Our Team
Leila Alpiyeva
Principal and Director of the School, Leila Alpiyeva, graduated from professional ballet school in Kazakhstan, is a former Prima Ballerina hailing from the Vaganova Ballet Tradition - recognized as the best in the world today.
With 20 years of stage experience, Leila is a former Principal Dancer at the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Almaty, Kazakhstan , as well as at the Slovak National Theatre. During the time of stage career, Leila performed the following ballets as principal Dancer - Don Quixote, The Fountain of Bakhchisarai, The Sleeping Beauty, Silifida, Spartacus, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Paquita, Swan Lake and the Children of Titanic (Modern ballet choreographed by Christopher d'Ambuas).
Leila won the Prestigious Varna International Ballet Competition in Bulgaria in 1996 and in the same year she won International Ballet Competition in Memory of Nureyev, Budapest.
1993 - 1998 Studied at The Art Universtity of Theatre and Cinema in Almaty and graduated as professional ballet teacher and choreographer.
In 2008 moved to England and worked as a ballet teacher at Danceworks Studio and Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London..
Founded Fouette Ballet School in 2012
Throughout her career, Leila has worked alongside famous ballet teachers and choreographers and has professional and personal contacts with many respected and well-known people in the world of ballet.
Kadria Amirova
Kadria Amirova graduated from the Alma – Ata Choreographic school in 1992. Since 1991 till 1993, she worked in the State Classical Dance Ensemble of Kazakhstan under the direction of B.G. Ayukhanov, performed solo parts in the ballets “Nutcracker”, “Swan Lake”, “Carmen Suite”.
In 1993, she was accepted by competition into the troop of the Moscow Academic Musical Theatre named after K.S. Stanislavsky and VI. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko, where she worked with the teacher – tutor, People’s Artist of the USSR M.S. Drozdova. Over 20 years of work at the theatre, she performed as a leading soloist in such ballets as “Swan Lake”, “Giselle”, “Don Quijote”, “Esmeralda”, “Snow Maiden”, “Corsar”, “Chopiniana”, “Vain Precaution”, “Phantom Ball” and others. As part of the theatre troop, she toured in Italy, Spain, Germany, Great Britain, the USA, Japan, etc. In 2005, Kadria Amirova received the title of Honoured Artist of Russia.
In 2003, she graduated with honours from the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts (GITIS) with a degree in “Choreography Pedagogics”, where she studies with People’s Artist of the RSFSR N.L. Semizorova. Since 2012 till 2018, she worked as a classical dance teacher at the Moscow State Choreographic School named after L.M Lavrovsky. During her work, she was noted with gratitude for giving master classes as part of the project dedicated to the 135th anniversary of Anna Pavlova in December 2016.
Since 2016 till the present time, Kadria Amirova has been working as a teacher-choreographer in rhythmic gymnastics at the Moscow Sports School of Olympic Reserve “North”. Her students successfully perform at prestigious Russian and international competitions.
Elena Ovchinnikova
Elena Ovchinnikova graduated from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy obtained her PhD in Pedagogic Science (Theory and Methodology of Professional Education in Choreography) and Master Degree in Ballet Pedagogy.
Elena Ovchinnikova has a performing experience as a soloist and principal dancer in ballets of Classical Heritage of Ballet Theater: “Swan Lake”, “Raymonda”, “Nutcracker”, “Gizelle”, “Cinderella”, “Coppelia”, “Paquita”, “Don Quixote” and other.
Elena has danced with such renowned companies as the Russian State Theater “Ballet of Russia” (Moscow, Russia), Astana Opera (Astana, Kazakhstan ), New Classical Ballet (Moscow, Russia), Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker (USA) which toured internationally.Elena Ovchinnikova was awarded on three International Ballet Competitions inVienna (Austria), Roma (Italy) and Zagreb (Chroatia).
Elena Ovchinnikova teaches in USA in the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington DC, she is Assistant Artistic Director of Reston Ballet Conservatory which has become one of the principal ballet academy in the Washington DC area. In her teaching she follows the Vaganova System. She is a guest teacher and choreographer with International Ballet Festival in Panama, ballet academies in USA, Spain and Austria.
Elena graduated Russian State Medical University in Moscow, Russia and obtained Master Doctor/Master Scientist. She is both Medical and Philosophy Doctor.
Elena Ovchinnikova is the author of scientific publications in ballet pedagogy, psychology and ballet medicine. Her publication are stored in the database of Russian State Library – the leading scientific library of Russia.
Kirill Kudelin
Graduated from The Bolshoi Ballet Academy as a professional ballet dancer. Kirill studied at the prestigious University of Theatre Arts (GITIS) from 2005 –2011 and graduated as a ballet teacher and choreographer. His teacher in GITIS was the legendary Russian teacher Yaroslav Danilovich Sekh.
From 2015 to 2024, Kirill has been working as a ballet dancer at The Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. He performed in many classic ballet performances all over the world.
2024 - Present working in Beijing in ballet school "Love Ballet "
He taught in Russian-Chinese Cultural center China, Tianjin. Kirill was a guest teacher for Summer Intensive Courses 2018.
Elena Petrichenko
Elena Petrichenko graduated from the Perm State Ballet School as a professional ballet dancer in 1993. From 2004 studied at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy and graduated as a ballet teacher and choreographer. Elena has a performing experience as a soloist and principal dancer in ballets of Classical Heritage of Ballet Theater: “Nutcracker”, “Swan Lake”, “Gizelle”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “Cinderella”, “Coppelia”, “Paquita”, “Don Quixote” and other.
Elena has danced with such renowned companies as the Russian State Theater “Ballet of Russia” (Moscow, Russia), New Classical Ballet (Moscow, Russia), Moscow Post-Modern Theater under the direction of Alexey Fadeechev and Nina Ananiashvilli (Moscow, Russia), Magdeburg Opera and Ballet Theater (Germany), over 25 years Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker (USA) which toured internationally. Since 2010, Elena Petrichenko and her husband Sergey Chumakov created a new type of modern choreography “AcroDuoBallet” and have been participating in International Festivals and gala concerts of World Ballet Stars.
Elena Petrichenko was awarded on four International Performers and Choreographer Competitions in Paris (France), Barselona (Spain), Lisbon ( Portugal) and Moscow (Russia) From 2005 to 2019, Elena worked as a teacher of classical dance at the Odintsovo Childrens Art School “Klassika”
From 2014 to 2019 she was a guest teacher for Summer Intensive Programs taught master classes in the Vaganova method at Main Central Institute in Bossov Ballet Theater, USA.
In Russia as a teacher Elena was awarded diplomas of the Heads of region, republics for their contribution to education, culture and art. Her students won international competitions of choreographic schools held in Moscow, Bulgaria, Spain, Italy.