Ekaterina Krysanova Principal dancer of the Bolshoi Theatre People's artist of Republic of North Ossetia-Alania Dance Open: 2012, 2017, 2018Dance Open Award: Best Duet 2018

Ekaterina was born and grew up in Moscow. She started learning the art of dance at Galina Vishnevskaya’s center for opera singing and continued at Moscow state choreography school named after Mikhail Lavrovsky, then later — Moscow state academy of choreography. Her first success came in 2001 when she got the 1st prize at the Luxemburg Prize international ballet contest and the 3rd prize at the International ballet dancers and choreographers contest in Moscow. During her studies at the Academy she was awarded the 3rd International Award at Vaganova-prix ballet contest. Bolshoi theatre became the first and dearest stage for Ekaterina. It was here that her talent grew and came to bloom. In 2006, having been in the company for 3 years, she was shining as Princess Aurora, Cinderella, Gamzatti and Odette/Odile, becoming principal dancer in 2011. Today her repertoire comprises almost all of the classic parts, as well as loads of pieces by contemporary choreographers. She was the first one to perform Florina’s part in Ratmansky-Desyatnikov’s Lost Illusions and Ondine’s part in Samodurov-Henze’s Ondine. Critics and audiences alike called her interpretation of Katharina in Jean-Christophe Maillot’s The Taming of the Shrew an absolute choreographic and dramatic masterpiece, claiming it to be “the work of a scope to make it into ballet history”. For this part Ekaterina got her Golden mask national theatre award, and it was with this production that Bolshoi theatre made its triumphal comeback to Saint Petersburg after 20 year long tour break.

Kristina Kretova Soloist with the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia Dance Open: 2006, 2014, 2016Dance Open Award: Miss Virtuosity 2014

In 2002 graduated from the Moscow State Ballet Academy and was invited to the Kremlin Ballet Company. In 2010 joined the Moscow Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Academic Music Theater as a Principal Dancer. In 2011 joined the Bolshoi Ballet. Prize winner at numerous international competitions: in 2003 received a youth grant of the independent award Triumph, in 2004 got the 2 nd award of the All-Russian Yuri Grigorovich Competition Young Ballet of Russia (Krasnodar), in 2006 won the 1 st Award of the International Competition Young Ballet of the World (Sochi) and award Soul of Dance (nomination «Rising Star»). Dance Magazine has included her in the top 25 of the young stars who made breakthrough in 2013. Got the Miss Virtuosity 2014 prize from Dance Open Award .

Maria Kochetkova Principal Dancer of the San Francisco Ballet Dance Open: 2015, 2017, 2019

Born in Moscow, Maria Kochetkova trained at the Bolshoi School in Moscow. She danced with Bolshoi Ballet and Mikhailovsky Theater in Russia, The Royal Ballet Covent Garden and English National Ballet in Great Britain, she was a guest artist with Tokyo Ballet, and then moved to USA to become a principal dancer of the San Francisco Ballet renowned as one of the best ballet companies of the of the world. A dancer with a diverse repertoire, rare musicality and heartfulness in every dance, today Maria is one of the artists, who embody Russian ballet for the rest of the world.

Danila Korsuntsev Honored Artist of Russia Soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre Dance Open: 2012

Graduated from the Uzbek School of Ballet in 1992. From 1992–1998 he was a soloist with the Moscow State Classical Ballet Theatre. He joined the Mariinsky Ballet Company in 1998. Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation (2008). Prize-winner at the International Ballet Competition Maya (St Petersburg, 1996). Diploma-recipient at the International Ballet Competition in Paris (1997). He has performed at the National Opera and Ballet in Bulgaria and at the National Theatre of Japan in Tokyo. He has toured with the Mariinsky Ballet Company to Great Britain, Greece and China.