Faculty & Staff

Undoubtedly, the Russian Vaganova System of ballet training stands out as the pinnacle of international ballet education. Yet, numerous schools boast of adopting this esteemed system without the essential credential: instructors who have undergone rigorous training in Russia’s foremost ballet academies. Our faculty, meticulously chosen and rigorously trained, comprises graduates from renowned Russian institutions, each equipped with teaching qualifications from these esteemed establishments, guaranteeing an authentic and unparalleled classical ballet education.

It is, of course, common knowledge that the Russian Vaganova System of training is the superior system of international ballet tuition. Unfortunately, because of this, there are many schools making this claim, however, without having teachers who have graduated through Russia’s top ballet Academies teaching, these claims are false. As can be seen from all of our classical teachers (listed below) they are trained in Russia and graduated as both professional dancers and also having teaching qualifications from these noble establishments.

Svetlana Smirnova

Classical

1982

Graduated from the Perm State Choreographic School (teacher L. P. Sakharova) and danced as Prima Ballerina at the Perm Theatre
1983 - 1990

Soloist of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Music Theatre
1987

Awarded Honoured Artist of the RSFSR
Performed

Prima Ballerina with the Bolshoi Ballet and internationally.

Nina Osmanova

Classical

2008

Graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy, St Petersburg, Russia, as a student of the great teacher Professor Ludmila Kovalova
2008 - 2021

Dancer at the Mikhailovsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russia
2013

Masters degree at the Vaganova Ballet Academy pedagogical faculty, ballet master / choreograph department.
Co-founder/artistic director

'Desire' ballet school, St Petersburg, Russia
Since 2008

Collaborated with artists such as Farukh Ruzimatov, Nacho Duato, Lar Lyubovich, Oleg Vinogradov and others.

Alla Sabirova

Classical / Historical / Character

Bolshoi Ballet Academy

Graduated from Bolshoi Ballet Academy and also graduated with teaching Diploma from this prestigious school
Moscow Academy of Choreography
Founder

Sabirova Dance School, Hurghada, Egypt

Chimene Steel-Prior

Choreographer

Chimene graduated from the New Zealand School of Dance and also from the West Australian School of Dance with a Bachelor of Performing Arts.
2011 - 2021

Worked extensively with Opera Australia, touring throughout Australia and China, performing in creations by Graeme Murphy, Michael Keegan-Dolan, Kate Champion and Chen Shi-Zheng.
2016

Became one of only 28 Certified Counter Technique Teachers in the world
2022

performed in Project Animo’s inaugural season at the Melbourne Arts Centre, in works by Alice Topp, Cass Mortimer-Eipper, Izzac Thomas and in solo work In Real Life by Kristina Chan.
2023

Chimene joins Australasian Dance Collective for their season of Lucie In the Sky

Barbara Nimmo

Classical / Choreology

Accreditation

Adv.Dip.in Choreology, Grad.Dip in Vis & Perf Arts, Cert in Workplace Training & Assessment
Trained at Scully-Borovansky school in Sydney
Australian Ballet School
Benesh Institute in London

Completed Degree in Dance Notation
Australian Ballet

Taught classical repertoire using Benesh Notation for 26 years.
Camberwell District Ballet

Barbara has taught at Camberwell District Ballet since 1985