Yuri Nikitenko (Artistic Director)
Born in Ust-Kamenogorsk, U.S.S.R (now Kazakhstan), he graduated from the A. V. Seleznev Choreographic Institute,
Alma-Ata, with honors in 1985. After graduation, he performed as a principal dancer with the Alma-Ata Theatre of Opera
and Ballet, the Dnepropetrovsk Theatre of Opera and Ballet, the Chelyabinsk Theatre of Opera and Ballet, and the
Yekaterinburg “Pirouette” Ballet Theatre. He was also a founding member of Ballet Plus, the renowned ballet company of
Yekaterinburg, Russia, where he expanded his classical repertoire to include works by contemporary choreographers like
Roland Petit, Jerry Bevington, and Alla Sigalova. In 1992, Yuri was a finalist at the Arabesque International Ballet
Competition held in Perm, Russia. He was also nominated for one of Russia’s highest awards for performing artists,
Honored Artist of Russia. Yuri taught ballet at the Sverdlovsk University of Dramatic Arts prior to coming to the U.S. He
has performed principal roles in much of the classical repertoire, staged ballets for professional companies and students
alike, and prepared students for major ballet competitions such as Youth America Grand Prix. (Placed Top-12 regionally
in 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011) In demand for his expertise as a teacher, he has guest taught at professional
ballet schools throughout Virginia, Maryland, and D.C. As a choreographer, he has created ballets such as Strauss
Spectacular, Peter and the Wolf, and Counterpointe in addition to smaller works. He has also staged classical works like La
Bayadere, Don Quixote, Giselle, Swan Lake, Coppelia, Paquita, The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker. Yuri was most
recently featured in Northern Virginia Magazine's December 2007 issue. ("A Dream Long Pas Deux: Russian Ballet
Dancers Find Their Ideal Stage in America", p. 99)
Jasmine Nikitenko (Artistic Director)
A Manassas native, she received her early ballet training from Ricardo Moreira and Vycheslav Mesropov. She was
accepted to the summer intensives of the Joffery Ballet School, Richmond Ballet School, and the Washington Ballet School
in 1994 and chose to attend the latter. In 1996, she was offered a coveted place at the Virginia Governor’s School of Visual
and Performing Arts. As a professional dancer around the D.C. Metropolitan area, she studied with ballet masters D.
Tuboltsev, I. Stabrova, I. Sapotko, A. Saburov, and her husband, Y. Nikitenko while performing classical and character
soloist roles in ballets like Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadere, and The Nutcracker, among others. She has
also staged excerpts from classical ballets such as Swan Lake, Coppelia, and The Sleeping Beauty. First recognized by her
mentor, V. Mesropov, as a talented pedagogue and ballet mistress, Jasmine has taught at professional schools throughout
Virginia and Maryland and is also on the faculty of Loudoun County Public School's Summer in the Arts Program. Jasmine
received her BA in History from George Mason University in 2006 where her thesis on Agrippina Vaganova's impact on
the revolution of Russian ballet (Krasnaya Terpsikhora) was submitted by Professor Rex Wade to the Southern
Conference of Slavic Studies for its Undergraduate Award. She has been accepted to GMU's Masters' Program and will
pursue an MA in History
Evelyn Fry
Hailing originally from Woodbridge, Evelyn is a 2007 graduate of Virginia Intermont College with a BFA in Dance
(specializing in ballet, modern, and jazz) and is also a former student of Y. Nikitenko. Evelyn has taught all levels of ballet,
jazz, lyrical, modern, and tap in Northern Virginia since 2004 and most recently in Giles County, Virginia. She was the
Director of "Nebula" in Blacksburg, a preschool program that taught ballet, tumbling, and jazz to young children in daycare
environments.
Sarah Gosselin
A "graduated" student of Yuri & Jasmine Nikitenko, Sarah is a graduate of James Madison University with a BA in Dance
and a concentration in Physical Therapy. At JMU, she was a member of the Virginia Repertory Dance Company and the
Contemporary Dance Ensemble. As a member, she worked with many guest artists including Washington, D.C. and New
York choreographers Meisha Bosma and Monica Bill Barnes. Sarah also has attended The Pulse Intensive where she
worked with "So You Think You Can Dance?" choreographers Mia Michaels and Wade Robson. Her choreographic works
have been showcased in the JMU Dance Department's public concerts and in the Contemporary Dance Ensemble's
mainstage productions. Sarah is currently a member of the Pro Ekoh Dance Company. She is also a Doctor of Physical
Therapy,
Megan McIntyre
A member of ARB's class of 2009, Megan has trained with Y. and J. Nikitenko since 2002. She was a semi-finalist at Youth
America Grand Prix in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and was invited to attend the YAGP NYC intensive workshop in 2008 and
2009. Her performing repertoire includes soloist roles in The Nutcracker, Paquita, Don Quixote, La Bayadere, Grand Pas
Classique as well as contemporary choreography. She has apprentice taught ballet, tap, and jazz at ARB since 2006. She is
in the Physical Therapy Doctorate program at Shenandoah University.
Chelsea Donaldson
Biography Coming soon! Chelsea will join the ARB faculty in December, 2011 upon graduation from University of South
Florida.
Lorena Shipp
Biography coming soon!
Assistant Instructors
Caiti Lively
Kelsey McIntyre
Maggie Patterson
Madeline Skaggs
Guest Master Instructors
Alisher Saburov Bat Erdene Udval
Igor Sapotko Evgenia Singur
Regina Bogomolova Ivan Korneev
Vadim Bogomolov Sarah Skaggs
Staff
Yuri Nikitenko, Artistic Director
Jasmine Nikitenko, Artistic Director
Jennifer Skaggs, Assistant to the Directors
Kelly Muzzin, Reception Assistant/Press Liason
Jean Walker-White, Costume Mistress
Milton Shomo, Technical Director
Russ Keating, Technical Assistant
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BalletNikitenko ©
WebMaster
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Artistic Faculty & Staff
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