Kirov Ballet - Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, Russia
Yevgenia Obraztsova
Graduated from the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet (class of Marina Vasilieva)
Joined the Mariinsky Theatre in 2002
Prize-winner at the International Ballet Competition Vaganova Prix (St Petersburg, 2002)
Prize-winner at the 13th International Ballet Competition in Moscow (2005): Gold Medal
Recipient, Leonide Massine Prize (Positano, Italy, 2006).
Winner, Golden Mask Award (Moscow, 2007)
Repertoire
Ondine (Ondine);
Giselle (Giselle);
La Sylphide (Sylphide);
Romeo and Juliet (Juliet);
The Legend of Love (Shyrin);
The Fountain of Bakhchisarai (Maria);
The Sleeping Beauty (Princess Aurora, Generosity Fairy);
Cinderella - choreography by Alexei Ratmansky (Cinderella);
The Nutcracker - production by Mikhail Chemiakin, choreography by Kirill Simonov (Masha);
Forsythe's The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude, In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, Approximate Sonata; Balanchine's Ballet Imperial; Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux ..…
Starred in Cédric Klapisch´s Les Poupées russes (France, 2005) as the Russian ballerina Natasha.
THE NEXT RUSSIAN LEGEND YEVGENIA OBRAZTSOVA
During the Kirov Ballet's (2005) summer season in London, 21-year-old Yevgenia Obraztsova's evocative Juliet had British balletomanes comparing her to the other legendary Russian ballet dancer, Galina Ulanova. From her very first moment onstage, the audience was ensnared by her spontaneity; her beautiful, expressive face and long slim limbs; her fleet footwork, thistledown-soft technique, and flowing lyricism; and her spirited and dramatic elucidation of Shakespeare's doomed heroine. Later, in Forsythe's Approximate Sonata, her delicate demeanor gave way to contemporary off-balances and a tough physicality. Obraztsova joined the Kirov in 2002 and won the gold medal at the last Moscow International Ballet Competition. She recently appeared as an actress-dancer in the French film, Les Poupees Russes, receiving excellent reviews. Under the tutelage of former Kirov ballerina Ninel Kurgapkina, Obraztsova should continue to polish and refine her performances, and we can expect to hear a lot more about her in the years ahead.
Margaret Willis, Dance Magazine
Kirov Ballet - Mikhailovsky Theatre, St Petersburg, Russia
Artem Pykhachov
Berlin Opera Ballet
Shoko Nakamura
SHOKO NAKAMURA wurde in Fukuoka (Japan) geboren und erhielt ihre Ballettausbildung an einer Privatschule in Japan, danach an der John Cranko-Schule in Stuttgart.Born in Japan, Shoko Nakamura received early ballet training at a Japanese private school, then at the John Cranko School in Stuttgart. 1998 wurde sie an das Stuttgarter Ballett engagiert.Since 2000, she has been a member of the Vienna State Opera Ballet where she became a solo dancer in 2002. Zu ihrem Repertoire zählen Odette/Odile und Gefährtin des Prinzen (Schwanensee), Myrtha (Giselle), Hamsatti (Die Bajadere), Fee der Lebensfreude (Dornröschen), Zigeunerin (Romeo und Julia), Fräulein Cerrini und Yvette (Aschenbrödel), Fee des Nordens (Der Nußknacker), Aegina (Spartacus), Winter (Verdi-Ballett: Ein Maskenball), Trommlerin (Die Puppenfee) sowie Hauptpartien in Serenade, Thema und Variationen, Petite Mort, Konzertantes Duo, Alles Walzer und Beethoven Opus 73.
Shoko's repertoire includes Odette / Odile and companion of the Prince in Swan Lake, Myrtha in Giselle, Hamsatti in (remove-The??) La Bayadère, the fairy of the Joy of Life in Sleeping Beauty, Gypsy in Romeo and Juliet, Miss Cerrini and Yvette in Cinderella, the Fee North in The Nutcracker, Aegina in Spartacus, winter in Verdi Ballet: A Masked Ball, Trommlerin in The Puppenfee, and main parts in Serenade, Theme and Variations, Petite Mort, Concert Antes Duo, Everything Waltzes and Beethoven Opus 73rd,In Sensi, Duke's Nuts und Silence sans reproche kreierte sie Partien. In Sensi, Duke's Nuts and Silence Sans Reproche. Gastspiele gab sie in Donezk, Braunschweig, Kassel, Rom, Florenz, Udine, Spoleto, Miami, Caserta, Klagenfurt und Vail.
Shoko has performed in Donetsk, Braunschweig, Kassel, Rome, Florence, Udine, Spoleto, Miami, Caserta, Klagenfurt, and Vail. 2001 wurde sie beim Tänzerwettbewerb „Prix de Luxembourg“ mit dem „Premier Grand Prix Femme“ ausgezeichnet.
Berlin Opera Ballet
Ronald Savkovic
Ronald Savkovic began his ballet education in Croatia at an early age. After finishing his studies at the Ballet School of The Croatian National Theater, he joined the Hungarian Dance Academy in Budapest, Hungary from which he graduated with the highest honors. In 1991, he was offered a Soloist contract with the Slovenian National Theater in Maribor, the company with which he danced until 1995. This same year (1995) he was hired by the Croatian National Theater in Zagreb as a Principal Dancer. In 1998, after 3 years with the Croatian National Theater, he was offered a contract as a “Principal Dancer” in the prestigious Staatsoper Unter den Linden Company in Berlin, Germany. Ronald Savkovic has made a successful career in Berlin sharing the stage with some of ballet's biggest stars. Mr. Savkovic has appeared in Galas and Festivals throughout America, Europe, China and Japan.
National Ballet of Canada
Heather Ogden, Principal Dancer
Born in Toronto, Heather Ogden trained at the Richmond Academy of Dance in Richmond, British Columbia before joining The National Ballet of Canada in 1998. She was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2005.
Heather's repertoire with the National Ballet includes Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadère, and Cinderella. In addition, Heather has danced featured roles in diverse works such as James Kudelka's Pastorale, Dominique Dumais' One Hundred Words for Snow, George Balanchine's Apollo, The Four Temperaments and Theme and Variations, Eliot Feld's Intermezzo and Bournonville's La Sylphide. In 2007, she danced in the company premiere of Jerome Robbins' In the Night.
Heather represented the National Ballet at The Sixth International Competition for the Erik Bruhn Prize, with Guillaume Côté, in 2002. In 2005, Heather danced the role of Dulcinea in Suzanne Farrell's re-staging of Balanchine's Don Quixote at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. She traveled with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet Company to perform the role in Edinburgh in 2006 and danced in the company premiere of the work in 2007.
At the National Ballet's inaugural performance at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in 2006, Heather performed the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. In 2007, she was a guest performer at the Banff Centre's 60th Anniversary Gala and at Montreal's Gala des Étoiles in 2006 and 2007.
National Ballet of Canada
Nehemiah Kish
A native of Caro, Michigan, Nehemiah Kish trained at Canada's National Ballet School. He joined The National Ballet of Canada in 2000, becoming a Principal Dancer in 2005.
With the National Ballet, Nehemiah's repertoire includes lead roles in The Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, Giselle, Swan Lake, Onegin and George Balanchine's Theme and Variations, Diamonds from Jewels and the title role in Apollo. He has also danced the lead role in The Contract (The Pied Piper), as well as, principal roles in Les Sylphides, Etudes, Desir, A Delicate Battle, Stravinsky Violin Concerto and Opus 19/The Dreamer. Nehemiah danced a principal role in the world premiere of Matjash Mrozewski's Wolf's Court and performed in the company premieres of Eliot Feld's A Footstep of Air, Christopher Wheeldon's Polyphonia, and Jerome Robbins' West Side Story Suite – Glass Pieces and In the Night.
Nehemiah has performed as a guest dancer internationally, including appearances in Swan Lake, in Tokyo, The Nutcracker with Ballet Memphis, Stuttgart Ballet's Cranko Festival, Sadler's Wells, and Toronto's The Night of the Stars Gala Fundraiser. He has also worked with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet and Christopher Wheeldon's company, Morphoses
National Ballet of Canada
Zdenek Konvalina
A native of Brno, Czech Republic, Zdenek Konvalina studied classical and contemporary ballet at Europe's well-known Brno Conservatory. In 1997, he joined the National Ballet of Moravia-Silesia, where recognition of his outstanding talent led to his promotion to Principal Dancer in1998 at the age of 19. With the company he danced most of the major works in the classical repertoire.
In 2001, Mr. Konvalina joined the Houston Ballet as a Principal Dancer, performing a wide range of roles, including those of the Prince in The Sleeping Beauty, the Prince in The Nutcracker; Siegfried in Swan Lake; Romeo in Romeo and Juliet; Basilio in Don Quixote; Albrecht in Giselle; Colas in La Fille mal gardée and Des Grieux in Manon. He also danced to great acclaim in such diverse works as Etudes, The Firebird, Songs of a Wayfarer, In the middle, somewhat elevated and George Balanchine's Theme and Variations, Apollo, The Four Temperaments, La Valse, Symphony in C, Serenade and Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux,
A dancer of great range and dynamism, Mr. Konvalina was awarded the gold medal at the Helsinki International Ballet Competition in June 2001 and has performed as a guest dancer with such companies as Slovak National Theatre, Inoue Ballet in Tokyo, Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, National Ballet of Cuba and Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam. 2006/2007 will be Mr. Konvalina's first season with The National Ballet of Canada. Etoiles in Montreal. Also, he has been a guest with companies around the world, including Slovak National Theater, Inoue Ballet in Tokyo, Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, National Ballet of Cuba, and Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam.
Vienna State Opera Ballet/American Ballet Theatre
Daniil Simkin
Born in Russia in 1987 to a ballet family, Daniil Simkin left Russia for the West in 1990 and after several international engagements settled in Wiesbaden, Germany, where he made his first stage appearance. By age six, he had made several stage appearances and had danced alongside his father, Dmitrij Simkin.
Daniil began his training under the direction of his mother, Olga Aleksandrova, in 1997. At the age of twelve, he began participating in ballet competitions and famous ballet galas around the world. He joined the ballet company of the Vienna State Opera in 2006 as a demi-soloist, and since then has danced many roles and parts of the classical, neoclassical, and contemporary repertoire of the company. In 2007, Daniil danced his first principal, classical role with the Lithuanian National Opera in Don Quixotte.
Daniil's most recent awards include: Senior Gold Medal at the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson (2006); Grand Prix at the International Ballet Competition Helsinki (2005); and 1st Prize and Gold Medal at the 21st Internation
The Israel Ballet
Nina Gershman
Nina Gershman is a graduate of The Choreographic Institute in Krasnoyarsk, Russia (Vaganova Syllabus). From 1987 to 1992 she was the 1st soloist at the Krasnoyarsk Ballet and Opera Theatre. In 1992 Nina immigrated to Israel with her family and joined The Israel Ballet. From 1992 to 2008, her repertoire includes Cinderella (Yampolsky / Prokoffiev) – Cinderella, Giselle (Perrot / Adam) – Giselle, Nutcracker (Yampolsky / Tchaikovsky) Sugarplum Fairy and Grand Pas de Deux, Don Quixote (Petipa / Minkus) – Street Dancer, Balanchine Ballets – Principal dancer in – Serenade, Symphony in C, Square Dance, La Valse and The Four Temperaments. Roles created by Nina Gershman: Gurrelieder (Yampolsky / Schoenberg) – Tove, Medea (Yampolsky / Luigi Nono) – The Princess, Ni-Na (Yampolsky / Saint-Saens).
The Israel Ballet
Alexander Utkin
Born 1970 in Tel Aviv, Israel, Alexander Utkin is a graduate of The Choreographic Institute in Baku, Azerbaijan (Vaganova Syllabus). From 1988 to 1990 he was a dancer in the ballet company of the Baku Ballet and Opera Theatre. In 1990 Alexander joined the ballet company of Boris Eifman in St. Petersburg where he danced as soloist until he was invited to join The Israel Ballet as Principal Dancer in 1998. From 1998 to 2008, Utkin's repertoire includes: the role of Onegin in Onegin – John Cranko, the role of Gremin in Onegin – John Cranko, the Prince in The Nutcracker – Berta Yampolsky, the Prince in The Sleeping Beauty – Berta Yampolsky, the Prince in Cinderella – Berta Yampolsky, the role of Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet – Berta Yampolsky, 1st Soloist in Balanchine ballets: Serenade, Symphony in C, 4 Temperaments, Square Dance and La Valse, Soloist in Berta Yampolsky's ballets: Optimus, Xta, Written in the Sand and Ni-Na.
Lithuanian Opera and Ballet Theatre
Miki Hamanaka
A graduate of the Tokyo Ballet Institute (1996), she joined the LNOBT in 1998. She won silver medal at the Junior Division of the 2nd Nagoya International Ballet and Modern Dance Festival, Japan, in 1996, diploma at the Moscow International Ballet Competition in 1997, and 3rd prize at the Tokyo International Ballet Competition in 1999. In 2004 she became prizewinner of the “Operos Svyturiai“ Awards in the category of the “Female Ballet Soloist of the Year“ and received the Konstantinas Stasys Prize. Her current repertoire includes: Kitri and Cupid (Don Quixote), Little Swan and Pas de trois (Swan Lake), She-Radish (Cipollino), Princess Aurora and Princess Florina (The Sleeping Beauty), Pecilia (Egle, Queen of Grass Snakes), Pas de deux (Giselle), Columbine (The Nutcracker), and a Soloist (Carmina urana)
National Dance Company of Spain, Madrid
Ana Maria Lopez Ana was born in Wintenthür (Switzerland). She started her studies of classical ballet in the Kindertanztheater Claudia Corti, working with many teachers, such as David Howard, Svetlana Beriosova, David Wall and José de Udaeta. In 1986 she enrolled in the Ballettschulle für das Opernhaus Zürich continuing her formation later in the Ballettschulle der Hamburgischen Staatsoper with John Neumeier. From 1990 to 1993 she was with the Zürcher Ballet (Switzerland), Stadttheater Bern (Switzerland), Compañía Marta Levis (Milan) and Compañía C.S.C. (Milan). In 1993 she became a part of the Ballett Braunschweig (Germany) with Pierre Wyss as director, dancing many works by choreographers such as Oscar Araiz, Antonio Gomes, Richard Wherlock, Ysutomu Ben Ida, Pieter de Ruiter, José María Alves and Pierre Wyss. In August 1998 she joined the Compañía Nacional de Danza. Since 2006 Ana is considered a principal dancer.
National Dance Company of Spain, Madrid
Francisco Lorenzo
Francisco Lorenzo was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he finished his studies at the Art High School of the Colón Theatre in 1998. He had won numerous competitions in his country between 1991 and 1999, when the Buenos Aires daily Diario Clarín acclaimed him as a dancing hit. In 1994, he joined the Junior Section of the Ballet Mar del Plata. In 1996, he started to dance in the Ballet Neoclásico of Buenos Aires and the Colón Theatre Ballet. In 1999, he became a member of the Ballet Contemporáneo del Teatro San Martín. In July 2003, he entered the Compañía Nacional de Danza.