My Teachers

Professor. A Soviet ballet dancer, choreographer, and teacher, he was a soloist at the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theatre in Leningrad. He was named a Hero of Socialist Labor in 1991 and People’s Artist of the USSR in 1957. Sergeev graduated from the Leningrad Choreographic School (now the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet), where his teachers included E. P. Snetkova, Maria Kozhukhova, Viktor Semyonov, and Vladimir Ponomarev. In 1930, he joined the Mariinsky Theatre, where he performed as a soloist until 1961. With his noble appearance and outstanding acting skills, he brilliantly executed leading roles in the classical repertoire, interpreting them in a deeply psychological and truthful manner. During the 1930s and 1940s, he performed alongside Galina Ulanova, forming one of the most celebrated duets in the history of Russian ballet. They were the first performers of the title roles in the premiere of Sergei Prokofiev’s ballet «Romeo and Juliet» on January 11, 1940. After the war, he danced in a duet with his wife, Natalia Dudinskaya. Starting in 1946, Sergeev worked as a choreographer. He served as the chief choreographer of the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theatre from 1951-1955 and 1960-1970.

Professor. Natalia Mikhailovna Dudinskaya (1912–2003) was a Soviet and Russian ballerina and teacher. She was honored as People’s Artist of the USSR in 1957. From 1923 to 1931, she studied at the Leningrad Choreographic School (now the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet) under Agrippina Vaganova. Upon graduation in 1931, she joined the troupe of the Kirov Theatre (now the Mariinsky Theatre), where she danced leading roles until 1962. Dudinskaya’s dance is immortalized in the film «Masters of Russian Ballet» (Lenfilm Studio, 1953), where she performed the role of Odile in an excerpt from the ballet «Swan Lake» (with Prince Siegfried played by Konstantin Sergeyev). During the Great Patriotic War, Natalia Mikhailovna continued her artistic career, performing in theaters, at frontline concerts, hospitals, factories, and orphanages. She, along with her colleagues, also performed in besieged Leningrad. It was during the war years that the creative duet of the great ballet artists Natalia Dudinskaya and Konstantin Sergeyev was formed. From the 1950s, Dudinskaya engaged in teaching: from 1951, she was a teacher of advanced ballet classes, and from 1963 to 1978, she was a pedagogue-repetiteur at the Kirov Theatre. Since 1964, she taught at the Leningrad Choreographic School named after A. Vaganova (professor since 1995). Among her students were V. Ganibalova, E. Yevdokimova, E. Alkanova, A. Sigalova, L. Sychova, G. Rakhmanova, M. Kullik, U. Lopatkina, and A. Volochkova. She also taught at choreographic schools in the USA, Japan, Poland, and Finland. Dudinskaya made significant contributions to the development of contemporary ballet art and theatrical repertoire, being the first performer of many domestic premieres. She also contributed to the preservation of traditions by reviving several classical productions at the Mariinsky and Bolshoi Theatres.

Professor. Marina Aleksandrovna Vasilieva is an outstanding Russian ballerina, educator, and figure in the arts. Born on July 25, 1939, in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). She began studying choreography at the age of 7 in Tallinn. In 1957, she graduated with honors from the Leningrad Choreographic School and joined the Kirov Theatre (now Mariinsky Theatre) the same year. She worked there until 1979, performing in both classical and contemporary repertoire and touring extensively worldwide. Teaching Career: Since 1977, she has been involved in teaching at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in St. Petersburg. During her tenure, she has trained 10 graduating classes. She was awarded the title of Associate Professor in 2002 and Professor in 2004. Achievements and Awards: In 2002, she was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the Russian Federation for her significant contributions to ballet art and pedagogy. Students: Among her students are well-known ballerinas such as Yulia Makhalina, Elvira Khabibullina, Viktoria Tereshkina, Elena Evseeva, Evgenia Obraztsova, Olesya Novikova, and many others who have become recognized artists in leading ballet theaters in Russia. Marina Aleksandrovna Vasilieva continues to inspire her students and leaves a significant mark in the history of Russian ballet as both an accomplished performer and talented educator.

She graduated from the Leningrad State Choreographic School. From 1952 to 1974, she was a ballet dancer at the Leningrad State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after S. M. Kirov (Mariinsky Theatre). She performed over 42 ballet roles and danced on numerous international stages during the theatre’s tours. From 1974 to 2001, she was a teacher for the lower grades at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. From 1991 to 1997, she taught classical dance at a ballet studio in Columbus. There, L. L. Melnikova staged several ballet numbers, with her American students performing these pieces at concerts in the Columbus theatre – an endeavor significantly aided by her previous experience of similar work at the Gorky Palace of Culture.

Born in Leningrad, Afanaskov was a laureate of the International Ballet Competition (Varna, 1966). He graduated from the Leningrad Choreographic School in 1961 (class of A. Kumysnikov, B. Shavrov). From 1961 to 1983, he performed at the Mariinsky Theatre, where his roles included: pas de trois, Siegfried («Swan Lake»), Jean de Brienne; pas de deux, Albrecht («Giselle»), Bridegroom, Désiré («The Sleeping Beauty»), Václav; Prince («The Nutcracker»), Satyr («Spartacus»), Ivan Tsarevich (choreographic miniature «The Firebird»), Youth (choreographic miniature «Ravel’s Waltzes»), Water Genie («The Little Humpbacked Horse»), Cavalier («Cinderella»), Troubadour («Romeo and Juliet»), Merchant («Le Corsaire»), Gringoire («Esmeralda»).

Professor. He graduated from the Leningrad Choreographic School (teachers: B. V. Shavrov, I. D. Belsky) and was a soloist with the ballet company of the Leningrad State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after S. M. Kirov from 1949 to 1971. Starting in 1951, he taught at the choreographic school, and from 1977 to 1987, he also led an advanced class at the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theatre. He was a professor in the classical dance department. Among his students were Mikhail Baryshnikov, Farukh Ruzimatov, Bulat Ayukhanov, Anuarbek Jalilov, Vadim Budarin, Vadim Gulyaev, Makhar Vaziev, and Feton Miocchi.

Professor. Born on March 1, 1947, in Güstrow, Germany. In 1967, he graduated from the Perm Choreographic School (class of Y. O. Plakhta). He was accepted into the company of the Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre named after P. I. Tchaikovsky. In 1968, he joined the advanced class at the Leningrad Academic Choreographic School (class of A. I. Pushkin), graduating in 1969 and returning to the Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre as a soloist. From 1970 to 1988, he worked with the «Choreographic Miniatures» troupe (artistic director L. V. Yakobson). In 1982, he graduated from the pedagogical department of the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet (methodology of classical dance, class of I. A. Trofimova). From 1992 to 2004, he was a rehearsal teacher at the «Choreographic Miniatures» theatre named after L. V. Yakobson. Since 1988, he has been teaching acting skills at the Leningrad Academic Choreographic School named after A. Y. Vaganova (since 1991, the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet).

Professor. Born on March 15, 1941 in Leningrad. In 1951, he entered the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, graduating in 1960. After graduation, he joined the Mariinsky Theatre troupe, where he worked until 1983. During his tenure at the theatre, he performed solo repertoire in ballets such as «Swan Lake,» «Giselle,» «La Bayadère,» «Le Corsaire,» «Don Quixote,» «Raymonda,» «Romeo and Juliet,» «The Sleeping Beauty,» «The Nutcracker,» among others. Since 1970, Valeriy Desnitsky has been a teacher of duet and classical dance at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. For many years, he assisted K. M. Sergeev, and currently Desnitsky serves as a rehearsal director for productions at the Academy staged at the Mariinsky Theatre. His students include Altynai Asylmuratova, Farukh Ruzimatov, Ulyana Lopatkina, Diana Vishneva, and many others.

Professor. Honored Artist of the Russian Federation. Born on September 12, 1936 in St. Petersburg. In 1956, she graduated from the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet and was accepted into the Maly Theatre of Opera and Ballet named after M.P. Musorgsky, where she worked until 1978. In 1984, she graduated with honors from the Leningrad State Conservatory. She began her teaching career in 1976 at the Leningrad State Conservatory and since 1977 at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. She teaches classical and historical-folk dance. Throughout her teaching career, she has been involved in staging classical repertoire performances such as «La Bayadère,» «The Nutcracker,» «Paquita,» «Le Corsaire,» and others in various theaters in Russia, Germany, the USA, and Japan. She has conducted classical dance courses in Hungary, England, and the USA.

Honored Artist of the RSFSR (January 31, 1966). After graduating from the Leningrad Choreographic School (under the guidance of A. I. Pushkin), he performed at the Leningrad Maly Opera Theatre from 1953 to 1974. He was known for his strictly academic style of classical dance, excelling in leading roles of traditional repertoire and demonstrating thoughtful interpretations in ballets by contemporary choreographers. Since 1963, he taught at the Leningrad Choreographic School, specializing in duet dance and support roles. He also taught at the Dance Academy in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA, and at the Hungarian Dance Academy in Budapest. During 1975-1980, he served as the artistic director of the Leningrad «Ballet on Ice». Adol Khamsin was the first performer in roles such as Eros in K. F. Boyarsky’s «Eros», Paolo in «Francesca da Rimini» to the music of P. Tchaikovsky (both in 1959), Soloist in «Classical Symphony» to the music of S. Prokofiev (1961), Orpheus in I. Stravinsky’s «Orpheus», and Ivan-tsarevich in «The Firebird» choreographed by M. M. Fokin, revived by Boyarsky (both in 1962).

Lydia Goncharova (1922–2014) was a Soviet ballet dancer and educator, and a soloist at the Mariinsky Theatre. She was honored as a Distinguished Artist of the Tajik SSR in 1973. She graduated from the Leningrad Choreographic School in 1940, where she studied under Agrippina Vaganova and Andrei Lopukhov, and subsequently joined the ballet company of the Kirov Theatre (now the Mariinsky Theatre). Goncharova was noted for her «rare, warm beauty, with large, deep eyes and expressiveness that immediately captivated ballet enthusiasts at the Mariinsky Theatre.»She performed all the leading character roles in the theatre’s repertoire. From 1964, she served as a teacher of character dance at the Leningrad Choreographic School, where she trained several generations of future Mariinsky Theatre artists. Between 1976 and 1978, she also worked as a teacher at the Cairo Ballet Institute in Egypt.

Natalia Dunaeva was a literary scholar and art historian. In 1961, she graduated from the postgraduate program at Herzen Pedagogical Institute. Until 1967, she taught Russian and foreign literature at the Leningrad Choreographic School named after A. Y. Vaganova. Up until 1992, Dunaeva was the screenwriter for 30 educational and popular science films. From 1988 to 2020, she worked in the «Ballet Directing» department at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where she conducted a seminar on the descriptive reconstruction of forgotten ballets. Since 1991, she organized regular scholarly readings titled «Ballet History. Source Studies Research.»

Vera Alexeyevna Dorofeeva was a candidate of sociological sciences, associate professor, organizer, educator, sociologist, former deputy director of the Leningrad State Choreographic School named after A.Ya. Vaganova (1987-2004), and former rector of the A.Ya. Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet (2004). In 1970, she graduated from the Leningrad State Pedagogical Institute named after A.I. Herzen, specializing in «pedagogue-defectologist.» Throughout her career, she was involved in organizational and creative work with youth. From 1976 to 1986, she worked at the Leningrad Palace of Youth, where she curated sections of youth creative unions such as cinematographers, composers, writers of the All-Russian Theatre Society, and participated in concert performances in remote areas such as BAM, Surgut, and the Far North. She played a key role in organizing and conducting cultural events such as St. Petersburg Culture Days in Finland, Poland, East Germany, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia, as well as International Festivals of Creative Youth in St. Petersburg. From 1987, she served as the deputy director of the Leningrad Academic Choreographic School named after A.Ya. Vaganova.