Tall, with a proud mien and nobly extended lines, she is the ideal embodiment of the modern type of St Petersburg ballerina — refined and aristocratic.

Sofia Gumerova Honoured Artist of Russia Master classes Dance Open: 2015

Graduated from the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in 1995, right after that joined the Mariinsky Ballet and abides it since then. Sofia Gumerova danced many lead parts of classic repertoire, being an artist of multiple skills - on the one hand she performs canonical roles such as Giselle, Kitri, Nikia, princess Aurora, and on the other hand she always interprets roles with a rich exotic hue (Zarema, Phrygia, Mekhmeneh Bahnu) in an interresting way. Sofia Gumerova combines an active stage career with teaching activities. She not only works as a pedagogue at the Vaganova Academy and holds master-classes all over the world, but also works as an Artistic Director of the Children's Ballet School KASOK.

Veronika Ivanova Coach and Repetiteur Master classes Dance Open: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016

Currently Répétiteur at the Vaganova Academy of Russian ballet. Ivanova graduated from the VaganovaAcademy (class of Prof Natalya Dudinskaya) in 1985 having already attained silver medal from the All-Union Ballet Competition in Moscow and joined the Kirov (Mariinsky) Ballet Company the same year. Soloist since 1991. Prize-winner at the All-Union Ballet Competition (Moscow, 1984). With the Mariinsky Ballet, she has performed at theatres including the Royal Opera House, the Opera de Paris, the Metropolitan Opera, the Teatro de Colon and La Scala. In 2007, Ivanova began her pedagogical career and became a teacher with the Vaganova Ballet Academy.

Anastasia Vasilieva Coach and Repetiteur Master classes Dance Open: 2012, 2013, 2014

Graduated from the Vaganvova Academy of Russian Ballet with a golden diploma. Student of the legendary ballerina Natalia Dudinskaya. For many years danced with Mariinsky Ballet. Since 2003 teaches character dance at the Vaganova Academy, where she also got a golden diploma as a ballet coach. Since 2009 also teaches historic dance. Gave master classes in many countries, in particular in South Korea and Finland.

Vladimir Malakhov Artistic Director and first soloist of the Berlin State Ballet Master classes Dance Open: 2013, 2014

Malakhov was training at the school of the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow (class of Peter Pestov) and upon graduation in 1986 joined the Moscow Classical Ballet as that company's youngest principal dancer. In 1999 Malakhov staged his first ballet La Bayadère Ludwig Minkus in Vienna State Opera. On the same stage in 2001 he set his first individual production A Masked Ball to the music by Giuseppe Verdi. In 2002 he became an artistic director of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden Ballet and since 2004 he was appointed to the position of the Berlin State Ballet. Vladimir Malakhov is a laureate of Benois de la Danse Prize.