Artistic Director Galina Alexandrova was born in Moscow, Russia. Both Galina's parents were principal dancers with various companies; Galina's father, Mikhail, was with the Moiseyev Dance Company, and her mother, the Stanislavsky Ballet.

At the age of ten, Galina was accepted at the legendary Bolshoi Academy in Moscow. After graduating, Galina was personally selected by Artistic Director Yuri Grigorovich to become a member of the Bolshoi Ballet. Galina danced there for seven years, performing many soloist roles in all of the Bolshoi's repertoire.

After meeting her American husband, Ken, Galina joined San Francisco Ballet, where she danced for eight years. While with San Francisco Ballet, she performed many soloist roles in works by George Balanchine, Lew Christensen, and Helgi Tomasson, she also worked directly with world-class choreographers such as James Kudelka, David Bintley, and Glen Tetley.

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Master Teacher Lupe Calzadilla graduated from the Cuban School of Ballet, whereupon she joined the prestigious National Ballet of Cuba. For 11 years there she enjoyed a successful career as a principal dancer performing in both contemporary and classical works. She was also both a company member and founder of the Theater of the Opera in Cuba.

Lupe has taught and choreographed throughout the world for over 30 years. She credits her vast ballet knowledge to studying under such masters of Cuban dance as Fdo Alonzo, Alicia Alonzo, as well as numerous master teachers from Russia. Additionally, Lupe has been a technique and choreography consultant for numerous companies and dancers. She has also worked under director Laura Alonso at the Centro Pro-Danza de Cuba.

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Boys Director and Choreographer Yuri Zhukov studied at the famed Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia, the same school which produced such ballet legends as Nijinsky, Pavlova, Fokine, Balanchine, Nureyev, and Baryshnikov.

He spent his dancing career at several world class ballet companies beginning in 1982 with the Kirov Ballet, then San Francisco Ballet in 1989, and finally joining the Birmingham Royal Ballet in the U.K. in 1995. Over the course of his career he performed many lead roles in classical ballets such as Giselle, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and the Nutcracker.

Yuri has taught ballet at San Francisco Ballet, as well as all across the globe, in places such as the Royal Swedish Ballet, Cullberg Ballet, Monte-Carlo Ballet, Gothenberg Ballet, and the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

In addition, Yuri is also a world-class set designer, having recently designed the sets of both San Francisco Ballet's and Oregon Ballet Theatre's productions of Firebird.

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Svetlana Scherba (Ballet Levels IA, IB & II) received her training in Artistic and Rhythmic Gymnastics at the world renowed Zaporozhye Gymnastics School in Ukraine. The school produced many Ukraine and Soviet National Champions, World Champions and Olympic Games medalists. Her ballet training was an organic part of the gymnastics school program. Later Svetlana continued her rhythmic gymnastics training in Minsk, Belarus under the tutoring of the Belarus National Team coaches. She is a recipient of the Master of Sports of the U.S.S.R. in Rhythmic Gymnastics Achievement Award and has won numerous national and international competitions. She is also a graduate of the Belarus Institute of Physical Education and Sports, with a Bachelor of Science in Gymnastics Training and Exercise Therapy, diploma given with distinction.

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Nikki Trerise (Pre-Ballet) Nikki began her training with her mother, Diane Trerise, and later with the School of Classical Ballet in Billings, Montana before accepting scholarships to train with both Pacific Northwest Ballet and The National Ballet of Canada.

She was a member of Smuin Ballet for six years and has danced with Oakland Ballet, Amy Seiwert's im'ij-re, SallyAnn Mulcahy's Artisan Dance and Sacramento Ballet, where her most memorable role to date was that of Alice, in Ron Cunningham's Alice in Wonderland. She is also a newly certified yoga teacher and is a founding member of Urban Art Farm.

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