Masters of Ballet Academy Summer Intensive Course - SADLER'S WELLS

Artistic Directors: Elena Glurjidze and Olga Semenova

Masters of Ballet Academy (MOBA) runs a non-residential Summer Intensive for one week for girls and boys aged 8 -19. Students will be placed into four classes (Junior, Pre- Senior, Senior & Pre-Professional). Limited places are available.

Students will have the opportunity to work with prolific teachers and ex-professionals worldwide and benefit from their experience dancing in the greatest opera houses, which will prepare them for a potential professional career.

Prolific Special Guest Teachers, Second Announcement:

DENIS MATVIENKO & ANASTASIA MATVIENKO

Prolific Special Guest Teacher, First Announcement:

REECE CLARKE

Click here to see MASTERS OF BALLET INTENSIVES - INTRODUCTION VIDEO

Date: 27th of July to 1st of August 2026

VENUE: SADLER'S WELLS
Rosebery Ave, London EC1R 4TN - London.
Final Gala Performance at Arts Educational School Theatre, London, on the 1st of August.

PRICES:

JUNIORS 8/9/10 years (2 hours per day - NO PHOTO UPLOAD REQUIRED) - £250

SENIORS, PRE PROFESSIONALS (6 hours per day, 11-19 years) - £750

Syllabus

Learn from our Artistic Directors, Elena Glurjidze & Olga Semenova, world-class guest teachers such as Sara Knight, and a special guest teacher to be annoounced in the coming weeks!

Each 6 -hour day consists of Ballet, Character, Pas de Deux, and Neo-Classical/ Contemporary classes.

Elena Glurjidze

Elena Glurdjidze was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, and trained at the prestigious Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg. In 2002, Elena joined English National Ballet as a Principal ballerina and was promoted in 2007 to Lead Principal ballerina. Following her retirement from dancing professionally, Elena and fellow Vaganova Academy graduate Olga Semenova embarked upon an Internationally acclaimed Easter and Summer Intensive programme. In 2017, they created Masters of Ballet Academy, a brand new Vocational style ballet school based on the Vaganova Method of ballet training. Elena Glurjidze's full biography is on our website by clicking the "The Team" section - Founders.

Olga Semenova

Olga trained as a professional ballet dancer at St.Petersburg's prestigious Vaganova Ballet Academy. After her ballet career, she completed a four-year professional teaching/coaching course at the Vaganova Ballet Academy and was awarded the PDTC Diploma with Distinction and MA ( Hons). Olga is our Artistic Director, alongside Elena Glurjidze. She is the most highly regarded Character tutor in the UK, being a guest teacher at different schools (in the UK and abroad). You can find Olga Semenova's full biography on our website by clicking the "The Team" section - Founders.

Reece Clarke

Scottish dancer Reece Clarke is a Principal of The Royal Ballet. He trained at The Royal Ballet School and graduated into the Company during the 2013/14 Season, and was promoted to First Artist in 2016, Soloist in 2017, First Soloist in 2020, and to Principal, 2022.

Clarke grew up in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire. He and his three elder brothers trained at the Janis Ridley School of Dance in Scotland before joining The Royal Ballet School. Reece entered White Lodge in 2006 – the first time in the School’s history that four boys from the same family have all trained at the School. Awards while at the School included the Young British Dancer of the Year in 2012, the Lynn Seymour Competition in 2013 and an award from the Ballet Association. Awards since joining the Company have included the Emerging Artist Award at the 2016 National Dance Awards.

Clarke’s appearances with the Company have included Woyzeck (Different Drummer), Romeo, The Prince (Cinderella), Colonel 'Bay' Middleton (Mayerling) Prince Siegfried (Swan Lake), Onegin, Albrecht (Giselle), Prince Florimund (The Sleeping Beauty), Prince (The Nutcracker), Young Man (The Two Pigeons), Aminta (Sylvia), Polixenes and Antigonus (The Winter’s Tale), Dr Samuel-Jean Pozzi (Strapless), Officer (Anastasia), Des Grieux (Manon), Dr John Brown (Like Water for Chocolate) and Principal roles in Symphony in C, Serenade, Fool's Paradise, Les Rendezvous, Scènes de ballet, DGV: Danse à Grande Vitesse, Symphonic Variations, After the Rain, Monotones II, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Dances at a Gathering, ‘Diamonds’ (Jewels), Within the Golden Hour, Corybantic Games and In Our Wishes, as well as roles in Carbon Life and Obsidian Tear. He created roles in Robert Binet's Dark with Excessive Bright, Charlotte Edmonds’s Meta and Liam Scarlett’s Symphonic Dances.

Reece Clarke is scheduled to perform in Woolf Works on 6 February and 13 February 2026.
He is scheduled to perform in Giselle on 16 March and 20 March 2026.

Denis Matvienko

Ukrainian ballet dancer Denis Matvienko was trained at the Kyiv State Choreographic School (1987-1997). He continued his education at the International Slavic University in Ukraine (2005-2007), where he trained as a choreography tutor and teacher.

He began his dance career as a soloist at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. He was a principal dancer at the National Opera of Ukraine in Kyiv from 2002 to 2007. He continued at the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St. Petersburg and later at the Mariinsky Theatre from 2009 to 2011 and 2013 to 2016. He also served as the Artistic Director of the Ballet at the Ukrainian National Opera (2013-2016), the Novosibirsk Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre (2020-2022), and as an Assistant Professor in the Classical Ballet and Pas de deux Department at the Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg.

He danced all the principal roles of the classical ballet repertoire and in ballet creations by renowned choreographers such as G. Balanchine, J. Robins, W. Forsythe, R. Petty, F. Ashton, Y. Grigorovich, A. Gorsky, M. Petipa, N. Makarova, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, V. Chabukiani, E. Klug, N. Duato, A. Ratmansky, H. Lander, C. Wheeldon, M. Bigonzetti, R. Nureyev, P. Lacotte, and D. Rhoden.

He appeared as a guest principal dancer at the New National Theatre in Tokyo, Japan (2000-2015), the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia (2005-2008), Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy (2007-2009), Opéra de Paris, France (2007), the American Ballet Theatre in New York, USA (2012-2013), and the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia (2009-2022).

He participated in the "Kings of Dance" project alongside distinguished dancers such as M. Gomes, D. Hallberg, R. Bolle, N. Tsiskaridze, G. Kot, L. Sarafanov, I. Vasiliev, F. Vogel, Joaquin de Luz, and A. Corella.

He has toured and performed multiple times with renowned Russian theaters in London (Covent Garden, Coliseum Theatre).

He co-created, produced, and performed the title role in the ballet performance "The Great Gatsby," choreographed by Dwight Rhoden (2014), presented in over 35 theaters across Europe and the Middle East.

He was also the author and co-creator of the annual "Ballet of the Future" project in St. Petersburg (2020). The project successfully featured graduates from ballet schools and young ballet dancers for three consecutive years. This ballet casting project was created to provide work for beginners and young dancers. Among the selectors of the project were directors and representatives from theaters such as the Finnish National Opera and Ballet (Helsinki), Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, the Royal Swedish National Opera (Stockholm), Polish National Ballet (Warsaw), Mariinsky Theatre, Mikhailovsky Theatre (St. Petersburg), Dortmund Ballet Theatre (Germany), Boris Eifman Ballet, and many other Russian theaters.

He was also the author and co-creator of the "Ballet Stage" platform, which united Ukrainian ballet artists affected by the shocking events in Ukraine. The platform established a network of global contacts in the ballet industry (theaters, schools, brands, and artists) who were ready to support Ukrainian ballet artists and students.

Denis Matvienko, an Honored Artist of Ukraine (2006), has received several other prestigious awards and honors. He won the Grand Prix at the 4th International Ballet Competition in Luxembourg (1997) and the 3rd International Rudolf Nureyev Ballet Competition in Budapest, Hungary (1998). He also won a gold medal and the "Vaslav Nijinsky" prize at the 3rd International Contemporary and Classical Choreography Competition in Nagoya, Japan (1999), the Grand Prix at the 10th International Ballet and Choreography Competition in Moscow (2005), and the "Spirit of Dance" award in the Star category (2008). He received a medal from the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan for his achievements in culture (2009) and the "Dance Open" International Ballet Prize in the "Best Partners" category (2011).

From September 2022 to July 2024, Matvienko was a guest soloist at the invitation of Renato Zanella, the artistic director of the SNG Opera and Ballet Theatre Ljubljana. On Zanella's initiative, in September 2024, Matvienko started working on the ballet Don Quixote, which will premiere on November 7th on the stage of the SNG Opera and Ballet Theatre Ljubljana.

Sara Knight

Sara Knight is a graduate of England's Royal Ballet School, an Associate of the Royal Academy of Dance (A.R.A.D.), graduate of the Royal Ballet School Teacher's Training Course (R.B.S. Dip. TTC.) and first British graduate of Russia's Vaganova (Kirov) Ballet Academy. Sara is a recipient of the Royal Ballet Special Award for Excellence personally awarded by Dame Ninette de Valois, founder of the Royal Ballet.

Upon graduation, Sara was accepted to the Eifman Ballet Theatre. She remained in Russia and danced with Leningrad State Ballet Theatre and The Russian Ballet of St. Petersburg. In the West, she danced with England's Northern Ballet Theatre, European Ballet of London, Boston Ballet and was Principal Dancer with Configuration Dance and the Rebecca Rice Dance Company, USA.
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Sara has been invited to teach worldwide including Boston Ballet Company, Boston Ballet School, Tulsa Ballet Center for Dance Education, Cincinnati Ballet School, Laban Centre London, Northern Ballet Theatre of England, Arts Educational School of the UK, Boston Conservatory, and The International Festival of France. Sara has also served as Ballet Mistress for both London's Central School of Ballet and Ellison Ballet of NYC. She was the Artistic Director for the Ballet School of Stamford as well as the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Greenwich Ballet Academy.

In September 2010, Sara founded SLK Ballet. “A school for gifted dancers to prepare for a career as a professional dancer”. SLK Ballet has an annual exchange with both Central Ballet and English National Ballet School in London, UK. Sara continues to teach worldwide.

Anastasia Matvienko

Anastasia Matvienko is an internationally acclaimed Prima Ballerina with over two decades of stage experience and a vast repertoire of classical and contemporary ballet. Anastasia trained at the Kiev State Choreographic School (1996-2001, Ukraine) and the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, St. Petersburg, Russia. Anastasia has performed at leading theatres across Europe, Asia, and North America. Alongside her performance career, she is a dedicated ballet teacher and mentor, currently based in Slovenia, where she actively contributes to the development of young dancers. Prize-winner at the IV International Serge Lifar Competition (Kiev, 2002, silver medal), Best Duet prize and Press Jury first prize at the International Ballet Competition in Varna (2004) Prize-winner at the X International Ballet and Choreography Competition (Moscow, 2005, gold medal) Recipient of the DANCE OPEN International Ballet Prize in the category “Best Partners” (2011)

PERFORMANCE EXPERIENCE 2024 - to present - | International Guest Dancer
2024 - to present - | Guest Ballet Teacher of the Conservatory of Music and Ballet (KGBL). (Slovenia, Ljubljana) 2022 - 2024 | Guest Ballet Soloist of the Slovenian National Theatre (SNG). (Slovenia, Ljubljana)
2016-2018 | Guest Principal Dancer appeared of the Novosibirsk Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. (Russia) 2009 - 2022 | First Ballet Soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre St Petersburg. (Russia)
2007 - 2009 | Prima Ballerina of the Mikhailovsky Theatre, St Petersburg. (Russia)
2003-2017 | Guest Principal Dancer appeared of the New National Theatre in Tokyo. (Japan). Anastasia performed several times with the Mariinsky Theatre in London (Covent Garden and Coliseum Theatres), Italy (Teatro La Fenice, Teatro Regio), USA (Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York City Center, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts), Baden-Baden, Amsterdam, Brno, Tbilisi, China, Japan.

2014-2020 performed the title role in "The Great Gatsby" ballet show, choreographed by Dwight Rhoden.

2022 - Co-Author and Co-Creator of an international ballet platform "Ballet Stage". It offers high-level training programs, masterclasses, auditions and competitions for aspiring dancers worldwide. The platform aims to support young talent and provide opportunities for professional growth in the ballet community. One of its flagship events is the Summer Intensive program held in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Ballet Stage has evolved into a global network connecting dancers, educators, and institutions. It continues to foster artistic development and community engagement within the ballet world.

Other roles include: Giselle (Giselle) - choreography by Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot, Marius Petipa, Renato Zanello
La Bayade?re (Nikia, Gamzatti) , The Sleeping Beauty (Aurora)
The Sleeping Beauty (Aurora)
Swan Lake (Odette-Odile)
Raymonda (Raymonda)
Don Quixote (Kitri)
Romeo and Juliet (Juliet)

Vlada Kotter

Vlada trained at The Royal Ballet School for seven years. During her years of training at the school, she had many opportunities to perform in productions at The Royal Opera House, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Mariinsky Ballet, Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works and The Nutcracker with The Royal Ballet. At the school, Vlada also won several awards, including the James Monahan Medal for the Most Promising Choreographer and third place in the Ninette de Valois Choreographic Award. Vlada then continued her training at The School of the Hamburg Ballet before joining Masters of Ballet Academy. She is currently a BSc Dance Science student at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.
She has always had a passion for teaching, and in 2022, she completed the ARBTA Associate Teacher Qualification in Classical Ballet. She is thrilled to be joining the Masters of Ballet Academy faculty this year and is very passionate about inspiring and sharing her enthusiasm with her students.

Vivian Triantafyllopolou

Contemporary Teacher
Vivian is an award wining freelance dance artist from Greece based in London with 10 years of professional experience. She has a 1st class BA Contemporary Dance degree from Trinity Laban. She continued as a chosen member of the ‘Akram Khan Experiment’ and then joined Jasmin Vardimon 2, performing a national tour with pieces by Jasmin Vardimon, AΦΕ and Vinicius Salles.

She has performed for Jose Agudo Dance and Theatre Rites in their immersive production for which she got awarded an off west end best performer award along the rest of the cast.She is a dance artist for Alleyne Dance who has been voted as best independent company in Uk by National Dance Awards. She has also performed for WenSin Lee &Elgiva Field, Bittersuite, Vinicius Salles , Fernanda Prata, Ben Judd/Dionysios Tsaftaridis, Emily Robinson Dance, Olga Spyraki, Melanie Lomoff (Lowry and Rambert project), Follow Through collective, Natalie Sloth Richter and others in places like Royal Opera House, Richmix, Sadler’s Wells- Lilian Baylis,,Edinburgh Fringe and others. Vivian was also a dancer and choreographer’s assistant for Hagit Yakira’s projects and rehearsal director for Hagit’s community piece at Royal Albert Hall. She has also curated, choreographed, and performed for Museum of London.

She passionately teaches professionals, adults ,young people and dance companies improvisation, floor work, contemporary technique , choreography and presence training for dancers. She has taught for Rambert, The Place, Laban, Masters of Ballet Academy, English National Ballet, City Lit, Greenwich Dance, Royal Academy of Dance, NDC Wales, Dancce Athens and others. She was also the interim Artistic Director of Trinity Laban Youth Company in 2023. She is a teacher at the Center of Advanced Training at Trinity Laban. Vivian is the founder of a series of workshops ; 'Energy and flow', a contemporary dance workshop and 'Movement waves' a community improvisation workshop which happens in and by the sea.

Vivian’s professional company work as a choreographer has been supported by Arts Council England, Tripspace, Laban and she has choreographed also for youth groups and commissions, as well as movement directing for films.She has created with her own company long work ‘Ego Mas’ , a short duet ‘Greener Grass’ , the short dance film ‘I am’ and many commissioned works for professionals and youth companies.

Sereina Mowlem (Rainy)

Stamina, Stretch & Conditioning Teacher
Rainy trained as a classical dancer at Central School of Ballet in London.

Whilst training, she performed with the English National Ballet Company in productions such as Swan Lake (The Royal Albert Hall), Le Corsaire (The London Coliseum) and Nutcracker (The London Coliseum), in which she played the role of 'Young Clara'.

In 2019 she decided to take her love of Health and Fitness to a new level by enrolling at YMCA Fit in central London and training as a Level 3 Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer. She personally trains dancers from The Royal Ballet School, Elmhurst Ballet School, Polish National Ballet School, Central School of Ballet and Ballet Theatre UK.

As well as training our students, she privately coaches students from The Royal Ballet School (Richmond), Central School of Ballet (London), The Vaganova Academy (St. Petersburg), Polish National Ballet School (Warsaw), Ballet Theatre UK (Leicestershire) and London Studio Centre (London).

Rainy thrives on building a strong and productive relationship with her students. She has a warm, fun and motivating approach.

How to Apply

Please click the link to fill out the application form. Please include the requested photographs.

Other information

• Students will be placed into one of three different Class Groups (Junior, Senior and Pre-Professional).
• Students and their parents/guardians must accept assignments in groups. The Artistic Directors will place them into specific groups to achieve the maximum benefit for each student and the group as a whole. The decision is based on the student's ability, suitability for the group, training requirements, and age. The Artistic Directors can make any changes during the course at their sole discretion.
• The training runs from 10 am to 4 pm, with a lunch break and short break.
• All the logistical information will be sent as soon as you receive the confirmation of your place, following your application with supporting photographs.
• All students will receive a Certificate of Completion, signed by the teachers.
• On Saturday, 1st of August, parents will be able to observe students' work at The Arts Educational Theatre, London W4.

For any inquiries about the Summer Intensive Course, please email fiona@mastersofballetacademy.com.