Biography
Dancer, Ballet master and Choreographer
Alla Marasanova is a distinguished professional in the ballet world, excelling as a dancer, ballet master and choreographer. A graduate of the Vaganova Ballet Academy, Alla danced with the Mariinsky Theatre for six seasons (2013-2019). In 2019, Alla pursued a Master’s degree in Ballet at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, where she began teaching alongside her studies. Alla founded Pro Ballet Class in 2022, a platform through which she shares her extensive professional and unique personal experiences with professional dancers, aspiring artists and ballet lovers. Beyond her ballet career, Alla also completed a higher education degree from Columbia University in the U.S., specialising in creative writing, stage directing, and choreography.
“I fell in love with ballet, as there was live music and I stood by the piano, that’s how I stuck to it.”
Alla’s Childhood
Alla’s path to professional ballet was anything but conventional. By age five, she was already immersed in a full day of training for rhythmic gymnastics and figure skating, replacing kindergarten. An injury brought this intense period to a halt, leading her to piano lessons. The true turning point came when her grandmother encouraged her to try a ballet class. Alla was captivated, finding a sense of harmony and familiarity in the music and movements. Nevertheless, the school itself was performance-oriented, not professionally focused.
Vaganova Ballet Academy
In 2001, watching a captivating performance of Romeo and Juliet at the Mariinsky became a turning point for 13-year-old Alla. Struck by the beauty of the ballet, music and story, she resolved to audition for professional training and was admitted to the Vaganova Ballet Academy in the same year. In addition to her rigorous ballet education, Alla incorporated a Shaolin monk’s regimen – a unique martial arts discipline grounded in Chan Buddhism.
United States
Shortly after her graduation in 2008, Alla moved to the United States to pursue higher education at Columbia University, focusing on creative writing, stage directing and choreography. These studies profoundly enriched her understanding of dance. While participating in a ballet competition in the U.S., she unfortunately broke her foot after winning two rounds. Convinced her dance career was over before it began, she poured her energy into her academic pursuits. Nevertheless, Alla’s dedication to training remained unwavering; she held a belief that she would indeed dance on stage again, even after a severe injury.
2013 –
Mariinsky Theatre
In 2013, four years after her unexpected break, Alla’s long-held dream became reality: she joined the prestigious Mariinsky Theatre, debuting in Romeo and Juliet – the very performance that had inspired her professional career years earlier. Over six seasons with the Mariinsky (2013-2019), Alla performed as a company member in major productions such as Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, La Bayadère, among others, while also touring extensively across Europe, the United States and Asia. Subsequently in 2019, Alla pursued a Master’s degree in Ballet at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, where she began teaching almost immediately alongside her studies.
2022 –
Pro Ballet Class
In 2022, prompted by the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Alla made the difficult decision to leave Russia, severing ties with the life and work she cherished. Soon after, Alla founded Pro Ballet Class – through online and in-studio masterclasses, she now shares her extensive professional and unique personal experiences with professional dancers, aspiring artists and ballet lovers. Her aim is to help them gain deeper ballet knowledge and cultivate essential mental focus in their artistry.
