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, Svetlana, 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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Choreographer in residence, Pas de deux and Contemporary instructor 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. In 2008, Yuri started his own dance company Zhukov Dance Theatre

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Kristin Long (Level IV and Pre-professional). Born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Kristin Long trained at Allegheny Ballet Academy, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet School. At San Francisco Ballet School she trained under master teachers Larissa Skalenskaya and Irina Jacobson. She was named an apprentice in 1989, she joined the Company in 1990, was promoted to soloist in 1992, and to principal dancer in 1999. She has performed the lead role in works such as Tomasson's Giselle, Swan Lake, Romeo & Juliet, and Nutcracker; and Tomasson/Possokhov's Don Quixote. She created principal roles for choreographers Adam, Bintley, Possokhov, Tomasson, and Welch, among others. Long's repertory also includes Ashton, Balanchine, de Mille, Forsythe, Robbins, Taylor and Wheeldon. Kristin’s awards include the Isadora Duncan Dance Award for ensemble performance in 2001 and the Princess Grace Foundation Award in 1990. She has performed as a guest artist with several companies, including English National Ballet.

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Svetlana Scherba (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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Anne-Sophie Rodriguez (Levels Intermediate Ballet and substitute for III, IV, V and Pre-professional) was born in France and started her studies there before moving to the United States. She trained at the San Francisco Ballet School with renowned teachers including Irina Jacobson, Jorge Esquivel and most notably Larisa Sklyanskaya whom she credits for instilling in her a deep technical and artistic knowledge of dance which she is eager to pass on. Anne-Sophie graduated from Boston Ballet School where she had relocated to study with Madame Tatiana Legat. She has performed with companies such as Boston Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, the Norwegian National Ballet, the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and Ballet Internationale. As a free-lancer, she also danced with New York City companies Janusphere Dance Company and compani javedani. Prior to moving back to the San Francisco Bay Area, she taught at schools including the Ellison Ballet- Professional Training Program, Joffrey Ballet School, the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet and Ballet Arts, as well as privately. Additionally, she was Pentacle's Behind the Scenes Choreography Mentor at the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts. Anne-Sophie is happy to have joined our faculty and is dedicated to bringing out the best in City Ballet School’s students.

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Kaleena Opdyke Hurlburt (Pre-Ballet) a California native, Kaleena has lived, worked, and danced professionally in the Bay Area for over ten years. Companies include Ballet San Jose, where she danced several soloist and principle roles, Smuin Ballet, and Amy Seiwert's Imagery. Kaleena enjoys sharing her experience and passion for ballet with young dancers of all ages, and takes great joy in teaching Pre-Ballet! In addition to teaching ballet, Kaleena is also a Certified GYROTONIC Trainer.

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