Alexander Agadzhanov

Born in Mary, USSR, Alexander Agadzhanov studied with Alexander Zaitsev, Margarita Nazarova and Genrikh Mayorov in Kiev and joined Moscow Ballet Theatre as a soloist, 1969, promoted to principal, 1972. He danced leading roles as a guest soloist in New York, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and at Deutsche Oper Ballet, and as a principal with Bonn Opera Ballet. As a teacher at The Royal Ballet School, 1985–8, his pupils included Sergiu Pobereznic, Stuart Cassidy, Michael Nunn, William Trevitt and Tetsuya Kumakawa. He was Ballet Master/Teacher at La Scala Ballet, Milan, 1988–9. Since 1989 he has taught and coached Royal Ballet Principals. He has also been Guest Ballet Master/Teacher at Scottish Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet and Teatro di San Carlo, Naples, among others. He has worked with choreographers including Ailey, Flindt, Grigorovich, Lifar, MacMillan, Nureyev and Petit.