The Dance Faculty

Golden Koscuik

Artistic Director

Golden has been training and performing as a dancer for over twenty years, and teaching dance for 15 years. He is descended from a long line of performing artists, including his great, great, grandfathers, one of which was an opera tenor, Maximllian Achenbach (trained with Julius Stockhausen in Frankfurt and with Francesco Lamperti in Milan, and the other performing artists were 19th century painters, Andreas and Oswald Achenbach; his father, now retired, was a Broadway performer, and his mother is a theatrical manager).

Golden completed his education in Southern California, however, was born on the east coast. Golden's serious interest in dance began around the age of seventeen, at which time he was also progressing as a tournament tennis player. Upon the suggestion of his tennis coach, he began cross-training with the study of ballet, and as fate would have it his interest in dance skyrocketed.

Golden went on to gain his preliminary dance training with the Slavonic dance masters J. Erglis and Yuri Smaltzoff (Bolshoi Ballet method). The Smaltzoff's also made it possible for Golden to make a national Television appearance on "Good Morning America", dancing a solo in a modern ballet for a couture designer.

Also during these early years, Tanya Lichine, former Prima Ballerina and director of her own ballet academy in Beverly Hills, offered Golden a dance scholarship which lasted three years. During this period of time his instructors included Alexander Minz, George Zoritch, Paul Maure, Tanya Lichine, Irina Kosmovska, Lawrence Rosenberg, and David Gayle. In addition, he also trained with Patricia Denise and Margaret Hills at the Stanley Holden Dance Center in West Los Angeles. He was a member of the Los Angeles Junior Ballet from 1979-1983). During this training period he auditioned for the Milwaukee Ballet School/Company and was awarded a scholarship.

He had the good fortune, as a student in Los Angeles, to be chosen personally by the late Rudolf Nureyev to dance in several performances of the Boston Ballet's "Don Quixote".

Golden was also given the opportunity to train with the prominent Kirov Ballet Company coaches: Gennadi Selyutski, Vladilen Semyonov, Ninel Kurgapkina, and Elena Evetyeva, in St. Petersburg, Russia; London, England (courtesy of Oleg Vinogradov, Universal Ballet Artistic Director); and in Los Angeles.

Golden has performed with numerous regional Southern California dance companies and has also worked in Europe: Penne and Verona, Italy; British Columbia, Canada; Albuquerque, New Mexico, and in Telgte and Munster, Germany

As Artistic Director of Masterpiece Dance Theatre, he has awarded over hundreds of dance scholarships to underprivileged dance enthusiasts, and he has been instrumental in inviting and promoting guest performers from the US, Europe and Russia.

What many people do not know however, is that Golden, in addition to his interests in the performing arts, has also made a study of the "eastern" disciplines; Nutrition, and the Culinary Arts. Over the course of some twenty years or more he established himself in the field of the Culinary Arts, which supported his artistic endeavors. Although he presently does not work professionally in the field of the Culinary Arts he has a great admiration and joy for cooking to this day. Among his culinary credits include: Certified Chef's training 1987; The Pritikin Longevity Center, Santa Monica, Executive Chef; A Votre Sante, Executive Chef; Vincent's Four Seasons Restaurant, Chef Garde Manger, La Jolla; Sony Pictures Studios, Culver City, Sous Chef; Quinn's Health Pantry's, Los Angels, Executive Chef/Café Manager.

NADEZHDA KOSCUIK

Ballet Mistress/ Principal Dancer

Nadezhda (Nadya) Koscuik has been teaching the "Vaganova" syllabus for over 30 years and she is the only recipient from both the Russian Ministry of Culture and the Vaganova Ballet School, St Petersburg, Russia to be officially endorsed to not only teach the authentic and complete Vaganova curriculum but also to teach all nine levels. Her extensive international training, performance experience, and professional contacts and relationships make her an authority in the world of Classical Ballet.

Nadya received official permission from the Russian Ministry of Culture to write her book titled "The Vaganova Legacy". In addition to her extensive training, receipt of the entire and complete Vaganova Curriculum from her friend and mentor Ninel Kurgapkina (former pupil of Vaganova) further establishes Nadya as an international authority on the Vaganova system of teaching. Nadya is now in the process of editing the first complete draft of the textbook named "The Vaganova Legacy" which will also serve as a reference manual on the subject.

Professional Ballet Training and Education Initial ballet training at the age of four was gained in England at the Rambert Ballet School with Marie Rambert as the Artistic Director. Nadya then continued her ballet training in England studying not only at the Arts Educational School in London but also with Cleo Nordi, a former soloist with Anna Pavlova's ballet company, Errol Addison, Enrico Cecchetti's protégé, Alexis Rassine, former principal dancer with the Royal Ballet and partner of Dame Margot Fonteyn. Dame Beryl Grey was the artistic director of both The Arts Educational School and of The London Festival Ballet where Nadya obtained her first dancing position as an apprentice at the age of sixteen. As an advanced dance student Nadya was invited by the artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet, Yuri Grigorovitch, to train and rehearse with the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow. The invitation from Yuri Grigorovitch came about due to the fact that Nadya's two cousins', Alla and Svetlana Scherebinina were both respected members of the Bolshoi Ballet. Nadya's training included study with Marina Semyonova (former pupil of Vaganova) and private coaching from Alla Scherebinina (former principal of the Bolshoi Ballet) and Asaf Messerer (Premier Danseur and Ballet Master). Thereafter Nadya was invited to St. Petersburg, Russia to train exclusively with the Kirov Ballet Company, where she studied initially for three years with both Natalya Dudinskaya (the former Artistic Director of the Kirov and prima ballerina of the Kirov) and Ninel Kurgapkina (former prima ballerina with the Kirov Ballet and current Principal Ballet Mistress of the Kirov). Nadya's association and collaboration with the Kirov Ballet Company and the Vaganova Ballet Academy continues through to the present day. Nadya has also been very fortunate to have been coached by Gennadi Selyutsky, Elena Evteyeva and Tekir Baltacheyev with her husband, Golden Koscuik, in some of the great classical pas de deux including but not limited to "Swan Lake" and "Romeo and Juliet".

Performance Highlights Natalya Dudinskaya of the Kirov Ballet gave Nadya the opportunity to dance "Myrthe" from the ballet "Giselle" in St Petersburg, Russia at the age of twenty-two. Ninel Kurgapkina, Principal Ballet Mistress of the Kirov Ballet has coached Nadya in many different principal roles for international performance including: "Sleeping Beauty", "Giselle", "Les Sylphides", "Swan Lake", and "Madame Butterfly", a world premier. Many international and domestic ballet companies have invited Nadya to appear as a guest artist and to stage productions of well known ballets including: "Paquita", "Swan Lake", "Les Sylphides", and "La Bayadere, Kingdom of the Shades". Nadya was commissioned to stage a "site specific" ballet for Expo 86 about an ancient Native Indian legend. Additional highlights include a Taiwan tour "Stars of the Soviet Ballet" as a guest artist with Leonid Kozlov, Artistic Director and principal dancer. Leonid Kozlov was a principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet and during the second half of Mr Kozlov's career he was a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. Nadya danced the Lavrovsky "Romeo and Juliet" balcony pas de deux with Kozlov, and Nadya also danced in his staging of the ballet "Walpurgis Night". She has danced as a principal dancer with a number of ballet companies around the world including: Covent Garden Opera Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre, Theatre Ballet of San Francisco, Idaho Junior Ballet and Festival Ballet Nikic Monte Carlo, where Nadya first met and worked with her friend the great Rudolf Nureyev.

Nadya still regularly performs principal roles with her husband and colleague Golden Koscuik. Their repertoire includes: "Swan Lake", "Romeo and Juliet", "Les Sylphides", "Nutcracker", "Madame Butterfly", "La Traviata", "Orfeo and Euridice" and "The lady of the Camelias". Nadya and Golden Koscuik have appeared together as guest artists in Vancouver, Canada, Muenster, Germany, Thousand Oaks, California, at the Orange County Imagination Celebration and have successfully produced numerous productions throughout the Los Angeles area.

Television and Theatre Credits Nadya was coached by Alexis Rassine in Kitri's variation from Don Quixote, Act 3, Odette's variation from Swan Lake, Act 2, Lilac Fairy variation from Sleeping Beauty, Act 3, for the BBC, London. Nadya also appeared on Television in the Middle East dancing, the Lilac Fairy from Sleeping Beauty. While Nadya was residing in Vancouver, British Columbia she appeared on CBC Radio as a principal actress playing the role of Olga, the wife of Picasso. Nadya was invited by Canadian actor and Director, Leon Pownall, to choreograph and dance in Mr Pownall's production of "Oh what a lovely War", which met with rave reviews.

Ninel Kurgapkina
(Guest Instructor)

Ninel Kurgapkina has been an Associate Ballet Mistress at the Masterpiece Dance Theatre since 1994. Madame Kurgapkina is a veteran "Prima Ballerina" of the Kirov Ballet Company with over 50 years stage experience. She has performed to great acclaim the world over dancing the majority of principal classical ballet roles. Prior to her being accepted into the Kirov Ballet she graduated from the world renowned Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia. Madame Kurgapkina was the first female partner to the two legendary dancers Michael Baryshnikov and Rudolf Nureyev, who were also trained at the Kirov Ballet. Since 1969 she has been a primary coach at the Kirov Ballet and has taught master classes at some of the worlds finest dance institutions including: New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, and the La Scala Opera Ballet.

Gabe Palmetier, Children's Ballet

Gabe has studied ballet from the age of three, originally training at the Center of Ballet and Dance in Syracuse, New York. Gabe holds a duel Bachelors Degree in Sculpture and Psychology. As a young dance student she had the opportunity of taking company classes with the Houston, Washington, and Chautaqua (Buffalo) ballet companies. After completing college she decided to pursue a career in clothing design and now has her own clothing label. Gabe has taught at various pre-schools which have expanded her knowledge of working with children especially in the areas of dance, art, and music. In addition to teaching for the dance center, she has herself been training with the other members of the dance centers faculty for approximately two years. Gabe also dances with Media City Ballet in Burbank.

Scot Tupper, Modern Dance/Ballet

Scot was born and raised in Camarillo, California. He attended Camarillo High School and has received Degrees from Moorpark College (AS in Biology ∓ an AA in Liberal Arts). Scot has been working for the Westwood Dance Center since 2001 where he instructs a variety of levels. Scot is a trained Modern Dancer having worked with Tamsin Carlsin (Cunningham Method), Rudy Perez (Post Modern Method), Denon Rawles (Jazz). With Rudy Perez he worked as an Intern for one year and during that time he also assisted Mr. Perez as an instructor (University of Southern California, and Los Angeles County High School for the Arts). Scot other credits include, but are not limited to: La Danserie (dancers), "café coctaux" choreographed by renebaum, the Ventura Art Walk, Summer 2000 (dancer), and with Mariann Goodwin and Ashley Bergin ("structured improvisation").

Alina Gergel, Ballet Instructor

Alina Gergel graduated from the Moscow Choreographic School (Bolshoi) in the class of Sofia Golovkina.  She received an invitation to dance with the Bolshoi Theatre after winning a medal at the coveted Moscow Ballet Competition in 1986.  Aelina has also danced with the Moscow based Stanislavsky Danchenko Ballet Company.   Aelina has collaborated with such prominent Russian directors and performers such as Yuri Grigorovitch, Vladimir Vassiliev, Galina Ulanova, Marina Kondratieva, Marina Semyonova, and Raissa Struchkova.

Aelina has toured extensively throughout Europe, Asia, South America, and Israel.  Aelina's has danced in a wide range of contemporary and classical roles (at the soloist level) including the ballets: Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote, Giselle, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Spartacus, and Paquita.

Michael An'gileo

GUEST FACULTY (subject to change)