Minnesota Ballet School was established in 2001 by co-directors Kirill Bak-Stepanoff and Svetlana Bak-Gavrilova, graduates of the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia — one of the most prestigious ballet schools in the world. Throughout their career, they toured and performed as soloists in many countries across Europe, then settled in Minnesota. Through Kirill and Svetlana, Minnesota Ballet School has inherited centuries of ballet experience and the best ballet teaching methodologies.
Minnesota Ballet School offers a classical ballet program that provides preparatory and systematic ballet training using Vaganova Syllabus, a comprehensive curriculum, proven to instill in dancers incomparable technique, while striving for a greater sense of artistry, clarity, grace, athleticism, speed and musicality.