Ms. Killian Stephens
Embedded Files
A native of California, Killian danced professionally with Ballet Arizona (soloist), Nova Ballet (principal), Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (guest artist), Terpsichore (principal), and the Allegro Ballet Theater.
Killian’s classical repertoire includes Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Don Quixote, Giselle, La Esmerelda, La Sylphide, La Bayadere, Le Corsaire, Paquita, Coppelia, La Fille mal gardée, Raymonda, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. She also performed Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, Serenade, Symphony in C, Theme and Variations, La Source, Jewels, Las Sonnambula, Tarantella, Napoli, and The Flower Festival.
She has worked with noted choreographers Val Caniparoli, Julia Adams, Amy Seiwert, Michael Smuin, Adam Hougland, Justin Peck, Desmond Richardson, Sidra Bell, Ib Anderson, Alexandra Wells, Dwight Roden, Robin Dekkers, Olga Evreinoff, David Palmer and Yanis Pikeris to name a few.
Ms. Killian graduated Cum Laude from Saint Mary’s College of California's, Liberal Education for Arts Professionals (LEAP) with a BFA in Dance Performance.
Killian received her early training with the Ballet West Academy in Salt Lake City, Utah, where at age 14, she was also a concurrent student in the University of Utah Department of Ballet. As a pre-professional student, under the guidance of Sharee Lane, Deborah Dobson, Conrad Ludlow, and Attila Ficzere she performed on tour with Ballet West and as a principal with the Utah Ballet.
During the summers, Killian continued her training as a scholarship student with the San Francisco Ballet School, Boston Ballet School, The Harid Conservatory, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and American Ballet Theater.
At 17, Killian returned to California to train on scholarship with Margaret Swarthout of the Marin Ballet Theater.
Killian’s contemporary dance training includes The Juilliard School, Ballet BC, LINES, Arts Umbrella, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and ODC/San Francisco.
In 2007 she was the first ballet dancer awarded the prestigious Silver Level commendation by Mikhail Baryshnikov for the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts YoungARTS competition.
As an instructor/private coach “Miss Killian” is known for her vibrant teaching style, (her sense of humor) and an inspiring approach to contemporary, improvisation, and movement exploration.
As a contemporary choreographer, Killian is known for her bold movement concepts and ability to craft compelling narratives for her students through innovative choreography. Her choreography is the recipient of several top 3, 6, and 12 placements at YAGP and has been praised by dance professionals for showcasing and capturing each dancer's skills and artistic personality. Her pieces have been lauded for their raw emotional power and how she skillfully embraces each dancer's strengths to tell unique stories through their physical expressions.
"Miss Killian’s" ballet students have been accepted to and received merit scholarships to ballet summer intensives including Ellison Ballet, Bolshoi NY and CT, American Ballet Theater, San Francisco Ballet School, Ballet West Academy, The Rock School of Dance Education, Houston Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theater, Joffrey Ballet School, School of American Ballet Young Dancer Series, Kirov Ballet School, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Boston Ballet School, Master Ballet Academy, City Ballet School, Kansas City Ballet, Sarasota Cuban Ballet, Marin Dance Theater, and Alonzo King’s LINES.
University dance programs include Butler University, the University of Utah Department of Ballet, UC Irvine, the University of Arizona, Chapman University, and the Dominican College of California (LINES).
Her students have won top honors in classical ballet at National Ballet Competitions, including Top 3, Top 6, and multiple Top 12 placements at Youth American Grand Prix. Under Killian’s guidance, her students have launched careers performing with ballet and contemporary companies throughout the United States.
Killian is also a professional International Latin Ballroom dancer, performing with her partner alongside dance legend Yuan Yuan Tan.
Mr. Aleksei Fomkin
Mr. Fomkin is a graduate of the esteemed Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia. He graduated from Vaganova Ballet Academy twice: in 1991 in the area of specialization: choreography, ballet artist, and in 2000 in the area of specialization: researcher, ballet critic, teacher.
Mr. Fomkin has extensive experience in the ballet world. He danced solo male parts at the Mariinsky Theatre from 1991-2011. During this period, Mr. Aleksei participated in many tours in the USA (5 months tour in Cleveland, Costa Mesa, Boston, San Diego, San Francisco, Washington, New York, Miami, San Diego, Los Angeles), Canada (Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal), Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Ireland, UK, Iceland, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Germany, Greece, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Finland, Turkey, Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Estonia, China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, etc. In 1995, Mr. Fomkin danced in the ballet troupe "Universal Ballet" (South Korea as a solo dancer).
From 1996-2013, Mr. Aleksei worked at the Vaganova Ballet Academy as a teacher, the Dean of the Pedagogical Faculty, the Deputy Head of the Department of Dance Teaching Methodology, the Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, and Chairman of the Russian Association for Education and Methodology in Choreography. In 2004, Mr. Aleksei became the Executive Secretary of the Coordination Council for Arts and Cultural Education, Russian Federation Ministry of Education.
In 2009, Mr. Fomkin graduated from the Herzen Russian State Pedagogical Institute (Saint-Petersburg, Russia) in the postgraduate program, resulting in a PhD in Pedagogical Sciences degree.
From 2014 to 2016 Mr. Aleksei worked as an Artistic Director of Cultural Center MOSKVITCH where he headed the Global Dance Project “TanzHaus Moskvich” (a member of the network of dance houses founded by Bertram Müller, Germany), and as a teacher of classical dance.
From 2018 to 2022, Mr. Fomkin was the Head of the Classical Dance Department of the Internet Portal "DanceHelp" (Russia) and a lecturer at the Institute of Contemporary Art (Moscow). From 2019 to 2022, Mr. Aleksei was a lecturer at the Moscow School of Cinema.
From 2020 to 2022, Mr. Fomkin worked at Boris Eifman Ballet Academy (Russia), as deputy director for development (he worked on the monographs "Methods of Teaching Classical Dance: Russian Ballet School" and "Conception of Universal Dancer").
In 2022, Mr. Fomkin moved to the US. From 2022 to 2024, he worked at Osipova Ballet Academy (CA) as a Master Teacher, and Bayer Ballet Academy as a Master Teacher & Principal (CA). Mr. Aleksei prepared over 20 students for the most prestigious US ballet competitions such as YAGP, ADCIBC, and CDC, who received awards & prizes. Mr. Fomkin choreographed numerous character and classical pieces that were marked with awards.
Mr. Fomkin's achievements include:
Author of 38 research works, including three monographs, three training manuals, and numerous scholarly articles on choreographic education, educational standardization issues, and innovations in education.
World Renowned Ballet Methodologist & Ballet Expert.
Participant of over 50 Accreditations of Ballet Schools & Dance/Music Departments.
Entrepreneur & Researcher of Choreographic Education.
Former Vice-Rector, Head of the Department of Choreographic Education, and Professor of Internationally Estimated Vaganova Ballet Academy (Russia).
Former Deputy Director at the Boris Eifman Dance Academy (Russia).
Former Head of the Department for Methodological Regulation of the Content of Higher Education and Learning Process at the Russian Federation Ministry of Education and Science (Russia).
Recipient of National and International Prestigious Awards & Prizes.
Participant of Numerous Ballet Conferences and Congresses.
Judge of the Golden Mask National Theatre Award and Festival (Russia).
Outstanding Accreditation Expert 2018 (Russia).
Psychologist, psychotherapist.
2003-2004: Member of the working group for developing the 2nd and 3rd generations of higher education state curriculum standards in choreography; provided methodological support for the 2nd generation of higher education state curriculum standards.
2004: Received a message of thanks from the Russian Federation Ministry of Education for developing the list of university degree programs in culture and arts.
2005: Included in the Working Group for the Implementation of Bologna Principles in Russia by the RF Ministry of Education and Science.
2007: Awarded professorship.
2007: Judge of the Golden Mask National Theatre Award and Festival.
2009: Defense of the dissertation “Historical Traditions of Contemporary Ballet Education” for PhD in Pedagogical Sciences.
2011: Opened the innovative master’s degree program “Scientific and creative laboratory of modern dance forms” at the Vaganova Ballet Academy. Organized master classes with prominent European choreographers.
2013: Published the monograph “Ballet Education: Traditions, History, Practice”.
2003-2013: Participation in research projects with Moscow State University, Derzhavin Tambov State University, and Immanuel Kant Baltic National University. Supervised research projects and organized scientific and practical seminars and conferences for Russian universities.
1999-2013: Teaching at Vaganova Ballet Academy.
2013: Published the album “Perfection Through Centuries” dedicated to the 275th anniversary of Vaganova Ballet Academy.
2017: Graduated from Institute of Practical Psychology and Psychoanalysis: learning programs “Psychological consulting, psychological correction, and psychotherapy”; “Clinical psychology”, «Child-centered play therapy», «Transgenerational transmission of psychic injury».
2018: Centro Nacional de las Artes Mexico, School of Ballet Pedagogy under the patronage of the Mexican Ministry of Culture, school co-organizer, and teacher.
2022: Finished work on the monograph "Methods of Teaching Classical Dance: Russian Ballet School".
Google Sites
Report abuse