makes her debut in Western US and Canada as Juliet in Moscow Ballet's Romeo and Juliet performing in over 30 cities. She made her US debut on the 2010 Eastern tour to critical acclaim, "Brimful with feeling," NY Times and "Exuded the essence of delicacy," Charleston Today. Elagina hails from Kazan, the sixth largest city in Russia, the "third capital of Russia." She graduated from the Kazan Ballet Academy in 2006. Immediately after graduation she was accepted as a soloist to Tatar's Jalil State Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet which is considered to be home to one of the best troupes performing in Russia today. Elagina made her performing debut as the Fairy of Tenderness in Sleeping Beauty. Her roles and repertory include Fairy, Blue Bird and Cat in Sleeping Beauty; Snow White in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs; Masha, Doll and pas de trois in the Nutcracker; trio from La Corsaire; pas de trois and Little Swan in Swan Lake; Nikia, pas de trois, and pas d'action in La Bayadere; Phrygia in Spartacus; Solveig in Peer Gynt; Suimbike in Shurale and others. Elagina has toured France, Germany, Switzerland, Holland and the US.
is a Laureate of the 2009 International Ballet Competitions (IBC) in Moscow and hails from Chisinau, the capitol of Moldova, a republic of the former Soviet Union. He debuts as Romeo in 2011 and danced the role of Nutcracker Prince, on the 2010 Eastern tour of the Great Russian Nutcracker tour, to critical acclaim. "Masha and the Prince… a handsome pair of principal dancers," iionarts.com DC, "Elagina and Ustimov…partnered beautifully and executed their solos with aristocratic finesse" Cleveland Plain Dealer, and "When performed by masters like these, ballet seems effortless, elegant, and easy" Twin Cities Daily Planet. Ustimov graduated with honors from the State Academic Choreographic School of Moldova in 2001, and has been principal artist with the State Theater of Opera and Ballet of Moldova since 2000. At just 28 years old, Ustimov is the consummate male Russian dancer boasting high leaps and great strength. His significant ballet repertoire includes Siegfried in Swan Lake, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, the Bluebird pas de deux in Sleeping Beauty, Albrecht in Giselle, and more. He, and wife Ekaterina, have been in Moscow Ballet productions since 2009.
is an honored Laureate of the International Ballet Competition (IBC) Romania, 1996; Grigorovich IBC 2000; Danovsky IBC, and the Diagelev Prize. Born just outside of Moscow, he was 1 of 3 children selected, out of 360 auditioning, to attend the preeminent Bolshoi Academic Choreographic College, the Bolshoi School, in Moscow. He went on to study at the Chisinau Choreographic College and was immediately asked to join the Chisinau State Opera and Ballet Theatre where he later became Artistic Director. Called to military duty as an anti-aircraft gunner and tanker, he returned after a year of military service, to dance the archytypal Soviet Prince in leading roles including Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, Spartacus and more. He danced with the prima ballerinas of the day including Lyudmila Semenyaka, Nina Semizorova, Alyona Zaitseva, and Maria Polydova and was the lead danseur in the premiere of Yuri Grigorovich' Nutcracker and Carmen Suite as well as in Carmen choreographed by internationally acclaimed, Moldovan Radu Poklitaru. He graduated from the Academy of Music, Theater and Fine Arts in 2003 and became joined Moscow Ballet in 2004 while continuing to dance leading roles. Moscow Ballet is proud to announce Andre Litvinov as Ballet Master for the 2011 East and West tours.
In 2011 Moscow Ballet premieres this classic love story with all new choreography, set to Tchaikovsky's incomparable score, to audiences across the U.S. and Canada. Moscow Ballet principal dancers Alexandra Elagina and Anatolie Ustimov are praised by the press:" (Elagina) ….seems brimful with feeling" Alastair Macaulay NY Times; "Elagina and Ustimov…partnered beautifully" Donald Rosenberg Cleveland Plain Dealer; "When performed by masters like these, ballet seems effortless, elegant, and easy." Twin Cities Daily Planet. They portray the quintessential lovers with youthful charm, emotional depth and masterful technique. Ballet Master Andre Litvinov staged the new production drawing from his experiences dancing for classicist Yuri Grigorovich and modernist Radu Poliktaru. The Ballet begins with feuding between the Capulets and the Montagues. Romeo Montague crashes a party at the Capulet house where he meets Juliet Capulet and falls instantly in love with her. On the balcony at night's end, the two proclaim their eternal love. Hoping to put an end to the family feud, Friar Lawrence secretly marries the couple. Later, Juliet's cousin Tybalt kills Romeo's friend Mercutio in a fight. A distraught Romeo kills Tybalt in a fit of revenge, and is sent into exile. Juliet turns to Friar Lawrence for help and he devises a plan: Juliet is to drink a sleeping potion to make her appear dead. When she is buried in the family tomb, Friar Lawrence will tell Romeo the truth and he will rescue her. The news of Juliet's death reaches Romeo, but Friar Lawrence' message does not. Believing Juliet dead, Romeo goes to her, drinks a poison and dies. When Juliet awakens, she sees her love dead and kills herself.
Akiva Talmi Presents Inc. is known for its annual, touring Great Russian Nutcracker and full-length productions of the classic story-ballets; Swan Lake, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and others by the Moscow Ballet. Created by award-winning Juilliard alumnus, composer/conductor and theatrical producer, Akiva Talmi, the organization evolved out of Talmi's all-star Russian "Glasnost Festival Tour" (1986-92). The Great Russian Nutcracker made its debut in 1993 and was directed and choreographed by soloist Stanislav Vlasov of the famous Bolshoi Theater. In 1994, the Moscow State Theatre of Natalia Sats and the theatre's full orchestra joined Moscow Ballet to expand the company to an 88-artist tour which was billed as the "19th Century Classical Nutcracker." In 2003, Anatoly Emelianov, then an upstart choreographer and winner of the Diagelev award, restaged the Great Russian Nutcracker to critical acclaim. Moscow Ballet productions continue to feature award-winning principals and top graduates of Perm, Vaganova, Moscow State Academic Choreographic and Kiev schools.
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