Irina Prokofieva
Ballet Master
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Irina is a distinguished ballet artist and educator with a remarkable career spanning over two decades. Graduating from the prestigious Vaganova Ballet Academy in 2001, Irina was accepted into the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, where she spent 18 years performing some of the most iconic ballet roles. Her repertoire includes numerous solo performances in works by legendary choreographers such as Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, George Balanchine, Yuri Grigorovich, and William Forsythe, among many others..
In 2009, Irina pursued further academic achievements by enrolling at the Vaganova Ballet Academy’s Faculty of Education, earning a master’s degree in 2012. Her passion for teaching led her to give masterclasses and seminars worldwide, including in cities such as Changchun, Changsha, Nanjing, Seoul, Zürich, and Hong Kong, with notable recognition in China, where she was named Emeritus Professor of the Jilin Institute of Art after a successful masterclass in 2010
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From 2019 to 2024, Irina contributed her expertise as a ballet master at the Hungarian State Opera, collaborating with renowned choreographers and working across diverse ballet styles. She also staged Paquita Suite for the company in 2022.
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In 2024, Irina expanded her reach to Kazakhstan, conducting masterclasses for the ballet artists of Astana Opera. She also joined the World Ballet Company in the USA as a ballet master. More recently, in 2025, she assisted choreographer Denis Matvienko in staging Scheherazade for the HNK Split in Croatia
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Irina is also an author, having published a book dedicated to the teachings of Sergei Vikharev, one of the greatest ballet masters of his time. Throughout her career, Irina has demonstrated a deep commitment to both performance and education, inspiring future generations of ballet dancers worldwide
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