Eastern Middle School Sixth Grader, Aidan Buss, dances with Mikhailovsky Ballet

GREENWICH, Conn. - Nov. 25, 2014 - PRLog -- The Mikhailovsky Ballet kicked off its U.S. Tour with several performances at Lincoln Center’s Koch Theater last week in New York City. Aidan Buss, 12, a student from Eastern Middle School and of Greenwich Ballet Academy was given the opportunity to dance with the Mikhailovsky, along with 10 year old John Orlowski of Crestwood, NY.

Aidan was selected to dance in two different shows with the Mikhailovsky: Class Concert and Don Quixote.  John danced in Don Quixote.  “It is an opportunity of a lifetime for me,” said Aidan after one of his shows, “to get the opportunity to share the stage with world-famous ballet starts like Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev is unbelievable to me.”

Last week, Aidan danced in 7 different shows. His performance week was capped off with an opportunity to take photos with Ivan Vasiliev and Natalia Osipova backstage at the conclusion of last Sunday’s final performance of Don Quixote. He is pictured with them as well as Yuri Voldolaga, the Artistic Director at Greenwich Ballet Academy.

“Natalia and Ivan gave a master class at GBA last year and it was nice for this to come full circle, and to have our students perform in a production in which they performed,” said Voldolaga.

Several weeks ago Mikhail Messerer, the Artistic Director of the Mikhailovsky came to visit the school looking for students to include in the cast for the shows at Lincoln Center. The ballet company is well regarded at home in St. Petersburg, Russia, as well as in London where they perform frequently.

After Mr. Messerer watched a GBA class at one of the Academy’s studios he selected a handful of students to attend further sessions in New York. This is the first time the full company has come and performed in New York.

“When we heard that the Mikhailovsky was interested in looking at our students we were delighted,” said Marisol Rivera Thurman—the Chairman of the Board of Greenwich Ballet Academy. “To know that our reputation as a pre-professional ballet academy has traveled as far as Russia is rewarding in itself but then to be given the opportunity for our students to dance with such a well-renowned company on the main stage in New York further reinforces the great training our students receive at GBA.”

Aidan can be seen with John and the other talented GBA students from the tri-state area on December 5^th and 6^th in Greenwich Ballet Academy’s production of The Nutcracker at the White Plains Performing Arts Center (http://wppac.com/shows/nutcracker/).  He will dance the roles of The Prince and The Nutcracker. The performances will also showcase Elisabeth Beyer, who recently won second place at the Youth America Grand Prix European semi-finals in Paris, and Maria Jose Esquivel as the Sugar Plum Fairy. Tickets may be purchased online at www.greenwichballetacademy.org. For more information please call (914) 305-4377.

Auditions for the Spring Semester and their Summer Intensive will be held the week of January 12^th. Call to schedule and appointment.

About Greenwich Ballet Company

Greenwich Ballet Academy is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) institution that nurtures talented dancers, ages 4-21, toward careers in classical ballet and contemporary dance with a unique emphasis on the Russian Vaganova method of instruction. GBA is the only school in the lower Fairfield and Westchester County area to offer this specialized type of training. The professional faculty also provide classes in modern and character dance, and contemporary ballet. GBA students have earned accolades at international ballet competitions and have joined professional ballet companies. For more information on performances and training, please visit the GBA website: www.greenwichballetacademy.org.