Valery Lantratov
Artistic Director
Russian National Ballet Foundation

Valery Lantratov has had a distinguished career as a dancer in the companies of Vladimir Vasiliev, Maya Plitsetskaya and Ekaterina Maximova and international tours with Rudolf Nureyev. Most recently he has made international headlines for his role as Czar Nicholas II in a production of the new ballet Rasputin, with Farouk Ruzimatov of the Marinsky Theater (Kirov) and for successful international tours of Don Quixote and original choreography for the annual festival for the goddess Aphrodite in Cypruss. A graduate of the Moscow Academic Choreographic College, Lantratov was selected as a first soloist with the Moscow Stanislavski Ballet. With the theater he danced principal roles in such ballets as Don Quixote, Copellia and Romeo and Juliet. He has received accolades in the Russian and international press for his strong technique, personality and expressiveness. In 1993, Lantratov began working for the Kremlin Ballet. This same year, he formed the Russian National Ballet Foundation. He has toured as a solo guest artist in such countries as Japan, Germany, Italy, Greece, France, Portugal, Spain and the United States. The Russian National Ballet Foundation has toured in Europe, Asia, The Middle East and the United States. In 1997, Russian president Boris Yeltsin named Valery Lantratov " People's Artist of Russia," the Russian Federation's highest artistic honor. Mr. Lantratov holds a teaching certificate Russia's renowned National Academy of Theatrical Arts- GITIS.* For three years, Mr. Lantratov served as a guest instructor at the Boston Ballet. With his Russian National Ballet Foundation, Lantratov is able to realize his goal of introducing new audiences throughout the world to some of the finest classical works of Russia. "No matter what might happen between the countries in the world, dance can deliver peace, compassion and art—eternal values." *GITIS' ballet department was founded in 1946 under A. Gorsky, R. Zakharov and Leonid Lavaovsky of the Bolshoi Ballet with equal state funding to the Bolshoi. It is the only institute in Russia to offer a diploma in choreography and direction for ballet theatre. Its distinguished ballet masters include Vladimir Vassiliev (director of the Bolshoi, retired), Nadja Pavlova (prima ballerina absoluta of the Bolshoi, retired) and Katirina Maximova (prima ballerina absoluta of the Bolshoi, retired).

Jordan Mazur

Jordan Mazur began dancing at the age of 3 at a small studio in Crown Point, IN. After performing in her first Nutcracker, she joined the Indiana Ballet Theatre NW with whom she had the opportunity to perform many lead roles in ballets including The Nutcacker, Swan Lake, Cinderella, and The Sleeping Beauty along with a number of modern performances. Jordan graduated from Indiana University in May 2011 with highest honors, earning a B.S. in Dance through the HPER school of Kinesiology. At the university, she had the pleasure to work with and perform works by many artists including David Parsons, Bella Lewitzky, Paul Taylor, Martha Graham, Connie Dinapoli, Nora Reynolds, David Hochoy, Laurie Eisenhower, and Elizabeth Shea.

In the summer of 2011, Jordan danced as an apprentice with Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre and is now dancing with the Missouri Contemporary Ballet. In addition to dancing with the ballet company in Columbia, MO she also teaches dance classes at the Academy of Missouri Contemporary Ballet and Jefferson City Dance Academy, is an apprentice Pilates teacher at Pilates For Every Body, and has started her own pole fitness studio Muse Pole Fitness.