academy's tours in Belarus, Germany, Greece, Japan, Namibia, Norway, South Africa and the United States.

Nika Sergeyeva

Professor of Classical Dance and Character Dance.  Upon graduating from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in 2004 with high honors as Professor/Choreographer, Ms. Sergeyeva joined the Bolshoi Ballet Academy as a Professor in the Department of Folk, Scenic, and Historical Dance, as well as participating in numerous international workshops and master classes based on the methods of the Academy.  As Professor of Repertoire, Ms. Sergeyeva took part in the staging various ballets staged for the Bolshoi Theatre such as David Bamban's The Art of Fugue, as well as Raewyn Hill's Vespers (New Zealand, 2009) .  Ms. Sergeyeva frequently collaborates with Ballet Masters throughout the world, preparing dancers for international ballet competitions including Mikahil Kryuchkov, Daria Bochkova, and Anastasia Minayeva, who are recipients of many prestigious awards. Many of her students including Artem Ovrachenko, Anna Okuneva, Angelina Vorontsova now work professionally as soloists of the Bolshoi Ballet.

Mikhail Sharkov

Senior Professor of Male Technique and Partnering.  Mr. Sharkov graduated from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in 1979 from the class of legendary ballet teacher Peter Pestov.  From 1979 until 1999, Mr. Sharkov was a leading dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet Theatre, and was named People's Artist of Russia in 1994.  His repertoire includes leading roles in The Nutcracker, Les Sylphides, Petrushka, Cippolino, The Prodigal Son, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, La Bayadere, Spartacus, Walpurgisnacht, Faust, and Giselle, among many others.  His training for these lead roles was led by prominent Ballet Masters such as Vladimir Nikonov, Nikolai Fadeyev, Raisa Struchkova, Galina Ulanova, and Ekaterina Maximova.  He has also partnered world renowned dancers such as Nedezhda Pavlova, Lyudmila Semenyaka, Nina Ananiashvili, Alla Michalchenko, Svetlana Lunkina, and many others. Since 2005, Mr. Sharkov has been a Senior Professor at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy.

Faculty is subject to change