Nikolai Kabaniaev has been in the field of classical ballet for 35 years. He graduated from the prestigious Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia, and before immigrating to America in 1989, he danced for seven years with the renowned Kirov Ballet.
For the last 19 years Mr.Kabaniaev has choreographed over 30 original ballets for a numerous companies around United States and abroad including:
Miami City Ballet and Maximum Dance Company in Miami, Florida/ Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington DC/ New Orleans Ballet Theatre / Faruk Rusimatov Touring Company in St. Petersburg, Russia / Nevada Festival Ballet in Reno, Nevada/ Maui Ballet, Maui, Hawaii/ Ballet Fantasque, Monterey, California and many more.
Mr. Kabaniaev has choreographed 8 original story ballets:
2008 Once Upon a Ballroom. A two-act ballet with an original story by the choreographer. Music by Verdi, Khachaturian, Saint-Saens, Puccini, Wagner, Gluck and Bellini.
2007 The Tale of Cinderella. A one-act adaptation of Prokofiev’s Cinderella.
2005 The Legend of Taj Mahal. A one-act story ballet with the music of Peter Gabriel, Ravi Shankar and Philip Glass.
Petrushka. A multimedia one-act story ballet with music by Stravinsky.
2003 Amadeus. A one-act story ballet about the life of Mozart in collaboration with KT Nelson, Co-artistic Director of ODC, San Francisco. Music of Mozart
Carmen. A one-act allegorical story ballet with music by Shchedrin after Bizet.
2002 The Magic Toy Store. A one-act story ballet with set and costume design by Guy Buffet, based on Ballet Russes’s La Boutique Fantasque. Music: Respighi after Rossini.
2000 Nutcracker. An original version of Tchaikovsky Nutcracker for Maui Ballet and Nevada Festival Ballet.
Mr. Kabaniaev has staged classical repertoire such as Swan Lake, Paquita, Les Sylphides,
Giselle, Le Spectre de la Rose, La Vivandier to name a few.
Mr. Kabaniaev has taught ballet classes for San Francisco Ballet and San Francisco Ballet School, Boston Ballet, Maui Ballet, Mazatlan Ballet (Mexico), Reiko Ivache Ballet (Japan), Diablo Ballet, Contra Costa Ballet and Company C Contemporary Ballet in Walnut Creek, California.
Currently Mr. Kabaniaev is a freelance choreographer, teacher, ballet consultant and a visual artist.
