INSTRUCTORS
Yanina Mikhaylyuk
artistic director
ballet/character dance instructor
Miss Yanina Mikhaylyuk is a highly experienced and accredited ballet teacher. She began her training at the State Ballet School in Khabarovsk, Russia. After graduating she became a member of the State Musical Theater. In 1993, Miss. Yanina attended Saint-Petersburg, University of Humanitarian Arts, Russia. In 1998 she graduated with honors as a “Ballet Master” specializing in choreography, ballet, character and historical dance.
In 2003, Miss Yanina moved to Eastside with her family and began teaching at the Academy of Performing Arts in Redmond. Over the next five years, she worked with many ballet schools in the Eastside. Then in the fall of 2009, she was opened a new ballet school in Redmond Town Center. After 3 years of successful work the ballet school under the direction of Yanina Mikhaylyuk moved to larger premises in East Business Park, Redmond. Miss Yanina has performed many classical and character roles in Russia and America in productions with different companies.
For last ten years, she has released on a big stage as a choreographer ballets such as The Nutcracker, Coppelia, Cinderella, The Sleeping Beauty, Cats, and the last premiere of 2019 – ballet Don Quixote. As well as productions for kids: Chipollino (Чиполлино), Cat’s Housewarming (Кошкин Дом) and ballet Emelya (Емеля), based on Russian folk tales.
Her teachings were demonstrated by the accomplishments and awards her students brought home from numerous ballet competitions.
Polina Zakharenkova
ballet/ character dance instructor
Polina Zakharenkova was born in Minsk, Republic of Belarus (former republic of the USSR.)
She was graduated from the Belarus State Choreographic College, class of Vera Shvetsova (She was a student of the world-famous Vaganova) in 2003. Then she worked at the company of the National Academic Bolshoi Ballet Theatre of Belarus until the summer of 2019.
Polina has performed in all classical repertory of the Bolshoi Ballet Theatre: Mazurka and Big Swans in Swan Lake, solo Spanish Dance in The Nutcracker, Indian Dance (Dance with Drum) and Grand Pas in La Bayadere, Gypsy Dance in Don Quixote, Batilda in Giselle and many other roles in the world-famous ballets such as Spartacus, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, Love and Death.
Victoria Semko
ballet/ character dance instructor
Victoria Semko started ballet classes at the age of 5.
She graduated from the professional choreography school in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, where she studied classical ballet and folk dance.
After her graduation, Victoria has worked as a ballet dancer in the State Dance Ensemble “Far East” in Khabarovsk, Russia for 15 years. Afterward, she lived with her family in China, for the next few years.
In 2014 she moved to Washington State, U.S.
Miss Victoria has taught ARCB students since spring 2016.
Yulia Tugusheva
ballet/ stretching instructor
Yulia Tugusheva started dancing when she was only 5 years old. She began in a school sports class of rhythmic gymnastics, where ballet training was mandatory.
She continued to be trained at the theater ballet school, “Terpsichore”, where she refined her ballet skills, as well as engaged in modern dance, jazz, and mastered different styles of contemporary choreography.
Yulia then participated in master classes with Russian, French, and American teachers of modern jazz, classical jazz, and contemporary dance. Yulia graduated from the Ural State University with a Master’s Degree of Arts in 2003.
The teaching phase of Yulia’s dance career began more than 10 years ago. Her style combines the knowledge and experience she has gained over the years, with a deep dedication to both dance and gymnastics.
Yulia truly enjoys sharing her skills and knowledge; inspiring her students, and proving that they can achieve far more than they first believe.
Andrea Freed
ballet/ character dance instructor
Andrea Freed has been teaching at Academy of Russian Classical Ballet for six years and has 9 years of total teaching experience. Her ballet career began when she was 4 years old. Over the past 6 years, under the guidance of her teacher Yanina Mikhaylyuk, Andrea danced all the main roles in productions of Academy of Russian Classical Ballet.
She enjoys sharing her love and passion for dance to her students. In her last two years of high school, she took part in the Running Start Program, attending Bellevue College to earn high school credit, and earned her Associates Degree in Arts and Sciences in 2014. She is currently working towards her Bachelors of Fine Arts (BFA) in dance at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA.
Sofya Shakhovets
ballet/ stretching/ contemporary instructor
Sofya Shakhovets has been dancing since the age of 4 years old. She trained in both rhythmic gymnastics and ballet from a very young age, quickly falling in love with both. At the age of 14, she was accepted to the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C., training under the supervision of Marianna Rozanova. In May of 2021, she graduated from the Day Program at the Indiana Ballet Conservatory.
Upon graduation, she was accepted as a trainee to the Philadelphia Ballet. Throughout her time at the Philadelphia Ballet and School of Philadelphia Ballet, she performed in notable productions such as George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Angel Corella’s Swan Lake, Samantha Dunster’s Snow White, to name a few. Throughout her training, she has also participated in numerous ballet competitions, receiving acclaim and scholarships that furthered her dance education. Alongside teaching at the Academy, Sofya is still pursuing ballet as well as furthering her education at the University of Washington.
