Yuri Grigoriev School of Ballet

Yuri Grigoriev School of Ballet News Archive: 2006-2010

August 9 - August 28, 2010: This summer we were once again joined by Arkady Nikolaev, a Ballet Master of the Moscow Stanislavsky Ballet for our world-class summer intensive for beginning through advanced students, featuring training in ballet technique, pointe, variations, character and modern styles, as well as stretch and conditioning. Guest faculty included Viktor Kabaniaev of the Diablo Ballet and Vladimir and Nina Kolesnikov.

July 23, 2010: Yuri Grigoriev celebrated his 70th birthday at a gala evening at Stanislavsky Musical Theatre in Moscow, Russia. In his honor the ballet Esmeralda (choreography by Vladimir Burmeister) was performed to a sold-out audience, many of whom came to pay tribute to Yuri. An exhibition of photos taken throughout Yuri’s career was set up in the foyer for all to enjoy. At the end of the ballet, Yuri joined the dancers on stage where he was greeted with overwhelming applause. Theater personnel, dancers and friends toasted Yuri with champagne and appetizers after the performance. This was a wonderful tribute to one of the best former dancers of the Stanislavsky Ballet.

Please take a look at the slide show “My Way” presented to Yuri at the Gala.

July, 2010: For the third year in a row, many of our students attended the Bolshoi Ballet Academy's summer intensive in Connecticut and New York City. Madisyn Aldea, Seaf Hartley, Clara McNeal, Katie McDermott, Jolie Moray, Zinnia Nomura, Arianna Spitz completed the rigorous 3 or 6-week program, and Jolie was invited to attend the Bolshoi year-round program in Moscow.

June 5, 2010: Spring Recital at Pepperdine University's Smothers Theatre
This spring's recital included two shows featured our talented dancers in classical ballet group and solo variations, character dances and modern compositions, including original choreography by Viktor Kabaniaev, Vladimir Kolesnikov, Alina Volynsky and Seda Aybay.

April, 2010: Congratulations to our former student Alanna Archibald on becoming our first alumna to be offered a professional contract! Alanna signed with the Bejart Ballet Company in Lausanne, Switzerland after studying at the Rudra Bejart School for two years. We are very proud of her and wish her much success in her new adventure! (And she looks beautiful photographed front and center on the school's website!)
March 27, 2010: After her performance at the YAGP finals in New York City, Jolie Moray was accepted to the 2010 Young Dancer Summer Workshop at the JKO school in New York and received a scholarship to the Bolshoi Summer Intensive in Connecticut. Congratulations, Jolie!
March 5, 2010: Indiana Woodward, the winner of the 2009 Bolshoi Summer Intensive, travelled to Moscow for an all-expense paid trip that included a month-long training session at the Bolshoi Academy and a solo performance at the Academy Gala at the Bolshoi Theater. Yuri and Alexandra attended the Gala, where Indiana performed the Odalisque Variation from Le Corsaire. Congratulations, Indiana, on a wonderful performance. Best wishes to you!
February 25, 2010: Thank you to Jenny-Lyn Marais for organizing a studio "field trip" to see the Bolshoi Ballet's Don Quixote at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. A special treat for everyone was meeting Yuri's daughter Anna Leonova, a Bolshoi first soloist who danced the role of Street Dancer.
February 2010: Congratulations to our students Katherine McDermott (senior division), Arianna Spitz (junior division) and Jolie Moray (pre-competitive division) who participated in the YAGP Regional competition in Long Beach. Many months of hard work culminated in superb performances by all three girls, with Jolie earning a top-twelve placement and an invitation to compete in the National round in New York, and Arianna, having competed in San Diego as well, earning an invitation to the YAGP NYC Intensive.
Sept, 2009: Congratulations to our student Alexia Caramitsos-Tziras on her acceptance to the American Ballet Theatre's Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School's pre-professional division. We wish her the very best!
Aug, 2009: Congratulations to Indiana Woodward and Amanda de Oliveira who won first and second place respectively at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy Summer Intensive in New York City. As winners, they were invited to participate in the Spring 2010 Gala Performance of the Bolshoi Ballet Academy at the Moscow Bolshoi Theater and to study at the Academy full time. Three other Bolshoi summer intensive participants from our studio -- Nina Dubovitsky, Grace Gottlieb and Kalea Power, as well as our alumnae Mallory Clark and Jodi Labowe also received year-round invitations. Amanda and Mallory accepted and will enter the Bolshoi trainee program this October.
Aug 3 - Aug 22, 2009: Get ready for our exciting three-week summer intensive! This year, the program will include our core ballet technique, pointe and variation classes with Yuri and Alina, stretch class with Olga Fadeeva of the Los Angeles School of Gymnastics, and modern classes with Olivia Gaugain and Amanda Kofsky. In addition, we will have special master classes with guest faculty on the following dates:
- Aug 12-14: Ballet technique with Nancy Raffa, Ballet Mistress at the American Ballet Theater
- Aug 16-18: Modern technique with Viktor Kabaniaev, award-winning choreographer and director of Diablo Ballet
May 23, 2009: Our Spring Recital took place on Saturday, May 23 at Pepperdine University's Smothers Theatre in Malibu. Congratulations to our students! You all made tremendous progress this year! Visit our photo gallery for the latest photos.
Jan-Feb 2009: This year, 9 of our students participated in the YAGP Regional Competitions in Long Beach and San Francisco, with two students moving on to the final round in New York. Congratulations to everyone on a job well done!
- Amanda De Oliveira (top 12, senior division, New York Finals)
- Indiana Woodward (top 12, senior division, New York Finals)
- Danica Paulos (top 12, senior division)
- Hiromi Miyano (senior division)
- Alexia Caramitsos-Tziras (junior division)
- Grace Gottlieb (junior division)
- Anne Lee (junior division)
- Natalie Nathan (junior division)
- Nina Dubovitsky (top 12, pre-competitive division)
Dec 2008: This December, the Kirov Ballet presented their version of the Nutcracker in Los Angeles for the first time in 13 years. For this occasion, the company asked Yuri to coordinate and help coach a group of ballet students from around the Los Angeles area to participate in 6 performances at the Music Center. After only four rehearsals, the children performed as party guests in the first act, and soldiers and cavalry in the second act, earning a mention and a photo in the LA Times (click here for a link).
"Vivacious children from the local Yuri Grigoriev School of Ballet enlivened the first act party scene, imbuing it with needed spontaneity." (Los Angeles Times, December 18, 2008)

Congratulations to our students Nina Dubovitsky, Grace Gottlieb, Madisyn Aldea, Rachel Gonzalez and Seaf Hartley, who participated in this unforgettable production!

Aug 2008: Our three-week summer program with guest master teacher Arkady Nikolayev culminated in a performance at Blankenship Dance Studio in Venice.

June 2008: Three of our students, Alanna Archibald, Lilit Hogtanian, and Jodi Labowe, will be leaving us next year to join professional European ballet schools. Alanna was accepted to the Rudra Bejart School, Lausanne, Switzerland, Lilit will enter the Princess Grace Academy of Classical Dance in Monaco, and Jodi is going to the Tanz Akademie (University of Zurich School of the Arts), Switzerland. Congratulations and "bonne chance"!
Congratulations to everyone on their superb performances at the SPRING RECITAL at Pepperdine University’s Smothers Theatre on May 17! See our updated photo gallery for selected shots. You can also order full resolution digital files or prints at www.fastdap.smugmug.com.
The 2008 competition season has been very exciting with more of our students participating than ever before. Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard for many months and competed in these local and international events:
- Lilit Hogtanian: Prix de Lausanne semi-finals (by special invitation), Switzerland; Los Angeles Spotlight Awards (semi-finals); Orange County Stars of Tomorrow (semi-finals)
- Katarzynka Kropinski: Orange County Stars of Tomorrow (semi-finals); YAGP Regionals, senior division (top 25)
- Danica Paulos: YAGP Regionals, junior division (top 12, NY Finals)
- Indiana Woodward: YAGP Regionals, junior division (top 12, NY Finals)
- Grace Gottlieb: YAGP Regionals, junior division
- Angelica Kechichian: YAGP Regionals, junior division
- Saskia Gregson-Williams: YAGP Regionals, pre-competitive division (3rd place, NY Finals)
- Michael Samarie George: YAGP Regionals, pre-competitive division (special NY Finals invitation)
- Brianna Hodge: YAGP Regionals, pre-competitive division
The second season of the Los Angeles Ballet opened with two successful performances of the Nutcracker at the Alex Theater in Glendale. Congratulations to all our students who participated in this wonderful production: Lilit Hogtanian (Clara), Erik Thordal-Christensen (Nutcracker), Julia Goldani-Telles, Indiana Woodward and Angelica Bardakjian (Clara's friends and Russian dolls), Lauren Hutchinson, Katrien Konkol, Janessa Serate, Jazel Serate, Anna Shakeshaft, Kyra Sorce, Nina Dubovitsky, Alexis Glabach, Grace Gottlieb, Helena Thordal-Christensen (pages, soldiers, Hansels, Gretels and party children).
"True star power ... emanated from Lilit Hogtanian. The 15-year-old prodigy assaying Clara soared in effortless leaps and turns with the grace, authority, presence and acting ability of a prima ballerina." (Los Angeles Times, December 1, 2007)
We are pleased to announce that our alumnae Mallory Clark and Elise Miller are recipients of ABT's National Training Scholarship award for 2007-2008. Elise Miller (ABT National Scholar in 2006-2007) is also a recipient of the Bender Foundation Scholar award. Congratulations to both of them!
Lilit Hogtanian has been invited to compete at Prix de Lausanne 2008! This announcement and a short interview appeared in the Scholarship Guide of the August issue of Dance magazine:

"The new partnership between Youth America Grand Prix and Switzerland's Prix de Lausanne, announced in February, creates an international network of student scholarship opportunities. As one of two YAGP finalists chosen to compete overseas, 15-year-old Lilit Hogtanian from the Yuri Grigoriev School of Ballet in L.A can't wait to perform at the 2008 Prix de Lausanne..." (Dance Magazine, August 1, 2007)
Congratulations to Sophia Rose Hernandez on her acceptance to the San Francisco Ballet School! Sophia, not yet 15 years old, has been invited to join the level 7 women's pre-professional class. OTLICHNO!
Congratulations to our students, Elise Miller and Lilit Hogtanian, on their stellar performances at the Youth America Grand Prix 2007 New York Finals. They were chosen as Finalists along with top American and international contenders from around the world. They were also honored as Grand Prix Scholars and received coveted scholarships to prestigious schools. Elise received a full scholarship to the official school of the American Ballet Theatre, The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of New York, and Lilit received a full scholarship to the Princess Grace Academy of Classical Dance, Monaco, for this coming summer, and to the American Ballet Theatre New York Summer Intensive for 2008. We are very proud of them and their accomplishments and also salute their teacher, Yuri Grigoriev. MOLODTSY!!!

The week of February 16-18, Youth America Grand Prix 2007 held its annual semi-final ballet competition in Huntington Beach, CA. This event was a wonderful opportunity for our students to perform with some of the best young dancers in Southern California. Kasha Kropinski and Tianna Peters competed in the Senior division, and Lilit Hogtanian, Elise Miller and Sophia Hernandez competed in the Junior division. Lilit, Elise and Sophia placed first, second and top 12 respectively, and will be going to New York for the YAGP Finals. Yuri Grigoriev received the Best Teacher award for the 4th consecutive year. Congratulations to all!

Congratulations to Elise Miller and Lilit Hogtanian on their outstanding performances in the
role of Clara, and Sophia Hernandez in the role of Clara’s friend in the Los Angeles Ballet's inaugural production of the Nutcracker.

"...the precocious Elise Miller...only 14 and a student of Yuri Grigoriev School of Ballet,
was the brightest beacon on stage Saturday. Armed with formidable technique and easy
musicality, her sparkling presence lighted the stage."
(Laura Bleiberg, Orange County Register, Dec. 4, 2006)

"Act 2 ... provided a flashy showpiece for the 14-year-old wunderkind Lilit Hogtanian as Clara..." (Lewis Segal, Los Angeles Times, Jan 1, 2007)

Also, congratulations to Angelica Bardakjian, Nina Dubovitsky, Grace Gottlieb and Katya Konkol on a great job in the party scene and in the Hansel and Gretel dance.

Congratulations to Tianna Peters, recipient of a $2000 Award from the American Harlequin Dance Scholarship 2007.