Ellena Tiuriakulova

Elena graduated with excellence from the prestigious Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in 1975. Following her dancing career, she taught at the Kyrgyz State Conservatory, and the Kyrgyz Children’s Academy of Music. She was a principal dancer at the Kyrgyz National Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from 1976 to 1992. She danced principal roles in Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadère, Don Quixote, Paquita and many others. Since coming to America in 2000, she has taught at the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet, Wissahickon Dance Academy, Gwendolyn Bye Dance Studio, Christina Pulcini Dance Academy, Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet, as well as teaching the “Participate in Dance Program” in several Philadelphia public high schools.