Awards Won By Kirov Academy Students and Alumni at International and National Dance Competitions

Winners of the 2017 World Ballet Competition USA

TOP 10 PRE-PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY (AGE 14-16)

Yerim Lee (South Korea) of Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C.

The Kirov at Youth American Grand Prix

Congratulations to students Cole Chertok ( 3rd Prize - Contemporary Divisions) and Lope Lim (3rd Prize -  Classical Division) on their marvelous performances at this year's Youth American Grand Prix regional competitions

Patty does it again!
Gold AND Silver in Paris!

November 2010 - Patricia Zhou WINNER of GOLD in Ballet and SILVER in Contemporary at Youth America Grand Prix in Paris, France! She is the only dancer in Senior Division who won TWO medals! 

Silver from Beijing !

October 2010 - We are pleased to announce that Kirov Academy of Ballet student Patricia Zhou has won the Silver Medal at the third Beijing International Ballet Invitational for Dance Schools. She competed with more than 100 other participants from dance schools of 17 countries and regions. Kirov Academy of Ballet Artistic Director, Mr. Marat Daukayev, called from Beijing to announce Patricia's award and expressed how proud he and the entire academy are that she was able to represent us so well at such a prestigious event. Special congratulations to Patricia, her family and her teacher, Mme. Ludmila Morkovina. 

A Bronze Medal !

August 2010 - Congratulations to Nayoun Eom for winning the Bronze Medal at the KOREA INTERNATIONAL BALLET COMPETITION. The Kirov Academy of Ballet family is proud of Nayoun's accomplishment. 

Gilbert/Allen place top 12

May 2007 - KAB students Bryn Gilbert (teacher: Akhmedova) and Constantine Allen (teacher: Djouloukhadze) placed top 12 internationally in the 12-14 year old category at the Youth America Ballet Competition in New York. Constantine also won the junior boys Bronze Medal, a full scholarship at the Rock School of Dance, and an invitation to perform at the Children Showcase of the Miami International Ballet Festival in September 2007. 

VARNA GOLD again!

July 2006 - Our student Mathias Dingman has just won the junior men Gold Medal at the 2006 Varna International Ballet Competition. His schoolmate Sasha DeSola tied for the Bronze Medal in the junior women category. Congratulations to both!

Best Couple in Jackson

July 2006 - UBA students Sasha DeSola and Mathias Dingman received the Junior Best Couple Award at the 2006 Jackson International Ballet Competition. From the New York Times review: "The men tended to outdance the women this year... One exception was Sasha DeSola, the 16-year-old winner of the Junior Best Couple Award, with her fellow American Mathias Dingman, who brought an intruiging delicacy to steely bravura dancing in the pas de deux from "flames of Paris"". Two of our alumni also were on the winners' list, the award for best senior couple was given to David Karapetyan and UBA graduate Vanessa Zahorian, and UBA graduate Brooklyn Mack won the Senior Silver Medal! 

Two great awards at the Grand Prix

April 2006 - UBA senior student Mathias Dingman took the Youth America Grand Prix First Place Senior Men's Division Award in New York City this past weekend. Also our own Mr. Anatoli Kucheruk took the “best teacher” award. Congratulations Mr. Kucheruk, and Mathias! 

Dingman wins in Seoul

September 2005 - UBA student Mathias Dingman has won the 1st prize, Junior men division, at the 2nd Seoul International Dance Competition (and UBA graduate Aeri Kim got 2nd prize, Junior women division).

A Gold from Rome

July 2005 - Ian Lindemann has won the Gold Medal at the Premio Roma International Ballet Competition in Rome, Italy.
Ian graduated last year from UBA, and will soon join the Vienna Ballet.

Good news from Kirov Academy of Ballet students in Moscow

June 2005 - Mathias Dingman has been awarded the Bronze Medal, diploma, and title of Laureate, at the 2005 Moscow Ballet Competition. Kenya Nakamura was awarded a diploma. 

Kirov Academy of Ballet students win First, Second, Third prizes at Austria International Competition

April 2004 - Congratulations to our three students who participated in the Fifth OTR Austrian Dance Committee Contest in Vienna, and just came home with the three top awards in their category! Mathias Dingman won the First Prize, Ian Lindeman the Second Prize, and Kenya Nakamura the Third Prize. In addition, Mathias was awarded the Nijinsky Award by an independent committee.

Kirov Academy Students Win Gold Medals At Varna '96

Michele Wiles

Michele Wiles is a graduate of the Kirov Academy's six year professional training program. Michele began competing in jazz and contemporary competitions even before entering the Academy. She has won a First Grand Champion Hall of Fame Title at the 1993 All American Talent Award competition and the title of Teen Miss Dance of America 1995 at the annual Dance Masters convention in New York City in 1994. Michele competed in her first international ballet competition in Nagoya, Japan, in February 1996, and was awarded a bronze medal. Six months later, Michele captured the gold medal for the junior division at the prestigious Varna International Ballet Competition. She now dances professionally with the American Ballet Theater.

Rasta Thomas

Rasta Thomas came to dancing from martial arts. He began studying karate with his father when he was only three years old, and is a five-time Junior National Champion in both karate and tae kwon do. Rasta came to the Kirov Academy in 1991 and has completed the Academy's six year training program. In 1994 he won the prestigious jury prize at the 1994 Paris International Ballet and Contemporary Dance competition. In 1996 Rasta was an honoree at the World Jazz Dance Congress held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and the week before he left for Varna he won the Bill Como Award of Excellence at Rhee Gold's American Dance Awards. At Varna, Rasta was awarded the gold medal for the junior male division and also received the "Youngest Dancer" award. Rasta is the youngest gold medal winner in the competition's history, and he is also the first American male to win a gold medal in the junior division. He went on to win the gold medal again in 1998 at the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi.

Adrienne Canterna

At 17 years old, Adrienne is the recipient of numerous national awards and titles, including the Women's Junior Gold Medal at the prestigious USA International Ballet Competition held in Jackson, Mississippi every four years. She was also the recipient of the "1998 Grishko Award of Excellence in Ballet" the same year. Since that time, Adrienne has become a veteran of both national and international performances. This past year, she was invited to guest nationally at gala and benefit performances in Vail, Boston, Dallas, New York, Pennsylvania, Baltimore, Virginia and Washington D.C. both as a solo artist and with senior Gold medalist and partner, Rasta Thomas. Last year she appeared internationally in the Baltic Ballet Festival in Riga, Latvia and at three gala performances in Japan and Korea. Most recently Adrienne appeared in November 99 as a soloist with the Universal Ballet Company in Seoul, Korea where she danced the role of Gamzatti in their world premiere of La Bayadere. She was invited back in December as a guest solist for "The Nutcracker" where she performed the Snow Adagio and Sugar Plum Fairy pas de deux as the older Clara. This year, Adrienne was named by "Washingtonian Magazine" as one of the 100 people to watch in the year 2000, and presented with citations from the County Council and State Senate of Maryland in recognition of her outstanding achievements in ballet.