Ballet Bios

Evelyn Balassanian

Evelyn Balassanian, an Armenian, started her dancing career at the age of 8 years old. By the age of 12, she was invited for training in Leningrad, Russia. At the age of 14, she was the youngest dancer to join the company, which she professionally performed as a soloist in classical and modern ballets with major European dancers, teachers and choreographers such as John Buttler, Nicolas Briazoff, Ann Heaton,Morris Bejar, Robert Dewarren, Robert and Inga Urazgildier. She also taught for various Long Island ballet schools for over 15 years. Currently she is a teacher and choreographer in Great Neck Arts Center teaching various classes for children and adults. She is also a ballet instructor in the Westbury Middle School outreach program as well as the director of the music and creative movements program for North Shore Day school in Glen Cove for over 20 years.

Leslie Browne

Leslie Browne received her early training with her parents, Kelly Browne and Isabel Mirrow, both former members of American Ballet Theatre. At the age of 14, she recieved a scholarship to The School of American Ballet. After 1.5 years at SAB she joined the NYCB and performed in the corps de ballet, all of the major Balanchine works along with ballets by Jerome Robbins and new works of choreography.

At the age of 17, Leslie won the role of Emilia in the movie “The Turning Point” opposite Mikhail Baryshnikov, and starring Ann Bancroft and Shirley McLaine. She was nominated for an academy award for best supporting actress. Following her movie debut, she joined American Ballet Theatre as a soloist. She then made her 2nd movie in “Nijinsky” starring opposite Alan Bates. After “Nijinsky”, Leslie rejoined ABT to premiere Kenneth McMillans production of Romeo and Juliet. Following her debut, she was promoted to Principal dancer.

She continued performing in ABT dancing most major principal roles in the Tudor repertory. Leslie also danced Myrta and Giselle in Giselle, Odette-Odile in Swan Lake, Kitri in Don Quixote, Gamzatti in La Bayadere, Clara in The Nutcracker, principal roles in the Balanchine ballets La Sonnambula, Balet Imperial, Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Who Cares, Apollo, among many others and new works of choreography.

Leslie left ABT in 1993 to pursue guest engagements. She also studied acting with Uta Hagan at the Actor’s Studio, performed on Broadway in several plays and musicals. She also danced in productions with the NYC Opera.

Today Leslie teaches students at The School at Steps, ABT Summer Intensive, The NJ Ballet, and is a judge and teacher for the Youth America Grand Prix. She also choreographs for both students and professionals and does private coaching.

Katherine Healy

Katherine Healy has been in the ballet world from a very young age. She attended the School of American Ballet and continued her professional training with Wilhelm Burmann. She was the subject of the children’s book A Very Young Dancer, and starred in the movie Six Weeks with Mary Tyler Moore and Dudley Moore. At the age of 13 she was awarded the silver medal at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, and the following year she was awarded the gold medal at the International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria. At age 15 she was recruited as Senior Principal Dancer with the London Festival Ballet, now the English National Ballet. In addition to her professional career she attended Princeton University where she graduated Magna Cum Laude in the Class of 1990. She has been a principal dancer and then guest artist with Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, the Vienna State Opera and guested with the Berlin Opera as well as in numerous galas throughout Europe. She is also a professional figure skater and has coached and choreographed for competitive figure skaters at the regional, sectional, junior national and national levels.

Fleur Israel

Fleur Israel is a graduate of the High School of Performing Arts where she trained in classical ballet, modern and jazz. Fleur has had an active career as a professional dancer in ballet companies, on Broadway and television. For thirty years she has taught ballet on Long Island primarily at the original Eglevsky Ballet School and at ATDW. She is currently the children’s ballet mistress for The Eglevsky Ballet Company.

Bivi Kimura

Bivi Kimura trained with such luminaries as Rosella Hightower, Colleen Neary and Maurice Bejart. In 1982 she was a finalist in Prix de Lausanne and in the same year won the Silver Prize medal in the Tokyo Competition Junior Division. She danced with the Jeune Ballet de France, Paris and was a soloist with Maurice Bejart’s Ballet of the 20th Century. She was on the faculty of Ballet Etudes, Studio Maestro, and guest teaches around the world.

Lauren King

Lauren King was born in Massapequa Park, New York, and began her dance training at the American Theater Dance Workshop in New Hyde Park, New York. Ms. King performed with the Eglevsky Ballet Company in the Nutcracker and other performances before the fall of 2001 when she entered the full-time program at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet. Ms. King became an apprentice with New York City Ballet in the fall of 2003. As an apprentice Ms. King danced a featured role in Michel Fokine'sChopiniana, performed by SAB as part of New York City Ballet's 2004 winter season, and she originated a corps role in Susan Stroman's Double Feature. Ms. King joined New York City Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in June 2004. Since entering NYCB, she has worked with many new choreographers and danced featured roles in works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Peter Martins, and Christopher Wheeldon.

Victoria Lubov

Victoria Lubov grew up in Lincoln, England and studied at The Royal Ballet School in London. She danced for three years in Athens, Greece before returning to London where she taught at various schools including White Lodge. She came to New York in 1989 and was on the faculty of Ballet Academy East for 5 years. She has taught at ATDW for 12 years and has danced with The Eg;evsky Ballet Company.

Kristen McGrew

Kristen McGrew, a Tennessee native, has danced with companies througout the Eastern United States, Tennesse Festival Ballet, Charleston Ballet Theater and Ballet Theater Pennsylvania. Kristen is currently the Ballet Mistress of The Eglevsky Ballet Company.

Jeanie Nannarone

Jeanie Nannarone studied at The American Theater Dance Workshop for over 10 years. She performed with The American Dancemachine and The Eglevsky Ballet Company. She also trained at the North Carolina School of the Arts under Melissa Hayden. For the past 8 years Jeanie has performed across the US, Japan, Europe and Austrailia with "Sesame Street Live".

Dawn Petchonka

Dawn Petchonka studied at the New York Conservatory of Dance and at the Eglevsky School of Ballet. She has performed in New York City and Long Island and is a former staff member at USDAN Center for the Performing Arts.

Ali Pourfarrokh

Ali Pourfarrokh, Artistic Director of The Eglevsky Ballet Company, was trained at the Metropolitan Opera Ballet School and American Ballet Theater. As a leading dancer he performed nationally and internationally with various companies including the Joffrey Ballet, Harkness Ballet, American Ballet Theater to name a few. He was Associate Director and Ballet Master of Alvin Ailey’s American Dance Theater and the Alberta Ballet in Canada. He is internationally recognized as a master teacher and choreographer. He is currently on the staff of Adelphi University and ATDW.

Rose Marie Walsh

Rose Marie Walsh began her early training at the School of American Ballet and continued her training with the Eglevsky School of Ballet in Massapequa. She studied under noted ballet instructors Madame Valentina Pereyslavic, Nina Stragnova and Vladimir Dokoudovsky. As well as performing in New York City
and other out of state companies, Rose Marie has performed on Long Island with Fedicheva Ballet and Lumiere Ballet. She is a graduate of Bernard Baruch College, The City University of New York.

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