School Teachers

Natalia Kremen

School Founder & Ballet Teacher

Born in Moscow, Natalia started training at the age of ten with the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow. Later she moved to Leonid Lavrovsky’s Ballet Academy; there she was trained by Galina Krapivina (People’s Artist of USSR) and Nina Sorokina (People’s Artist ofUSSR).

After graduation in 2002 was invited by Artistic Director Dmitry Briantcev to join the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Ballet Theater.

While in the company Natalia danced many soloist roles in ballets such as Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Giselle, La Dame aux Camellias, Snow Maiden and La Fille mal gardee. Natalia has created roles in Dmitry Briantcev’s choreography.

In 2004 Natalia entered the Moscow Federal State Educational Institution of Higher Professional and Postgraduate Education “Russian Academy of Dramatic Art – GITIS” and graduated in 2009 with the qualification TEACHER BALLET MISTRESS in the speciality “BALLET PEDAGOGY”.

In 2006 Natalia was invited by Wayne Eagling to join English National Ballet.

Miss Kremen has performed in a numerous gala evenings in Brazil, Dominican Republic, France and Italy, including “Nights with Tamara Rojo and Friends” in Spain.

Anton Lukovkin

Guest Teacher

Born in St. Petersburg, Anton Lukovkin trained at the Vaganova Ballet Academy and graduated into the Mariinsky Ballet. In 2007 he joined English National Ballet and danced with the company for nearly ten years. In 2004 he was nominated for the Benois de la Danse Awards in Moscow and in 2011 he won the English National Ballet People’s Choice Award. His roles include Albrecht (Giselle), Le Jeune Homme et la Mort (Roland Petitt), Poet (Les Sylphides), Le Spectre de la Rose, Petrushka, L’Après-midi d’un Faune, Mercutio and many others.

He has worked with several leading world choreographers, including John Neumeier, William Forsythe, Russell Maliphant, Akram Khan, David Dawson and Alexei Ratmansky. He appears in several films of the Mariinsky Ballet and played Erik Bruhn in the BBC drama “Margot”. He was recently working as an assistant opera director at the Dutch National Opera and the Opéra Bastille in Paris. In November 2017 performed in Men in Motion at the London Coliseum.

Natalia Nemytkina

Teacher

Natasha was born in Samara, Russia. She trained at Samara Central Choreography school for 10 years, graduating in 2005.

After graduating she began working with The Samara Academical Theatre of Opera and Ballet, where She performed in numerous ballets including Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Bayadere, Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Beatles Forever, Carmina Burana, Francesca da Rimini, Carmen and many others. Natasha has also toured with The Amosov and Melikov group in Guatemala, China, Holland, Germany, Austria, Italy and the United Kingdom.

In 2006 she entered the Academy of Social Arts in Moscow, graduating in 2011 with Diploma – Pedagogue, Ballet Master.

Natalia Shchelokova

Guest Teacher

Natalia Shchelokova was born in Moscow and trained at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography (Bolshoi Ballet Academy) from age 10. She was taught by some of the best ballet teachers of the Soviet Union including one of Agrippina Vaganova’s disciples, Nabilya Valitova.

After graduating from the Voronezh State Ballet Institute in 1990, Natalia joined Moscow Festival Ballet company. Her first international tour was to the United Kingdom. In 1992 she was invited to join Moscow City Ballet, with Clara in The Nutcracker being her first role. Natalia was quickly adding new solo and leading parts to her repertoire and was promoted to the principal position within just three years.

In 1997 Natalia won the Diploma of Moscow International Ballet Competition.

In the year 2000, Natalia attained first degree with honours from the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS) and qualified as Ballet Master/Choreographer in methodology of teaching ballet.

Later, that same year, she joined Stanislavsky ballet as leading soloist, performing principal roles.

In 2012 she graduated from the Royal Academy of Dance with PDTD and has RAD RTS status.

Roberta Marquez

Teacher

Roberta Marquez was born in Brazil and trained at the Maria Olenewa State Dance School, taught by local teachers and guest teachers from the Kirov Ballet. In 1994 she joined the Municipal Theatre Ballet and was promoted to Principal in 2002. Roles with the company included Odette/Odile (Swan Lake), Swanilda (Coppélia) and Giselle. Guest appearances from this time included dancing as Nikiya with American Ballet Theatre.

She is a former Principal of The Royal Ballet. She joined the Company as a Principal in 2004 and left in 2015. Her Royal Ballet repertory included Nikiya (La Bayadère), Lise (La Fille mal gardée), Sugar Plum Fairy (The Nutcracker), Juliet, Tatiana (Onegin) and the Firebird. She returns in the 2016/17 Season as a Guest Artist.

Marquez’s many prizes include Best Dancer of the Year at the 2001 Rio de Janeiro Dance Awards and silver medal and best couple (with Royal Ballet Principal Thiago Soares) at the 2001 Moscow International Ballet Competition. In spring 2013 she participated in a Royal Opera House project to forge new links with Brazil through performance, education work and skills training.

Olga Barykina

Teacher

Olga was born in Moscow where she started her ballet training in the Bolshoi Ballet Academy at the age of nine. She continued her education in Perm State Choreography College and later graduated as a professional ballet dancer in 2001 from Nesterova University Choreography College in Moscow.

Afterwards, Olga was invited to join Moscow Classical Ballet Company. While being with the company she danced in many classical ballets such as Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Spartacus, Romeo and Juliette, Cinderella.

In 2009 Olga had received Master Degree in “Ballet Pedagogy” in the class of Anatoly Borzov and continued her career as a classical ballet teacher.

Olga has extensive experience gained while teaching in various Moscow, London and Tokyo professional dancing schools.

Joshua Ecob

Teacher

Born in Nottingham, Joshua began his training locally. In 2007 he was offered a palace to train vocationally under the direction of Kate Simmons at KS Dance. Graduating with a National Diploma in Professional Dance, and an FDI teaching qualification In Cecchetti Classical Ballet.

Upon graduation he joined the Serbian National Theatre Ballet, under the direction of Olivera Crnjanski, dancing corps de ballet and soloist roles, in a wide classical repertoire.

He moved on to the Serbian National Ballet in Belgrade,under the direction of Bruce Steivel, dancing repertoire including works by Balanchine, Vasilliev, Kilian, Petipa and more.

After his time in Belgrade he went on to dance for Bosnian National Ballet under the direction of Edina Papo, dancing a wide classical and neoclassical repertoire.

Joshua returned home to the UK in 2014 and joined London Contemporary Ballet Theatre. Dancing new choreographic works in the UK and abroad.

Over the past 4 years Joshua has taught extensively both at home in the UK and internationally. He is currently one of the ballet masters and choreographers at Midland Theatre Ballet, Belfast Theatre Ballet and Southwest Theatre Ballet. He is frequently a vocational guest teacher internationally as well as across the UK.

Angela Venturini

Teacher

Born in Italy, Angela graduated in Art and Entertainment Management at Cà Foscari University of Venice and trained in various private dance schools in Italy as improving abroad (Holland, Switzerland, USA, UK, Israel) before joining in September 2017 the London Contemporary Dance School, as a Master Student, supported by Fund of Excellence Scholarship thanks to The Leverhulme Trust. Angela has danced for Hamlyn Ballet Junior Company in Florence, La Biennale Teatro di Venezia, La Biennale Danza di Venezia, Teatro Sociale di Mantova, La Piccionaia - stable innovation's theater, Iuvenis Danza, Umanoove/Didy Veldman and indipendent collaborations with artists of different backgrounds as freelancer.

As a teacher in the last three years in vocational schools, she took part to the Teachers' Seminars held in Accademia Teatro alla Scala in Milan. She is a Teaching Assistant for CAT- The Place, assisting artists from Candoco Dance Company, Rambert Dance Company, Neon Dance and others. During the summer 2018, she works as a staff member of Hofesh Dance Company for the East Wall Production at the Tower of London.

She is a Counsellor, trained at the IMR Counselling Triennial School - Italian Medical Research, with Dr. Roberto Gilardi; and hatha yoga and postural teacher.

Her other great passion is photography.

Nathalia Barbara

Teacher

BA Physical Education (1986) Dance Diploma (1987); RAD Teacher Certificate (1993) QTLS (2012)

Brazilian-born Nathalia Barbara has taught dance for more than 30 years, her classical training was based on theVaganova system and Cecchetti method.

Before becoming a teacher, she toured with Ballet Metropolitano de São Paulo and Grupo Uirapuru, performing in many classical, neo-classical and contemporary ballets. She has held positions as Head of Teachers Training Program (1994-98) and Artistic Director of the Ballet Program (1991-98) in São Paulo; in Canada she was co-director of the DIWC Ballet Company (1998-03) and Assistant of Director to the Jeunesse Ballet Company (2003-04).

Nathalia has coached several students for international ballet competitions including the Alicia Alonso International Ballet Competition (Cuba); YBDY, Phyllis Bedells Competition, Adeline Genée Ballet Competition (England); Prix of Lausanne (France), International Ballet Competition Beijing (China); Brasilia International Dance Competition, Grand Prix Brazil, International Festival of Dance Joinville (Brazil).