EDOUARD KOUCHNAREV
Artistic Director
Choreographer and Instructor
26 years with BBT
Education:
Kiev State Theater of Opera and Ballet, Ukraine
Kiev State Ballet Academy
Degree: Master of Ballet Arts
Credentials:
4 full scale original ballets (Mavka, The Winter Fairytale (based on the Nutcracker), Reddish (a Russian Folktale), Nanny’s Story (based on Tchaikovsky’s Children’s Album)
5 Shows for the BBT professional dance company
Over a 100 dance numbers (ballet, character dance, modern, e.t.c.)
Edouard began his dance career at age 10 with the Kiev State Ballet Academy in Kiev, Ukraine. Director Irina Yakimova singled him out for the lead role of a young boy in the ballet Malchish-Kibalchish. It was the renowned choreographer of Malchish-Kibalchish, Varvara Mey, who then fully recognized Edouard’s talent. Mey had been a student of Agrippina Vaganova and was a former prima ballerina, ballet instructor and author who danced with the Kirov Ballet for many years and went on to teach many of Russian ballet's biggest stars at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet.
After graduating from the Kiev State Ballet Academy, where he studied under ballet greats such as Vladimir Denisenko, Vladimir Shtefan, Valery Kovtun, and Irina Bulatova, Edouard joined the Vronski Kiev Classical Ballet Company as a soloist at age 18. He also danced as a soloist for the Ukrainian State Theater of Classical Ballet, Kiev Jewish Theater, and Ballet Ciudad Dance Company in Barcelona, Spain. He joined Brighton Ballet Theater (BBT) in 1995, first as a dancer then producing, choreographing and teaching dance.
Edouard’s children’s productions include Aria, Sunrise, The Radish, 12 Months, Cinderella, and The Ugly Duckling, among many others. Inspired by fairytales and folk dances from around the world, his ballets typically showcase a colorful catalog of cultural influences. The rich diversity of Brooklyn’s many immigrant communities led him to choreograph BBT’s own version of The Nutcracker, transforming the classic tale from a fantasy of sweets to a celebration of international dance with elements of African dance, Spanish flamenco, Indian classical dance, Chinese, Russian, and Ukrainian folk dance. Over the past 20 years, Edouard’s works have been included in many public festivals and parades, including annual Victory Day celebrations, the Family Fun Festival, an outdoor children’s theater performance at the Coney Island Aquarium, the NY Stock Exchange, and local inauguration events. In 2012, his work was featured at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Edouard teaches in the Pre-professional (Advanced) Division for students ages 6-18 years-old at BBT, where he is known for his particular talent in working with young people and creating original choreography for them. All students go through an audition process in order to participate in his classes. Edouard has a superb grounding in the fundamentals of technique and a keen ability to nurture the artistry and ability required for the highest levels of dance.
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