Valentina Dergacheva began dancing at the age of seven in a local ballet studio and later entered the Novosibirsk State Choreographic College.

After graduation, she joined the Yekaterinburg Opera and Ballet Theatre, performing corps de ballet roles in Swan Lake, La Bayadère, and other classical productions, and toured with the company in Thailand. She later continued her career at the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre, performing both corps de ballet and solo roles in The Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadère, Swan Lake, Spartacus, Giselle, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Coppélia, Cipollino, Anyuta, and many others, touring internationally in Thailand and Hungary.

Her favorite fairy-tale character is Winnie-the-Pooh — for his love of sweets, his ability to enjoy life’s simple moments, and his loyalty to friends. A little clumsy and endlessly curious, she admits she relates to him quite a bit.

To her younger self, she would say: “We will never be younger than we are right now. Think ahead, try, make mistakes, set goals — and never doubt yourself.”