• YAGP Outstanding School Award
• YAGP Outstanding Teacher Award
• YAGP Grand Prix Award
• YAGP Outstanding School Award • YAGP Outstanding Teacher Award • YAGP Grand Prix Award
Faculty
Stella Voskovetskaya
Artistic Director
Mrs. Stella Voskovetskaya has 17 years of experience as a professional dancer and over 20 years of experience as a ballet teacher and choreographer. She graduated from the world-renowned Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia, and joined the Kirov Ballet (now the Mariinsky Ballet). After retiring as a professional ballet dancer, she founded the Academy of Classical Ballet in Kyiv, where her students have achieved excellent results in numerous European competitions.
After moving to the United States, Stella has worked as a guest teacher and choreographer in several ballet schools across the US. In 2010, she founded the Illinois Classical Ballet School in Chicago.
Her experience, based on her extensive professional performing career and solid pedagogical background, has made it possible to prepare students of Illinois Classical Ballet for successful performances at regional and international ballet competitions.
Mrs.Voskovetskaya has received the Outstanding Teacher Award at the Youth American Grand Prix Ballet Competition (YAGP), and the Best Teacher Award at UBC and WBAC.
Ekaterina Bessonova
Classical Ballet, Character Dance
Ekaterina Bessonova graduated from Dnepropetrovsk State Choreographic School in 1986.
After graduation, she was accepted as a ballet dancer at Dnepropetrovsk State Opera and Ballet Theater. During her ten-year professional career with DSOBT, Ekaterina toured the major cities of Ukraine and Russia, Poland, Hungary, and Austria.
Some of her repertoires include variations from Giselle, Le Corsaire, La Bayadère, The Sleeping Beauty, Paquita, and Don Quixote. In 2002 Ekaterina Bessonova graduated Academy of Russian Theatre, faculty of Ballet Education, with the qualification of Teacher-choreographer, and worked at the Children's Choreographic School at the Imperial Russian Ballet as a teacher of classical ballet.
Elena Zhdanov
Classical Ballet, Pointe, Variations
Elena Zhdanov completed her ballet training at the Kazan State Choreographic School in 2000. Following her studies, she was invited to join the Bolshoi Theater of Siberia (NOVAT), showcasing her talents in a diverse range of classical performances such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Spartacus, La Bayadère, Romeo and Juliet, and Don Quixote.
In 2014, Elena Zhdanov furthered her education by graduating from the Ural State University in Ekaterinburg, specializing in the Faculty of Classical Dance with a qualification in Teacher-Choreographer.
Post-graduation, she became a teacher-choreographer at the Central Ballet School in Moscow, where she became known for her expertise in classical and historical dance. Her students have gone on to contribute to various theaters in Russia and internationally.
In 2019, Elena Zhdanov moved to the United States, embarking on a new chapter in her dance career.
Yelena Maslennikov
Classical Ballet, Contemporary
In 2004 Yelena graduated from the Tula Institute of Culture and Art with a degree in teacher choreography. After graduation, she worked as a ballet dancer in theaters of Tula and St. Petersburg, and also participated in various international ballet competitions and festivals.
Yelena has experience in teaching classical choreography for more than 10 years at the ballet school "Lil Ballerine", successfully preparing children for admission to professional ballet schools.
Guest Teacher
Natalia Chapourskaya
Guest Teacher
Graduated Perm Academy of Ballet in 1982 with the Highest Honor Degree in Choreography and Highest Honor Degree as a Ballet Artist. (Class L.P.Sakharova)
Awards:
- 1983 International Ballet Competition in Varna - Diploma
- 1993 International Ballet Competition in Moscow - Diploma
Performance in USSR:
- Perm Opera and Ballet Theater - Principal Dancer
- Mariinsky Theater - First Soloist
- Alexandrinsky Theater - Prima Balerina
Alexei Moskalenko
Guest Teacher
After graduation of the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Moscow, Russia (class Maxim Martirosian and Alexander Bondarenko), Alexei Moskalenko joined The Bolshoi Ballet Grigorovich, where he danced with great success participating in many international theater tours. Later, Alexei received a degree in Ballet Pedagogy and Choreography from the Moscow State Academy of Choreography. In 1992 Alexei Moskalenko moved to the United States, where he was dancing as the principal ballet dancer with numerous ballet companies.
Later, Alexei devoted himself to teaching and directing students in the US and around the world, becoming a celebrated national and international guest teacher.He was Owner/Artistic Director of American School of Russian Ballet, Markell School of Dance and later Director of Indiana Ballet Conservatory's Pre-Professional Program.His students have won the highest awards in international ballet competitions such as Moscow IBC, Varna IBC, and YAGP.
For the last 20 years, Alexei Moskalenko has been working with the world's largest Ballet Competition for students - Youth America Grand Prix, as a Regional and International Judge, Master teacher, NY Rehearsals Director, Tour Director, US Operations Director.In 2016, Alexei Moskalenko was appointed as Assistant Artistic Director of YAGP.
Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye Is a native of Waterville, Maine. He received his professional training from the Bossov Ballet Theatre and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Professional Division, where he received the prestigious Arnold Spohr Scholarship. Upon graduation in 2005, Mr. Nye was asked to participate in the Banff Summer Arts Festival in Banff, Alberta.
He began his professional career with the Festival Ballet of Providence. In 2006 joined the Eugene Ballet Company, where he performed soloist roles in several works by Artistic Director Toni Pimble.In 2007, he joined Director Peter Anastos at Ballet Idaho and was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2011. Jolicoeur-Nye joined Oklahoma City Ballet in August 2020 as a Rehearsal Director, working closely with company dancers and creating choreographies for several short works. In January 2022, he was named Acting Artistic Director.
Ryan Jolicoeur-Nye
Guest Teacher-Choreographer
Sergei Osminkin
Guest Teacher
Sergei Osminkin was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. He started dancing in early childhood and, at age 10, began his education at the Vaganova Ballet Academy.
During his years in the Academy, he studied with such respected teachers as Olga Vasilieva, Mansur Enikeev, Ilya Novoseltsev, and Nikolai Tsiskaridze, and started performing at the Mariinsky and Mikhailovsky theatres.