Leonid Sarafanov joins the Leonid Yacobson Ballet company

On 23 May, world ballet star Leonid Sarafanov held his first class with the Leonid Yacobson Ballet dancers as an official tutor.

‘I am delighted to be part of this team. It’s not even my first experience working with the Leonid Yacobson troupe. The ballet company is incredibly friendly, the dancers have a lot of enthusiasm, and there is plenty of room and opportunities to be creative. I can see that I will be able to do something useful here,’ Leonid Sarafanov commented.

An alumnus of the Kyiv Choreographic College, Leonid Sarafanov has won multiple international contests. From 2000 to 2002, he performed as a soloist at the National Opera of Ukraine, and from 2002 to 2011, was a principal at the Mariinsky Theatre. In 2011, he became principal at the Mikhailovsky Theatre, where he remained until 2021. From October 2021 to April 2023, he headed the ballet troupe at the Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre.