Ten day Workshop will be taught by masters from the St. Petersburg Vaganova Academy, Mussorgsky Ballet and Jakobson Modern Ballet. Classes are geared to

accommodate not only pre-professional dancers, but also the amateurs, teachers and the ballet lovers!

This ten day adventure exploring the heart of St. Petersburg’s ballet culture includes five Ballet shows, visit the Hermitage, Peter the Great’s castle, etc.

Ages 12 & up.

Vaganova subsidy available for dancers and teachers for all workshops.

For information and to register, see vaganovadancealberta.com call (780) 430-6210 • email: vaganovadance@gmail.com

St. Petersburg 2016 Ballet Intensive Workshop

March 23 - April 4 2016 Visit and StudyBallet, Pointe, Pas de Deux and Variations

2016 Summer Edmonton Ballet Workshop

& Teacher TrainingRussian Guest teachers: Adonis Daukaev and Vladimir Tsal

JuneMarr-Mac Dance & Theatre Arts

8627-109 Street, Edmonton(780) 434-9281

AugustEdmonton Dance Factory

201, 2764 Elwood Drive, Edmonton(780) 423-2623

Vaganova Dance SocietyFounder and Artistic Director: Maria Mitrache-Bokor

Russian Stars: Soloists

from

St. Petersburg

Classical ballet excerpts with

Anastasia Lomachenkova, Elvira Khabibullina, Andrea Lassakova, Mikhail Venshchikov, Anton Ploom and Nikolai Korypaev

7:00 p.m. Sat Dec 12, 20152:00 p.m. Sun Dec 13, 2015

Timms Centre, University of Alberta

www.vaganovadancealberta.comvaganovadance@gmail.com

27th Anniversary Gala 27th Anniversary Gala

Participating Schools: Edmonton Dance Factory,

Marr-Mac Dance & Theatre Arts Centre, Salt Lake City Ballet,

SGSDance, Shelley’s Dance Company

2015-16 Board of DirectorsMaria Mitrache Bokor Artistic Director Vasyl Kanevets Artistic DirectorCathy McFarlane PresidentJanice Winter TreasurerMadelaine Lussier SecretaryLiza Houston Casino DirectorAnna Kanavets DirectorNicole Lamarre Director

Dear, Teachers, Parents, Students, Friends and

Everybody who have come along to help

this is the time to say

Thank you to all of you!

TEAcHERs, for your excellence, belief in Ballet technique and dedication

PAreNTS, for your understanding, patience, and support.

sTuDEnTs, for love of dance, hard work, and devotion

FRIEnDs, for your co-operation and love of the Art of Dance

AnD EVERYBODY for everything that has made possible the many achievement of the Vaganova Society over the past 27 years

Phil Sembaliuk for T-shirts Kirsten McCartney of ‘Pigtails & Sandpails Photography’

Sandie Caine – Photographer Gunnar Blodgett – Visual and Sound

With Love And Great Appreciation,

The Vaganova Dance Alberta Society

Happy Holidays!

President’s MessageI would like to welcome you all to the 27th Anniversary Gala of the Vaganova Dance Society. Maria Bokor, the Founder & Artistic Director of the Society has educated many dancers and dance teachers since the birth of the society in 1988. The Society is named after Mme. Vaganova, a famous Russian ballet teacher who created a unique classical ballet technique which unifies and combines the best of the French, Italian, Danish and Russian methods. The aim of the Society has been to train and educate ballet dancers and teachers in this unique, strong & logical technique.

Through the persistence of Maria Bokor in introducing and sharing her knowledge and expertise as a prima ballerina and teacher, we have seen the progress of the student and the standard of ballet rise. As a teacher who has been given this knowledge and to be able to impact the training of young ballet dancers, it has been an incredible and satisfying journey; a journey which has taken patience, re-learning and an appreciation for this logical, methodical and beautiful technique of teaching classical ballet. As President of the Society since 2006, I am grateful that my journey crossed paths with Maria Bokor’s and that I am now able to share my passion and this wonderful knowledge with the next generation of ballet teachers.

A major goal of the Society has been to provide performance opportunities for ballet students at a high- caliber professional level. We feel we have achieved this goal at each Anniversary Gala. Over 75 local dancers will share the stage with 6 invited guest Russian soloists from the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia. These world renowned professional dancers have taken a few days out of their busy rehearsal and performance schedules to attend the Gala performances, presenting many works from a variety of classical ballets. We appreciate their effort to be here and are honored to have them!

Thank-you to the teachers, students and invited guests involved in the Gala and a bouquet of appreciation to the parents, friends and previous board members who have been so supportive and allowed the Society to fulfill its goals and dreams.

Enjoy the Gala!

Cathy McFarlane President, Vaganova Dance Society

Founder & Artistic Director’s messageDear Friends,I have spent most of my life in Ballet – learning, performing, watching, teaching, promoting, adjudicating and creating.

As I look back with pleasure and nostalgia I have thousands of memories from more than a half-century long career.

Before coming to Canada I was a Prima Ballerina with the National Operetta in Bucharest, Romania for twenty years. I received the Order of Arts Chevalier from Romania, a Dame of Grace from the Knights Order of Malta, a Gold Medal from the Ballet Festival in Lithuania and a Romanian Cultural Merit Award. Since 1978 I have been a pioneer in the Canadian Ballet scene, celebrating the Russian style of dancing and teaching created by Madame Agrippina Vaganova.

I believe that the birth and the first twenty seven years of activity of the Vaganova Dance Society were among my highest and most important achievements.

As Ballet Mistress, Choreographer and Artistic Director of this Society, I have organized trips to St. Petersburg, Romania and the U.S. I have invited international artists to perform and teach. Workshops and the training of teachers have been a high priority for me. I have directed performances and Galas in Canada and overseas. All of this was to enrich our students’ understanding of the art of dance as well as raising their cultural awareness and love of performing.

So many fantastic people have been beside me and behind me during all these years – my students, teachers, parent volunteers, dancers, sponsors, wonderful board members, and friends, that I cannot name them all … but I need to mention Richard Wacko, the first President of the Society, now Associate Professor of Dance at the University of Utah.

There are two Edmonton Studio Directors, President Cathy McFarlane of Marr-Mac Dance & Theatre Arts Centre and Treasurer Janice Winter of Edmonton Dance Factory of whom I cannot thank enough for their belief in my work over the past 10 years; for being constantly there and supporting the success of our students in the Vaganova technique. Other very important Vaganova-trained Alberta teachers who were always there when the Society needed them: Katalin Bihari, Valeria Dorokhova, Vasyl and Anna Kanavets and Monika Langer. Under my direction and leadership we adapted the first Vaganova Syllabus for Canadian students. Marr-Mac school became the first school in Edmonton to transition to Vaganova training.

The Vaganova Technique brings the beauty and flow of the upper body strength, which creates magic when mastered, as you will witness tonight with our Russian guest performers. I encourage dancers to seek this magic of the Vaganova ballet technique.

I am proud to recognize tonight the guest soloists from St. Petersburg, Russia and Salt Lake City, USA and our own local performers for sharing their talent at this great show.

To each and every one of you please accept my heartfelt thanks in the language most familiar to me – DANCE – for being part of tonight’s special performance and helping our students live this magical experience.

Maria Mitrache Bokor

Maria Mitrache Bokor

Esmeralda

Les Sylphides Halte de Cavalerie

Don Quixote

Don Quixote

Stars of Russian Ballet Gala ProgramDirected by: Maria Mitrache Bokor

Act I: Don Quixote by Minkus excerptsChoreography: Cathy McFarlane, Christina Breault, Maria Mitrache Bokor (Marr-Mac Dance), Katalin Bihari (SGSDance), Terry Davis (SLC Ballet Children’s Academy)

Tarantella Marr-Mac Dance and Theatre ArtsKarissa Affolder, Zoe Bamber, Anne Beauvais, Olivia Cai, Nia Cherdarchuk, Isabella Contreras-Woelfle, Vada Lewiski, Angelina Malinovic, Isabella Moodley, Abbie Nelson-Dromey, Taylor Zurfluh

Peasant Girls SGSDanceJustine Beghin, Kaylee Fullarton, Sarah Keats, McKayla Kirkpatrick, Eva Kmech, Madison Macaulay, Sydnee Mildenberger, Morgan Murphy, Nadia Tarrabain, Hannah Thibodeau

Kitri’s solo & duet Marr-Mac Dance and Theatre ArtsKitri: Callie Lissinna • Basil: Vincent McFarlane

Jota - Fan Dance Marr-Mac Dance and Theatre ArtsSophie Arab, Michaela Bierman, Joanne Cai, Makala Chaulk, Samantha Choi, Tajrin Faurschou, Emily Grey, Eliza Jackson, Ashley Krehut, Jasmine Lamarre, Amilie Mah, Aliyah Maraj, Chloe Miska, Reed Panchyshyn, Maya Reddy, Pippin Reimnitz, Sophie Richardz, Farista Sairuv, Mana Sakaguchi, Hannah Sawatsky

Waltz Marr-Mac Dance and Theatre ArtsEmma Anderson, Megan Grey, Emily Gwilt, Jasmine Majumdar, Tonya Mayfield, Maya Mehrotra, Athena Michailides, Sarah Miska, Katica Naude, Sydnee Paterson, Katie Prefontaine, Alynne Sinnema, Morgan Stephen, Jules Tkachuk, Hannah Tyrrell

Mercedes & Espada SLC Ballet Children’s AcademyMercedes: Maddy Gardner • Espada: Kyle Cunningham

Spanish Dancers SLC Ballet Children’s AcademyMindy Lasko, Mae Piccone, Abigayle Smith-Hubbard, Alexandra Stroud, Veronica Vigor

Kitri’s Friends Marr-Mac Dance and Theatre ArtsLaura Gillard, Deanna Ketsa, Miya Kreider, Kirsten Kubina, Swanice Luong, Arlyssa Mcarthur, Nicole Pype, Julia Rozeboom

Grand pas de deux (wedding) Marr-Mac Dance and Theatre ArtsKitri: Callie Lissinna • Basil: Vincent McFarlane

Spanish Dancers SLC Ballet Children’s AcademyMaddy Gardner, Mindy Lasko, Mae Piccone, Abigayle Smith-Hubbard, Alexandra Stroud, Veronica Vigor

Don Quixote FinaleDancers of Marr-Mac Dance and Theatre Arts, SGSDance and SLC Ballet

Coppelia with Edmonton Dance Factory

Illusive Ball Guest Russian Professionals: Mikhail Venshchikov and Elvira Khabibullin

La Halte de CavalerieGuest Russian Professionals: Anton Ploom and Anastasia Lomachenkova

Le CorsaireGuest Russian Professionals: Nikolai Korypaev, Mikhail Venshchikov, Andrea Laššáková

Act II: Coppelia by DelibesEdmonton Dance Factory choreography: Teresa Bayrock and Maria Mitrache Bokor

Mazurka Edmonton Dance FactoryKennedy Cikaluk, Jasper Eng, Zoe Gervais, Kaitlyn Hodgins, Cassie Mann, Emily Mann, Elori McFarlane, Logan Mercier, McKenna Mercier, Keira Mu, Estel Quinteros, Andrea Ramos, Sofia Rota, Mackenzie Smith, Alyssa Walter

Valse des heures Edmonton Dance FactoryJessica Caine, Morgan Deeks, Sydney England, Jaelynne Gervais, Amanda Hodgins, Jenaya Irwin, Raegan Ladd, Kaitlin May, Meghan Reinders, Roja Suthaker, Kennedy Tauber, Sophia Weiss

Swanilda’s Waltz Marr-Mac Dance and Theatre ArtsSwanice Luong

Swanilda’s Friends Edmonton Dance FactoryCierrah Houston, Raegan Ladd, Tori Ladd, Rachael Reinders

Czardas – Danse Hongroise Edmonton Dance FactoryJenna Griffith, Trinity Klapstein, Laura Lopez, Lily Monaghan, Natalie Sheloff, Madison Sutton

Black Swan pas de deuxGuest Russian Professionals: Andrea Laššáková and Nikolai Korypaev

ScheherazadeGuest Russian Professionals: Mikhail Venshchikov and Elvira Khabibullina

Don Quixote Guest Russian Professionals: Anton Ploom and Anastasia Lomachenkova.

Don Quixote with Marr-Mac Dance, SGSDance and SLC Ballet

SGSDanceSLC Ballet Children’s Academy

elvira Khabibullina, an Honoured Dancer of Russia, graduated in 1991 from the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, Saint-Petersburg, Russia and began dancing with the Mussorgsky (now Mikhailovsky) State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. Her repertoire includes Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Giselle in Giselle, Esmeralda in Esmeralda, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Sylphide in La Sylphide, Ciderella in Cinderella as well as principal roles in The Nutcracker, Le Corsaire, The Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Laurencia, Nunc Dimittis and Prelude.

Nikolai Korypaev graduated from the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, Saint-Petersburg, Russia in 2005. He performed with the Mikhailovsky Theatre from 2005 to 2014. His repertoire includes Prince Désiré and Bluebird in Sleeping Beauty, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Count Albert in Giselle, Espada in Don Quixote, Solor in La Bayadèr, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake and James in Sylphide, the Prince in Nutcracker and more, including roles in seven of Spanish modern ballet choreographer Nacho Duato’s works. Since August 2014 Mr. Korypaev has performed with the StaatsBallett in Berlin.

Andrea Laššáková graduated in 2011 from the Dance Conservatory of Eva Jaczova in Bratislava and became a demi-soloist in the Slovak National Theatre. As of September 2013 she has been a corp de ballet member of the Finnish National Ballet and in January 2015 she became a soloist in the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. Miss Laššáková has also performed in Hungary, Austria, Italy and the Czech Republic. Her repertoire includes Giselle, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Peer Gynt, Snow Queen, La Bayadère and Corsaire. She is a past medalist at competitions in Vienne, Brno, Bratislava and Varna.

Anastasia Lomachenkova graduated from the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, Saint-Petersburg,

Russia, in 1998. The same year she started working as a soloist in the. Mussorgsky State Academic Opera and

Ballet Theatre. A highlight of her international career is the Gala concert Prima Ballerina Uliana Lopatkina and Stars

of Russian Ballet in Russia, Singapore, Ukraine, Estonia and Latvia. Her awards include a gold medal in the 2008

Rudolf Nureyev International Ballet Competition in Budapest, Hungary. Miss Lomachenkova’s repertoire

includes the roles of Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Kitri in Don Quixote, Raymonda in Raymonda, Giselle in Giselle,

Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and many more.

Anton Ploom graduated in 2001 from the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, Saint-Petersburg, Russia and began dancing with the Mussorgsky (now Mikhailovsky) State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. He performed

in the Gala concert Prima Ballerina Uliana Lopatkina and stars of Russian Ballet in Russia, Singapore, Ukraine,

Estonia and Latvia. Mr. Ploom’s repertoire includes Prince Désiré and Bluebird in Sleeping Beauty, Basil in

Don Quixote, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, the Prince in Cinderella, James in La Sylphide as well as title roles

in Le Corsaire, Raymonda, the Nutcracker, La Fille Mal Gardée, and others. He was the 2007 gold medalist at the

International Ballet Competition in Riety, Italy.

Mikhail Venshchikov graduated in 2001 from the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, Saint-Petersburg,

Russia and joined the Mikhailovsky Ballet Company. He received his Ph.D. in 2012. As a guest principal he danced the roles of Peter (La Halte de cavalerie), Prince

(The Nutcracker), Prince Désiré (The Sleeping Beauty), Gringoire (Esmeralda), and Soloist in The Illusive Ball.

As an assistant choreographer, Mr. Venshchikov participated in the productions of the Vaganova Ballet

Society (Canada) of La Halte de Cavalerie, Don Quixote and Esmeralda. His repertoire includes Swan Lake, Don

Quixote, The Nutcraker, La Bayadére, Giselle, La Sylphide, Le Corsaire,and more. He has taught master classes in the

USA, Chili, Japan, Canada, and France.

Our Guests from St. Petersburg and Berlin