Slawomir Woźniak
Artistic Director
Slawomir Woźniak
was born on 2 November 1967. His sisters, Miroslawa
and Jolanta, quickly recognized their brother’s abilities. In 1977-1986, he attended the Poznań ballet school. He gained first stage experience partnering artists of Teatr Wielki in Poznań in the performances of Cinderella. Slawomir Woźniak’s professional debut took place in 1986 at the Wroclaw Opera where he danced the Prince in Cinderella choreographed by Teresa Kujawa.
Wroclaw Opera House Director recognized his talent and invited him to work at that theatre right after school. He was employed there in 1986-1988. It was in Wroclaw that he met his future wife, also a soloist of ballet company of Wroclaw Opera. Their performance in Swan Lake left an unforgettable impression on all those who had a chance to see it. In 1988 he became a soloist and in 1989 the principal dancer of Teatr Wielki in Łódź. His first premiere there was also Cinderella.
Irine Fokine, who prepared the spectacle, invited him to the USA where he appeared in the Nutcracker. On the stage in Łódź, he performed leading parts in classical and modern ballets. Among others, he danced John in Lorca Massine’s Zorba the Greek, the role which gained him the admiration of the audience in Łódź and Warsaw, where he still successfully performs the part. It also brought him the nomination of the French magazine Danse for “Revelation of the Year 1992”. In 1991 he joined the ballet of the National Opera in Warsaw as a first soloist. From 2000 he has been the principal dancer of the company. In Warsaw he performs all leading male parts and also gives guest performances at many theatres in Poland and abroad.
He was a Guest Artist with Bulgarian National
Ballet, Greek National Ballet, Arena Di Verona
Ballet and amny others. In 2000 Slawomir Woźniak
graduated from the Ballet Pedagogy at the Frederic
Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw. For many years he has conducted dance courses for young Americans during the Summer Camps. Together with
his American partner Kathleen Arcierci, he won a bronze medal at the Third International Ballet Competition in New York in 1990.
In 1993 Mr. Wozniak won a bronze medal at the First
International Ballet Competition in Nagoya, Japan.
Mr.Wozniak for few years was also a Jury Member for
Polish International Ballet Competition in Gdansk,
Poland
For last several years he also have created many
choreographies for Ballet, Opera and Drama theatres.
His choreographic works include:
"Only
Love..." Polish National Ballet, Warsaw, Poland -
2002
"Comix-Comedy"
Polish National Ballet, Warsaw, Poland - 2005
"The
Nutcracker" full production for Poznan Opera House,
Poland - 2006 and Ballet&Friends in Phoenix, AZ -
2007
"Peacock
and the Maiden" Poznan Opera House, Poland - 2007
"Copellia"
Poznan Opera House, Poland -2009
and many more.
Irena Woźniak
Ballet Mistress
Irena Woźniak
has recently joined Ballet & Friends in 2007 as Ballet Mistress after retirement from a successful career as a soloist with the Warsaw National Opera House in Poland.
She started her ballet training at age eleven in Gdansk, Poland at the State Ballet School. Irena graduated with high honors after performing and touring in many concerts and galas throughout France and Spain. After graduation Irena received the position as Soloist at the Wroclaw Opera House in Poland. It was there that she met Slawomir Woźniak as they performed main roles together such as Cinderella, Swan Lake, and Giselle.
In 1988 Irena joined the Wielki Theatre in Lodz, Poland along side Slawomir where they both performed in all of the companies Repertoires and Tours throughout Europe. Her repertoire includes soloist and principal roles in Sheherezade and Gershwin’s Night while touring throughout Germany and Belgium. In 1991 Irena joined the Warsaw National Opera House until her recent retirement this last year. Irena is married to Slawomir Woźniak, Artistic Director for Ballet & Friends and they have two sons Slawomir Jr. and Michael. Slawomir and Irena own and operate Master Ballet Academy in Phoenix where she teaches her love and passion for ballet to her many students.
Olga Tarasova
Teaches: Ballet Technique,
Pointe and Variations classes
Ms.Tarasova was born in Vladivostok (Far East Russia)
and received her ballet education from
Voronezh State Academic Opera and Ballet School. After
graduation she was invited to dance with the
Krasnoyarsky Academic Opera and Ballet Theater
(Russia) where she performed many solo and leading
roles in a large number of well-known ballets such as
“Swan Lake,” “Giselle,” “Bayadere,” “Spartacus,”
”Notre Dame de Paris,” etc. While with Krasnoyarsky,
Ms. Tarasova continued her studies by taking extensive
instruction under world-renowned dancers and teachers
from both the Kirov and Bolshoi Ballet Companies.In
1986, Ms. Tarasova was invited to join the Kiev
Theater of Classical Ballet in the Ukraine. Her
repertoire included “Romeo and Juliet,” “The
Nutcracker,” “Thumbelina,” “Harlinquinade,” etc. She
toured throughout Russia and Europe performing in
Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Bulgaria,
Switzerland, Italy and France.In 1995, Ms. Tarasova
was invited to dance in the United States, bringing
her unique style to the American audience.In
1998, Ms. Tarasova transitioned from a vast
performance career to a full-time teaching career. She
has taught at both Brigham Young University and Boise
State University as a guest teacher.Ms. Tarasova is an
expert in the pedagogy of the Vaganova style of
classical ballet technique. A masterful instructor,
she teaches Ballet Technique, Pointe, and has staged
many variations from Classical Ballet repertoire. Ms.
Tarasova is inspiring, quietly commanding, polite and
thoughtful: a truly world class
artist.
Paola Hartley
Teaches: Ballet Technique, Pointe
Mrs.Paola
came to Ballet Arizona from Ballet de Santiago (Chile) in 1998. Since then she has originated featured roles in Ib Andersen’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Hermia), Amoroso, Indigo Rhapsody, Brandenburg Concerti, Preludes and Fugues, and Play. She has also been cast in principal roles in Don Quixote (Kitri), Giselle (Giselle, Myrtha), Swan Lake (Odette, Odile), Coppélia (Swanilda), Romeo and Juliet (Juliet), La Sylphide (the Sylph), and The Nutcracker.
Paola has performed featured roles in several George Balanchine ballets, including Agon, Allegro Brillante, Apollo, Concerto Barocco, Divertimento No. 15, Duo Concertant, Serenade, Theme and Variations, “Rubies” from Jewels, and The Four Temperaments. Paola’s modern repertoire includes HellBlondeGroove, Land’s Edge, Opus Cactus, Paul Taylor’s Company B, Julia Adam’s Before, Twyla Tharp’s Sinatra Suite and The Golden Section, and Ave Maria, Scarlet Symphony, and Skinny Puzzle, all by Dwight Rhoden.
In 2006, Paola and Astrit Zejnati were invited to represent Ballet Arizona in the Miami International Dance Festival. In the summer of 2008, Paola was featured in North Carolina’s Manteo Summer Festival, as an alumna of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Nadiya Kovtun
Ballet and Character Teacher
Nadiya
Kovtun started in Voronezh, Russia, and after
graduating danced solo and principal roles with several
professional ballet companies in Russia. She also
graduated from The Leningrad Rimsky-Korsakov
Conservatory with a Masters Degree, achieving the title
of Ballet Mistress for her five years of study. This
university was founded in 1862 and is Russia's oldest
Performing Arts institution of higher education. Ms.
Kovtun's skills were recognized by the Vagonova Ballet
Academy in St. Petersberg, which awarded her the degree
of Professor of Classical Ballet. She also completed all
courses in new classical ballet methods of teaching at
this prestigious Russian ballet Academy.She served as an
Assistant Ballet Mistress for the Mussorgsky Opera and
Ballet State Theatre in St. Petersburg as well as
the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Voronezh and Musical
Theatre For the Children of Kiev. Ms. Kovtun taught
company classes and conducted rehearsals of classical
ballet repertoire such as The Nutcracker,Swan Lake and Coppelia.
Her professional teaching experience includes Voronezh,
Russia; St. Petersburg, Russia; Kiev, Ukraine, and Miami
Florida.
Kevin Jenkins
Jazz,
Contemporary teacher
Kevin Jenkins has
performed with numerous choreographers and companies
including ballroom expert Mary Murphy, Butterworth Dance
Company, Mirable Ballet, and San Diego Dance Theatre. He
appeared on television with San Diego Dance Theatre,
Alpha Omega, The Dance Conservatory, and in a nationally
televised Allstate commercial. In 2006 Mr. Jenkins
created The Garage, a contemporary ballet company, where
he has choreographed and produced shows and films in
collaboration with co-founder Ryan Beck. Mr. Jenkins
also teaches for School of
Ballet Arizona and Arizona School for the Arts. His last
choreography work was presented by Convergence Ballet in
August 2011 at Mesa Center for Performing Arts.
Martin Naugle
Jazz, Contemporary teacher
Martin Naugle began dancing at the age of 16 with
Cactus Shadows High School's Falcon Dance Company.
While in high school he received the Creative Dance
Artist Award and the Cave Creek Film and Arts
Festival Junior Award for Dance and Choreography. With
this success, Martin had discovered his love and passion
for dance. This led him to expand his dance experience
beyond high school to begin training under well known
artists and teachers. After graduating from high school
Martin was accepted into Arizona State University's
Dance Program where he continued to expand upon his
movement vocabulary by exploring post-modern
contemporary dance. He is now joining us as our new
Contemporary, Jazz and Jazz technique teacher. He will
also be teaching a Modern Fusion Class where he will
attempt to achieve the ideals of why dancers move and
instill those ideals into his dancers and students
through the use of musicality and improvisation.
Astrit Zejnati
Guest Instructor
Mr.
Astrit
received his training from the National School of Albania and the University of Oklahoma, and has been a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Albania, Miami City Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. He has received several awards, including the Gold Medal in the 1994 Eastern European Ballet Competition in Kazanluk, Bulgaria, and first prize in Albania’s 1995 National Ballet Competition. In 1998, Astrit was a finalist in the Paris International Ballet Competition. His repertoire includes many of his favorite ballets: Lynne Taylor Corbett's Ballad of You & Me, and Mercury. Donald Byrd's Subtext Rage, Capricious Night, and Seven Deadly Sins. Hans Van Manen's Five Tangos, Swan Lake, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Esmeralda, Cinderella, Lambarena, Nacho Duato's Rassemblement, and George Balanchine's Agon, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Apollo and Theme and Variations. Since joining Ballet Arizona in 2003 Astrit has originated principal roles in Ib Andersen's Go With It!, Coppélia, Mosaik, and Play; and danced principal roles in La Sylphide; Ib Andersen's Romeo and Juliet and The Nutcracker, Twyla Tharp's Sinatra Suite, and Dwight Rhoden's Ave Maria.
Astrit
has made international appearances with National Ballet
of Croatia and Jorgen Ballet of Canada.