Artistic Staff

Irina Prokofieva is a Vaganova Ballet Academy graduate. After graduation, she was immediately invited to the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg, where she worked for 18 years and have performed, among others, several solo roles choreographed by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, August Bournonville, Mikhail Fokine, Vaslav Nijinsky, Leonid Lavrovrovsky, Vasily Vainonen, Yuri Grigorovich, Leonid Yakobson, William Forsythe, Alberto Alonso, George Balanchine and other choreographers.

In 2009 Irina enrolled in the Faculty of Education at the Vaganova Ballet Academy and obtained a master’s degree in education in 2012.

In 2010 Irina was granted the title Emeritus Professor of the Jilin Institute of Art.

Between 2013 and 2024, she gave several master classes in classical ballet as well as seminar-lectures worldwide in places such as Changsha, Nanjing, Seoul, Busan, Rapallo, Dezhou, Suzhou, Zürich, Bucharest, Varna, and most recently Budapest.

In 2019 Irina was invited to Budapest as a ballet master and joined the Hungarian State Opera, where she worked for 5 years closely with renowned choreographers and diverse styles of ballet.

Irina also published a book dedicated to the ballet classes held by one of the great ballet masters of his time, Sergei Vikharev.

Starting from 2024, Irina Prokofieva is the guest répétiteur of the World Ballet Company.

Anna Fokina's journey into ballet began with the guidance of her mother, transitioning from a professional figure skating background to the world of ballet. She started training at a ballet school, later balancing her studies at the Conservatory with her work as a ballerina in a theater. Anna cherishes learning from some of the most distinguished figures in ballet, including Nikita Dolgushin, Nikolai Boyarchikov, Gabriella Komleva, and others who significantly influenced her artistic growth.

Her career is marked by a diverse repertoire and experiences across three different theaters, where she embraced roles in romantic, classical, and contemporary ballets. Anna's work with choreographers like George Balanchine, José Limón, and Jiří Kylián, along with her involvement in original productions by Nikita Dolgushin, Nikolai Boyarchikov, and Valentin Yelizariev, enriched her artistic journey.

Anna believes that a performance's success lies in the depth of understanding a role, which involves thorough research, collaboration with teachers, and a genuine connection to the character. She values mutual respect and understanding within the theater environment, which is crucial for success. Anna advises aspiring dancers to trust their teachers, remain committed to learning, and always strive to be their best.