- Yuri Nikitenko graduated from the A.V. Seleznev Choreographic Institute, Alma-Ata, USSR in 1985. He was a principal dancer with the Chelyabinsk Theatre of Opera and Ballet (Russia), the Dnepropetrovsk Theatre of Opera and Ballet (Ukraine), The Yekaterinburg Theatre of Opera and Ballet (Russia), where he danced nearly the entire classical repertoire. Yuri was also a founding member of Ballet Plus, the contemporary choreographic company of Yekaterinburg, Russia and danced ballets from renowned international choreographers such as Roland Petit, Alla Segalova, Paul Frenak, and Jerry Bevington. Yuri came to the U.S. in 2000 and upon retirement from his performing career has established himself as a ballet master. His students have placed Top-12 at Youth America Grand Prix and have been accepted to programs at ABT, Kirov Academy, The Virginia Governor's School, Washington Ballet.
