33 years of experience as a ballet dancer and performing artist at Canada's National Ballet school.  Performed a broad spectrum of principal, soloist and corps de ballet roles
in classical and contemporary repertoire by eminent choreographers such as James
Kudelka, Crystal Pite, George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Christopher Wheeldon,
William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, John Neumeier, John Cranko, Alexei Ratmansky, Rudolf
Nureyev, Ronald Hynd, Peter Wright, Christopher Bruce, Paul Taylor, and many
more.

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Professional Experience:
2023 – Present Ballet Teacher & Rehearsal Director with Canada’s National Ballet
school
2015 – 2023 Rehearsal Coach & Stager with The National Ballet of Canada
* Sleeping Beauty (Nureyev) – Stager and rehearsal director, corps de ballet
and soloists
* The Nutcracker (Kudelka) – Stager and rehearsal director, corps de ballet
and soloists
* Cinderella (Kudelka) – Stager and rehearsal director: corps de ballet and
soloists
* A Streetcar Named Desire (Neumeier) – Rehearsal director, Act II soloists
* Elite Syncopations (MacMillan) – Assistant rehearsal director, ensemble and
Shy Pas de Deux
* La Vida (Romero) – You Dance apprenticeship program, rehearsal director
1990 – 2023 Performing Artist with The National Ballet of Canada
* 2012 - 2023 – Principal Character Artist
* 1998 - 2012 – First Soloist Dancer
* 1995 - 1998 – Second Soloist Dancer
* 1990 - 1995 – Corps de Ballet Dancer
 

Notable roles:
* Lise, La Fille Mal Gardée (Ashton)
* La Sylphide & Madge, La Sylphide (Bournonville)
* Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen, Nutcracker (Kudelka)
* Myrtha, Giselle (Wright)
* Waltz Girl & Russian Girl, Serenade (Balanchine)
* Emeralds & Rubies leads, Jewels (Balanchine)
* Red Couple, Forgotten Land (Kylián)
* Catherine Sloper, Washington Square (Kudelka)
* Carabosse, Sleeping Beauty (Nureyev)
* Her Other Stepsister & Stepmother, Cinderella (Kudelka)
The Cook, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Wheeldon)

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Professional Awards:
* 2014 - Rolex Dancers First Award for the roles of Stepmother and Her Other
Stepsister, Cinderella
* 2010 & 2004 William Marrié Award for Dramatic Achievement in the roles
of Carabosse, The Sleeping Beauty & Her Other Stepsister, Cinderella
* 2008 – The David Tory Award for professionalism, integrity, mentorship and
enthusiasm in the art of dance

A former Soloist with the San Francisco Ballet, Edward Ellison is the founder and artistic director of the Ellison Ballet Professional Training Program, based in New York City. As a dancer, teacher, ballet master and coach, Mr. Ellison has traveled the world. He has served as ballet master for Boston Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Alberta Ballet, and has taught for such companies as American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and Houston Ballet. Mr. Ellison has also taught for the schools of San Francisco Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Boston Ballet, the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, STEPS on Broadway and several universities and colleges throughout the U.S. Through his detailed technical and artistic influence, Mr. Ellison's students have been awarded numerous top prizes in international ballet competitions: Moscow IBC; USA IBC (Jackson); Youth America Grand Prix; World Ballet Competition; and anzolymp-Berlin, and he is frequently invited to be a jury member with numerous international ballet competitions. Graduates of Ellison Ballet can be seen dancing for some of the most prestigious companies across the globe, and his school has received the YAGP Outstanding School and Outstanding Teacher awards. Mr. Ellison has been featured in articles in Dance Magazine, Pointe, Dance Spirit, and Dance Teacher magazines.

A former Soloist with the San Francisco Ballet, Edward Ellison is the founder and artistic director of the Ellison Ballet Professional Training Program, based in New York City. As a dancer, teacher, ballet master and coach, Mr. Ellison has traveled the world. He has served as ballet master for Boston Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Alberta Ballet, and has taught for such companies as American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and Houston Ballet. Mr. Ellison has also taught for the schools of San Francisco Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Boston Ballet, the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, STEPS on Broadway and several universities and colleges throughout the U.S. Through his detailed technical and artistic influence, Mr. Ellison's students have been awarded numerous top prizes in international ballet competitions: Moscow IBC; USA IBC (Jackson); Youth America Grand Prix; World Ballet Competition; and anzolymp-Berlin, and he is frequently invited to be a jury member with numerous international ballet competitions. Graduates of Ellison Ballet can be seen dancing for some of the most prestigious companies across the globe, and his school has received the YAGP Outstanding School and Outstanding Teacher awards. Mr. Ellison has been featured in articles in Dance Magazine, Pointe, Dance Spirit, and Dance Teacher magazines.

Australian-born, Paul Boyd’s performing career spanned 25 years in companies in Germany, Switzerland, and at Queensland Ballet.

He danced the major classics as well as works by Kylian, Forsythe, Vamos, Ek, Christe, Balanchine, Neumeier, Petit, Weir, and Klaus, among others, and received the German Critics Award for Best Up and Coming Artist and Best Established Artist in Europe.

Paul’s choreographic works have been performed by Queensland Ballet, The Australian Ballet (Bodytorque season), The Royal Ballet School (London), Bundesjugendballett (Hamburg), Suzhou Ballet Theatre (China), Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, WAAPA, QUT, Sydney City Youth Ballet, and Hong Kong Ballet Group.

Paul has been Guest Teacher for the Royal Ballet School, Hong Kong Ballet, Semperoper and Deutsche Oper am Rhein (Germany), West Australian Ballet and Perth’s Graduate College, and Architanz (Tokyo).

Paul is currently Head of the Queensland Ballet Academy Program (Upper School) and Queensland Ballet Academy Resident Choreographer.

Dmitry Povolotsky is a writer, director and choreographer.
At the age of 10 he was selected to attend the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow to study classical ballet. After graduating from the Academy nine years later, Dmitry was awarded a full scholarship at the Juilliard School in New York City, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in “Modern Dance and Choreography”.
He remained in New York City to perform with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet for eight seasons and to teach ballet and choreography to the young dancers of the Harlem School of Arts. His dance productions were performed in New York at Aaron Davis Hall, Performance Space 122, Kitchen Theatre Company and Location One Gallery. After making his first short movie in 2003, Dmitry decided to pursue a Master of Fine Arts at the Columbia University School of Arts, in the Film Division.
His most recent film, “My Father Baryshnikov”, won several prestigious film awards and has been distributed in cinemas and TV channels worldwide.
In 2014 Dmitry was invited to join the team preparing the choreography for the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi. He has worked as ballet teacher in Italy, the United States, Mexico, Hong Kong and Australia.

As Director of the Russian Ballet International (RBI) and of the Bolshoi Summer Intensive, Dmitry has produced several International Programs and Workshops for the Academy: in Urbino in cooperation with the University, in Florence, in Moscow, in Melbourne (Australia) ,in Lugano (Switzerland) and in Toyko (Japan).

Michael Shannon was trained on full scholarships by legends of the Ballet Russe (Tatiana Rubishinskaya, Patricia Denisova); the Royal Ballet (Stanley Holden, Margret Hills); School of American Ballet (Stanley Williams, Andrei Kramerevsky); National Ballet School of Canada (Betty Oliphant, Sergiu Stefanchi); and Hungarian State Ballet Academy (Imre Dosze, Tamas Ferincs). At 16 while training with his personal coach Konstantin Damyanov,  he was offered a contract with the Royal Swedish Opera Ballet.

In 1997 he was offered a full scholarship to the Moscow Choreographic Institute “Bolshoi Ballet Academy,” where he became their first American graduate since the Bolshoi’s founding in 1776 under Igor Uksuznikov, and Sofia Golovkina. Upon graduation Shannon was accepted into and became the first American to dance with the Bolshoi Ballet Company.  
 

Shannon was a Principal Dancer for the Bolshoi Ballet, Vienna State Opera Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Stars of the Bolshoi Ballet, Hungarian State Opera Ballet, Kremlin Palace Ballet Threatre, and National Ballet of Portugal. He also performed extensively as a Guest Principal in the United States and Europe.

His classical repertoire has included Prince Albrecht in GISELLE by Jules Perrot and Jean Coralli, Tchernichova, Yuri Grigorovitch after Marius Petipa, Prince Siegfried in SWAN LAKE by Sir Peter Wright, Rudolph Nureyev, Yuri Grigorovitch, Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa, Basil in DON QUIXOTE by Mikhail Baryshnikov staged by Elena Tchernichova, Vladimir Vasiliev, Alexander Gorsky after Marius Petipa, Prince Desire in THE SLEEPING BEAUTY by Rudolph Nureyev and by Marius Petipa, Franz in COPPELIA by Arthur Saint-Leon and Gorsky, James in LA SYLPHIDE by August Bournonville, KERMESSE IN BRUGES by August Bournonville, KONSERVATORIET (Le Conservatoire) by August Bournonville, FLOWER FESTIVAL IN GENZANO by August Bournonville, Ali he Slave in LE CORSAIRE by Marius Petipa, Boris in THE GOLDEN AGE by Yuri Grigorovitch, Pierre in THE CALVARY HALT by Marius Petipa, The Prince in CINDERELLA by Vladimir Vasiliev, Count Vronsky in ANNA KARENINA by Lila Partay, Romeo in ROMEO AND JULIET by László Seregi, Mercutio in ROMEO AND JULIET by John Cranko, Philippe in FLAMES OF PARIS by Vasili Vainonen, The Prince in THE NUTCRACKER by Yuri Grigorovitch, George Balanchine, Vasili Vainonen and David Wilcox, Colas in LA FILLE MAL GARDEE by Sir Fredrick Ashton, The Rose in LE SPECTRE DE LA ROSE by Michel Fokine, The Poet in LE SYLPHIDES (Chopiniana) by Michel Fokine, Solor in LA BAYADERE by Vakhtang Chabukiani after Petipa, APOLLO by George Balanchine, SYLVIA by George Balanchine and by László Seregi, The Cavalier in PAQUITA by Marius Petipa, Frondosio in LAURENCIA by Vakhtang Chabukiani, LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS (Rite of Spring) by Vaslav Nijinsky, LE PAPILLON by Pierre Lacotte after Marie Taglioni, Acteon in DIANA AND ACTEON by Agrippina Vaganova and Lancelot in ARTHUR by David Bintley.

Former partners have included Susan Jaffe, Ekaterina Maximova, Galina Stepanyenko, Lyubov Kunakova, Margherita Kulik, Ambra Vallo, Kathryn Healy, Brigitte Stadler among others.   

He was given a Presidential Honor by President George Bush and President Bill Clinton, and he has performed for President and Mrs. Gorbachev of the USSR, President Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, and President and Mrs. Ford USA.
 

Shannon is a US National Endowment for the Arts Awardee; Two time Laureate and Silver Medal winner of the International Ballet Competition in Paris, France and Budapest, Hungary and was a YAGP Outstanding Choreographer in 2008.

During his career as a principal dancer he had the great honor to learn from the legends of ballet that taught, coached and inspired him as an artist and paved his future as a teacher, coach and ballet master. The list is a who's who of legendary classical stars and the corner stone of ballet history: In the Bolshoi Ballet, Galina Ulanova (Giselle) Assaf Messerer (Don Quixote) Marina Semyonova (Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote) Boris Akimov (Giselle, Don Quixote, La Sylphide, Chopiniana, Nutcracker) Vladimir Vasiliev (Cinderella, Don Quixote) Ekaterina Maximova (Cinderella, Coppelia, Calvary at a Halt) Yuri Vladimirov (Flames of Paris, Diana and Acteon) Mikhail Lavrovsky (Giselle) Nina Timofeyeva (Swan Lake) Nikolai Simachyov (Swan Lake) Shamil Yagudin ( Le Corsaire) and Yuri Vasuchenko (the Gold Age.) From the Maryinsky (Kirov) ballet Elena Yevteyeva (Le Papillon) Oleg Sokolov (Swan Lake) Vladimir Petrunin (La Sylphide) Abroad his multiple influences included Rudolf Nureyev (Swan Lake, La Fille Mal Gardee) Robert La Fosse ( Balanchine) Mdme Dill (Balanchine) Elena Tchernichova (Don Quixote, Giselle) Marina Stavitskaya (Don Quixote) Ann Wooliams (Cranko.) As for his greatest influences as ballet master for classes always remain his teachers: Asaf Messererr, Boris Akimov. Alexander Pushkin through his teacher at the Bolshoi Academy Igor Uksuznikov and Konstantin Damyanov, David Howard, and Stanley Williams.  

As a Guest Ballet Master Shannon has taught for the  Birmingham Royal Ballet , Deutsche Opera Berlin, Staatsoper Berlin, Komische Oper Berlin, Vienna State Opera  Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet, Kremlin Palace Ballet Theatre, Kiev Opera Ballet, Donetsk State Opera Ballet, Wayne McGregors Random Dance National Ballet of Portugal, Anhaltisches Theatre Dessau, Vanimuine Ballet Theatre Estonia, Beijing Dance Academy, Paris Conservatoire France,  Configuration Dance Theatre, and the State Ballet Academy of Berlin.

He was Director and Chief Choreographer of the Russian Imperial Theatre of Opera and Ballet under the Patronage of Her Imperial Highness, the Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna Romanov.

Co-Artistic Director and Chief Choreographer of Russiches Kammertheater in Berlin.

Shannon has a Professor of Choreography from the Ukrainian State Academy of Dance.  
 
Shannon has premiered 45 of his original choreographies across 3 continents. Some of his most renown ballets were: His first creation Madame Bovary entered into the repertoire of the Bolshoi Ballet in 1995 Evenings of Contemporary Dance. In 2015, he was commissioned to create and direct “Midnight in Paris” for performances by Vanemuine Ballet Theatre in Estonia throughout 2015 and 2016 and “Dui Dao” for the Beijing Dance Academy Bachelor Degree Program for performance throughout China from 2016 and 2020. 2014 Appalachian Spring, 2013 Tchaikotic P. Tchaikovsky, 2012/13 Full Length “Nutcracker” P. Tchaikovsky, 2012 “Girls will be Girls and Boys will be Boys” L. Beethoven, 2011 “Bound” P. Glass, 2010 “Two Pigeons” A. Messager, 2009 “Maqsoum” M. Fadi, 2009 “Been There Done That” L. Beethoven, 2009 “Paradigmatic” Break of Reality, 2009 “Arthur of Wales Quest for the American Dream” D. Shostakovich, 2008 “Bound” P. Glass, 2008 “Yumeji” S. Umbayashi, 2008 “Mishima” P. Glass, 2008 “What’s the Pointe?” J.S. Bach, 2007 “Goodbye Lenin” Y. Tiersen, 2007 “Transfiguration” R. Wagner, "Paquita” L. Minkus, 2008 “La Sylphide” Lowenskold, 2007 "Giselle” A. Adam, 2007 “Chopiniana” F. Chopin, 2007 “Alborada del Gracioso” M. Ravel, 2006 “Silent Scream” A. Part, 2005 “Woman” Portishead, 2005 “Satie” E. Satie, 2003 "The Red Serpent" United Future Organization, 2003 "Polonaise" P. Tchaikovsky, 2000 "Licht und Schatten" C. Debussy, 2000 "Die Musen" E. Grieg, 1999 "Moods.” P. Tchaikovsky Premiered The UNESCO Palace theatre Paris, 1996, "Forever" S. Barber, Premiered Bolshoi Theatre, Russia, 1995 "Monday after the Miracle" W. Gibson, O. Peterson, Premiered MXAT Theatre, Russia

He was Resident Choreographer for Configuration Dance Theatre in New York and awarded ARTVOICE Best Dance Company in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

In 2007 he Co. Founded and was Artistic Director of the Greenwich Ballet Academy in Greenwich, Connecticut USA.

From 2010 he was chosen to be the new Artistic Director and Chief Choreographer for the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp in Belgium under the Patronage of Queen Mathilde. Under Shannon the Royal Ballet school of Antwerp rose in standing from 57 to number 5th best academies in Europe by the dance journal Dance Europe.
 
Since 2014, Shannon has been a full time Master Teacher at Architanz Tokyo and conducts pedagogic workshops throughout Japan.

Since 2020 he has co.created and been one of the main teachers of ATP (ARCHITANZ TRAINING PROGRAM) quickly becoming Japan’s premiere Professional program for young dancers 13-22 years old seeking a professional career in classical ballet and contemporary dance, already boasting a 100% placement in dance employment and/or professional dance academies abroad.
 
Shannon has represented the National Ballet School of Canada, Hungarian State Ballet Academy, Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Bolshoi Ballet Company, Vienna State Opera Ballet, the Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Kremlin Palace Ballet Theatre on television, in print and radio and has been invited as a judge for the most prestigious international ballet competitions in the USA, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Canada, Ukraine, Russia, China and Japan from 1997 until today.

Shannon has also produced and directed dramatic plays in the USA, and Germany, and was awarded Best Play in 1995 in Moscow Russia by Russia’s television channel TV 6. Shannon is a registered IMDb film producer, director, screenplay actor and writer.
 
Shannon speaks five languages—English, Russian, German, Italian, Hungarian, and is working on Japanese.

Martin Dutton trained as a professional singer working with the BBC and ITV before he trained as a classical dancer. He went to The Hammond as a  little boy before going to the Royal Ballet School. He finished his training at Central school of Ballet.

He joined Northern Ballet Theatre in 92 and danced Principal and solo roles. He worked under the late Christopher Gable.

He joined Peter Schaffuss in Denmark and danced Principal and solo roles in various ballets. 

He joined The Hammond as a teacher in 2007 and has obtained various Cecchetti qualifications and his Certificate of Education. He teaches at various summer schools and also runs a Boys only day of workshops every year.

Martin has taught and danced in Japan. He is really excited to be one of the adjudicators for this competition and cannot wait to see these talented students.

Graduated from Royal Ballet School.  The first Japanese dancer at English National Ballet. Toured extensively in Europe, including a performance in front of the late Princess Diana.

After returning to Japan, worked as soloist at New National Theatre, Tokyo and K Ballet Company. 

After retiring, returned to England on an invitation from the Cecchetti Society Scholarship in England.  Awarded the "Enrico Cecchetti Final Diploma", the highest level of practical qualification in the Cecchetti Method, and the "Associate" ISTD teacher qualification in the UK, and began her career as a teacher in earnest.  She later earned the highest level of Cecchetti Method teacher qualification, the "Fellowship" of ISTD teacher certification in the UK.  She is now a president of "The Ballet Garden", a ballet school certified by the British ISTD and runs four locations in Tokyo.  She also focuses on training certified instructors, and her recent teachers training course helps all of her students pass the Cecchetti Ballet Teachers Examination (British ISTD). She holds BASI Pilates (Mat) teaching certifications.

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She also has been involved in the training Japanese students who wish to go abroad, and has been an audition instructor for the Elmhurst Ballet School, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and the English National Ballet School as well as a Japan Intensive interpreter for the Royal Ballet School in England.  She also teaches courses in Japan and abroad, worked as competition judge, and guest teacher for the "Mathew Bourne's New Adventures". 

She collaborated with Miki Ando (Figure skater) and "MUVEIL" a fashion brand by transcending her genre.  She works for composition, direction and choreography.

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Commissioned by the Certified Society Trust, UK, she translated and directed "Enrico Cecchetti Diploma DVD/Blu-ray" (published by Royal Opera House Ops Arte).

Born in Aichi, Japan

Leaned classic ballet under Hideaki Kitahara and Yoko Tsukamoto.

1991 Won a prize at Saitama National Dance Competition

1992 Awarded Asia Pasific Competition

1993 Studied at Royal Ballet School of Antwerp

1997 Joined  New National Theatre, Tokyo

In addition to classical works, he has performed "Petrushka" choreographed by Fokin, "Cinderella" by Ashton, "Theme and Variations" by Balanchine, "La Sylphide" by Brunonville, "Romeo and Juliet" by MacMillan, "Die Fledermaus" by Petit, and others.

He has also participated in creative activities with Jun Ishii, Tatsue Sata, and Norihiko Mochizuki.

Sep 2002 Joined K-BALLET COMPANY

Jan 2004 Promoted to Junior Solist

Major performances include Pas de Cisse in "Giselle", Pas de trois/Naples dances in "Swan Lake", the Chinese figure in "The Nutcracker", Puss in Boots in "Sleeping Beauty", The Clown in "Cinderella", "Carmen" choreographed by Petit, "Facade" choreographed by Ashton, "Ballet Peter Rabbit and Friends" Natkin the Squirrel and Aunt Tiggy in Ballet Peter Rabbit and Friends, Balanchine's "Who Cares?" "The Prodigal Son", Nureyev's "Raimonda", Act III, etc.

July 2004 Performed "Rhapsody" choregraphed by Ashton at Metropolitan Opera House in NY

Sep 2005 Became K-BALLET COMPANY rehearsal assistant and began teaching company repertoire

Sep 2010 Became Ballet Master

Sep 2014 Appointed as Rehearsal Director

2013 Served as artistic assistant director for the first K-BALLET YOUTH production of "Swan Lake"

2015 Directed and choreographed the 2nd K-BALLET YOUTH performance of the new work "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and served as artistic director

2017 Artistic Director of the 3rd K-BALLET YOUTH performance of "Sleeping Beauty"

Sep 2013 ~ Aug 2017 Became the head teacher at K-BALLET SCHOOL Koishikawa

2014  Participated in the launch of T.T.C. (Teacher's Training Course/ Ballet Teacher Training Program) at K-BALLET SCHOOL and taught vocabulary for the first and third terms

Nov 2017 YK Ballet Class begins