VICTORIA MIRONOVA, M. Ed., Artistic Director

Victoria Mironova (Evdokimova), M. Ed. – Russian ballerina, instructor of ballet, choreographer, a teacher of the highest qualification, the founder of Victoria Ballet Academy. In 1977, she graduated from the Academy of Russian Ballet of St. Petersburg named after Vaganova with a diploma of a ballet dancer (Ballet Artist) and upgraded her skills to a Principal Dancer at the one year master-class of the People’s Artist of the USSR Natalia Dudinskaya. Victoria has 21 years of professional dance experience. In 1995, after 5 years of university studies, she graduated from the Pedagogy (Teachers) Department of the Vaganova Academy majoring in teaching choreographic disciplines (Vaganova syllabus) and choreography. Since 1991, she has taught classical ballet, character and historic dances in Russia and Canada. She teaches in English, French and Russian languages. Presently, she is the Artistic Director, Teacher and Choreographer of the Victoria Ballet Academy.

Victoria‘s photo album

The Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia has given the world the brightest stars in the history of ballet: Anna Pavlova, Vaslav Nezhinski, Galina Ulanova, Nataliya Dudinskaya, Rudolf Nureev, Mikhail Baryshnikov and others.

The Victoria Ballet Academy not only seeks to maintain and improve the quality of ballet, but also brings excitement to all its students. Your children will learn to develop self-confidence, posture, coordination, listening skills and the discipline required to excel in every aspect of the life. The caliber of teaching at this academy will enhance your child‘s potential and grace.

About ballet, theatre and school (by Victoria Mironova on the grand opening of the Academy)

Today, when I open the doors of my school, I want to introduce myself to my future students, their parents and tell a little bit about ballet, theatre and about myself.

I was born in Germany to the family of a military doctor. Neither my mother, nor my father had anything to do with ballet, but when my family moved to St. Petersburg, Russia, my mother, influenced by the fashion of the capital of ballet, took me to choreography classes.

My first teacher was a former dancer of the Imperial Theatre. Although she was about 80 years old at that time, she was still a very strong, cheerful and strict lady. I have to admit that she never had to be strict with me for I was a disciplined and hard-working student.

A year had passed when my teacher invited my mother into her office and said: “Your daughter is very gifted. You should take her to the Academy of Ballet.” It didn‘t take long for my mother to take me by the hand and take me there. By the age of 11, I passed the competitive examination, where 600 people were all competing coveted position of being enrolled into the Academy of Russian Ballet, along with 16 other talented girls.

And then - eight years of hard but delightful work, and simetimes taking parts in performances in the Mariinsky (former Kirov) Theatre, where we had a rare opportunity to observe the performances of stars of ballet. It took our breath away to watch such stars as Irina Kolpakova and Mikhail Baryshnikov in “The Sleeping Beauty”, to try to be closer to the artists, to touch a dress of a ballerina. It was hard to believe that they were people just like us, because it seemed to us that they had just come down from heaven. We could see their sweat and felt their heavy breathing after every dance, but we understood: “to be a ballet dancer is so hard, but so wonderful!” We would give up anything in order to become so beautiful, light and out-of-reach, just like deities.

Eight years had passed like one day. (Everyday classes of classic ballet, choreography, music, history of ballet and the world of dance.)

Also, we were not excused from academic courses such as physics, math, history and languages, even though at that time they seemed useless and boring. Later, we understood how lucky we were as students of the Academy of Russian Ballet, and what a good education we had received behind the walls of this excellent and acclaimed school.

So, by the age of 18-19 we took a step into a mature life called The Theatre of Opera and Ballet. The 21 years spent in the professional theatre in St. Petersburg was a remarkable time filled with hard labor, interesting roles and unforgettable tours all around the world. However, the professional life of a ballet artist is really short (about 20 years). I had to return to the school desk, this time as a student of the Pedagogy faculty.

Five more years of learning and then, probably the most interesting for me, teaching. I began to teach little, fragile and talented girls the art of ballet. With them I waited in anticipation for their examinations, for it is known that every year the school excludes a lot of children and only the best of them stay.

Today, my girls are studying in the pre-graduating classes of the Academy of Russian Ballet and very soon they are going to be true artists of ballet and maybe even stars. And now they call me here, in Canada, and tell me all about their success and new roles, delights and problems; and I feel very pleased that they have not forgotten their first ballet teacher. The relationship of teacher-to-student is very essential to me for I always remember and adore my pedagogues (I was very fortunate to work with such talent). I was a student of famous Russian and worldly known artists of ballet Natalia Dudinskaya and Konstantin Sergeev. They are the people who have had a significant impact on 20th culture.

For instance, in 1995 Natalia Dudinskaya was awarded in the USA with the honor of “Outstanding Woman of 20th century”. She was a favorite student of Agrippina Vaganova , who has given a name to our school, and of course, an accurate guardian of the tradition of her famous teacher. Those traditions were passed by her to us, her students, and now we share our knowledge with our students. Of course, it is very honorable and takes a lot of responsibility to be a student of such a famed ballerina.

Still, I feel the same and astonishment when I think about my “non-celebrity”, but absolutely amazing teachers: Irina Trofimova, Eleonora Kokorina, Bella Ozhegova, Nikolai Konishev and many others. They have not only given me a profession, but also taught me to be disciplined, hard working, serious and responsible to the chosen occupation.

They trained me to be patient and righteousness—all the qualities that I am trying to teach my students. Here, in Canada I work in schools of ballet, teach in the clubs of rhythmic gymnastic and figure skating. I feel very delighted that the profession that I love so much is needed in this wonderful country, too.

I have many students. So many, that came up with the idea of opening my own school. I want to arise my “own” children, give them the fullest ballet development, to “show and to tell” that ballet is a noble art. I really want to see my students dancing on the best stages of the world. I wish that my students would acquire my rich experience, pick up my knowledge and pass it on to the next generation of artists of ballet. That‘s why today I say: “Welcome to Victoria Ballet Academy”.

Victoria Mironova (Evdokimova), April 5, 2003

ELENA DMITRIEVA, M. Ed.

Elena Dmitrieva, M. Ed. – Russian ballerina, instructor of ballet, choreographer, a teacher of the highest qualification. In 1978, she graduated from the Academy of Russian Ballet named after Vaganova in St. Petersburg, Russia with a diploma of a ballet dancer and practiced for one year at the master-class of the People’s Artist of the USSR Natalya M. Dudinskaya. She has 25 years of professional dance experience. In 2001, after 5 year of university studies, she graduated from the Pedagogy (Teachers’) Department of the Vaganova Academy majoring in teaching choreographic disciplines (Vaganova syllabus) and choreography. Since then, she has taught ballet, character and historic dances in Russia, Japan and Canada. She has been awarded in Japan for creation of a new ballet work-out program for adults. She teaches in English, French, Russian and Japanese languages. Presently, she is a Teacher and Choreographer of Victoria Ballet Academy, principal instructor of Character and Historic dances and Ballet for Adults. Helen‘s photo album