Staff - Teachers
Valeria
Sinyavskaya - Artistic Director & Ballet Mistress
Rostislav
Dzabraev - Artist in Residence
Erika
Ballard - Ballet/Modern
Mary
Lu Hensley - Ballet
Rachel
Copenhaver - Preparatory Ballet
Tamlyn
Bernshausen - Preparatory Ballet
Becky
Hall - Jazz
Gigi
Boggan - Pilates
Cara
Harker - Ballroom
Ms. Sinyavskaya was trained at the State Classical
Ballet Academy in Kiev, Ukraine. She graduated first in the class of
the renowned choreographer Galina Berezova, pupil of Agrippina
Vaganova, the founder of the Russian method of classical ballet
training. She holds a Master of Fine Arts from the Lunacharsky
Institute of Theatrical Arts in Moscow. Her performing experience
includes all the major classical roles as principal dancer with the
Novosibirsk State Academic Theatre Opera and Ballet in Russia and as
guest performer in other Russian ballet companies such as the Bolshoi
Ballet. She has extensive experience as a teacher, choreographer and
artistic director in the U.S. and abroad, including with the University
of South Florida, Jacksonville University, Southern Ballet Theatre,
Orlando City Ballet and the International School of Dance in Japan,
where she served as Principal Teacher and Choreographer, staging
productions that blended the work of ballet students with professional
performers from throughout Europe. She has staged many full-scale
productions, such as Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake and Giselle as well as
choreographed contemporary works. In 2004, Ms. Sinyavskaya was honored
by the Arts Council of Greater Kingsport with the Arts Leadership
Award. Ms. Sinyavskaya teaches the Vaganova Method of classical ballet.

