Artistic Staff

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.

Marina Kesler graduated from the Tallinn School of Choreography in 1988 from the class of Tiiu Randviir and joined the ballet troupe of the Estonian National Opera. In 1992–2010 she worked as a teacher at the Tallinn Ballet School.  Since 2010, she works as a repetiteur at the Estonian National Ballet. In 1997, she obtained master’s degree from the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts (GITIS, Moscow). At the Estonian National Opera she has been the choreographer for several opera and operetta productions. She has created works also for Bel-Etage and Endla theatres.

She came among the three best at the X International Moscow Choreographers’ Competition 2005 and received a prize for the dance piece “Danse sacral” (I. Stravinsky) and for “Ne me quitte pas” (J. Brel). Marina Kesler received the Annual Estonian Theatre award in 2007 for “Werewolf” (Estonian National Opera) and in 2021 for her production of “Anna Karenina” (Estonian National Opera) to the music of Dmitry Shostakovich. In 2011 and 2021, she was awarded the Colleague Prize of the Estonian Professional Dancers’ Union and in 2021 the Ida Urbel grant by the Estonian Ballet Union.

PRODUCTIONS

“One Day” (2006)

“Bernarda Alba’s House” (2008)

“Werewolf” (to the music of L. Sumera, R. Kangro, A. Pärt and L. Auster, 2007)

“Othello” (to the music of A. Pärt, 2010; Israel Ballet Company, 2012; ESTO Days in San Francisco, 2013)

“The Generous Tree” (Nargenfestival, composer Tauno Aints, 2011)

Prokofiev’s “Cinderella” (2012)

Tubin’s “The Goblin” (2015)

“Death and the Maiden” (2015)

“Undine” (2016)

“Taming of the Shrew” (2018, Jerusalem Ballet)

“Three Sisters” (2019)

“Anna Karenina” to the music of Dmitry Shostakovich (2020)

“The Glass Menagerie” (2021)

Ballet Master for the following productions:

MacMillan’s “Manon” 

Cranko’s “Onegin”

Schiavoni’s “Medea”, “Alice in Wonderland”

Balanchine’s “Serenade”, “Who Cares?”

Edur’s “The Sleeping Beauty”, “Swan Lake”, “La bayadère”

Martinez’s “The Corsair”

Lifar “Suite en blanc”

Meckler/Ochoa/Salem’s “Streetcar Named Desire”

Skeaping’s “Giselle”

Harangoszó’s “Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs”

Stevenson’s “The Nutcracker”