Ballet Master - Cosmin Marculetiu

Cosmin is a native Transylvanian from Sibiu, Romania. At age 9, Cosmin was discovered in a nation-wide search for artistic talents and accepted into the Academy of Arts and Choreography in Cluj-Napoca, RO. He completed the Academy with honors and also received certification in pedagogy and choreography. After graduating, Cosmin was engaged as a soloist with the Romanian National Ballet in Cluj-Napoca, RO and the touring company Europe Ballet. He continued his professional dance career with the Croatian National Ballet in Croatia's capital, Zagreb. Cosmin danced in various productions and commercials produced by Zagrebacka Televizija, which was the leading television network in Croatia. In 1992 he was engaged as a soloist with the Landesbuhnen Sachsen in Radebeul (Dresden), Germany where he danced for 10 years. The Sachische Zeitung and The Morgen Post followed his dance career and published many excellent reviews and articles about his life and performances.

Cosmin has established himself as a master ballet instructor in New England and the east coast since his arrival to the USA in 2002. He was on the dance faculty of the Boston Arts Academy and artistic associate at Jose Mateo's Ballet Theatre where he coached, taught and rehearsed students and company members. Cosmin has also received excellent reviews for his performances in the various productions from the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, and the Metro.

In August of 2010 Cosmin founded the International Ballet Academy of Norwell which is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to serve the South Shore of Massachusetts, New England and artistic communities abroad.

Ballet Mistress - Jolanta Valeikaite

Born and raised in Vilnius, Lithuania, Ms. Valeikaite received her training from the Vilnius Ballet School. As a student, she received her break through at the age of 18 debuting in the title role of Giselle, whereupon she was promoted to soloist in the Lithuanian National Ballet Company. Her coaches include T. Legat, I. Kolpakova and P. Gusev. A principal dancer for 10 years with the company, her principal roles include those in Swan Lake, Giselle, Cinderella, The Sleeping Beauty, Raymonda and Romeo and Juliet. She also toured extensively in the United States, South America and Europe. In 1988, she received prizes in international ballet competitions in Moscow, Varna and Paris.

Upon moving to Germany in 1992, Ms. Valeikaite became a principal dancer at Bonn Ballet (1992-1994) and Essen Ballet (1994-1997). Additionally, she has appeared as a guest artist with numerous other companies including V. Vasiliev-E. Maximova Company, the Bolshoi, Xin Peng Wang, and Ruth Page’s The Nutcracker. She continues to collaborate with the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theater on numerous projects. From 1998 to 2001, she established, directed and instructed her own ballet school in Bonn. Since 2003, she has been a ballet mistress and choreographer for the Performing Arts School of Worcester while also teaching at several other dance schools. This is Ms. Valeikaite’s third year as Ballet Mistress with FBP.

Choreographer - Viktor Plotnikov

Born in Kharkov City, Ukraine, Plotnikov received his training at the Kiev-Ukraine School and the St. Petersburg Vaganova Ballet Academy. From 1987 to 1990, he was a soloist with Donetsk Ballet Company in the Ukraine. Plotnikov held principal dancer positions at Ballet Mississippi and Tulsa Ballet Theatre between 1990 and 1993, before joining Boston Ballet as a principal dancer in 1993, where he performed until 2006. He has danced major roles in extensive classical and contemporary ballets by many of the major choreographers, and has toured extensively in Russia and the US.

In 1998 Plotnikov’s extensive performance career lead to choreographic inspiration. Since then Plotnikov has created a myriad of original works for numerous organizations and individuals, often to great acclaim. These include solos and duets performed at International Gala Performances and as part of international ballet competitions, with musical taste ranging from Brahms to Pink Floyd. From 2002 to 2005, he received rave reviews for his choreography and as co-director and co-producer of the choreographers’ showcase Raw Dance in collaboration with Boston Ballet and Boston Center for the Arts. He has since created original, commissioned works for companies including Boston Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Pittsburg Ballet Theatre, Richmond Ballet, New Jersey Ballet and the Bolshoi Theatre.

Awards include “Best Choreography” at the 2005 Helsinki International Ballet Competition and at the 2007 World Ballet Competition, Orlando; Outstanding Choreography Prize at the 2006 Youth American Grand Prix Competition; Second Prize winner of the 2007 International Choreographic Competition in Milwaukee; Best Choreography Award at the 2008 Ballet Competition in Perm, Russia; and Outstanding Choreographer Award at the 2009 Youth American Grand Prix.

In 2003, Festival Ballet Providence Artistic Director Mihailo Djuric commissioned Plotnikov to create an original version of Carmen, his first full length ballet. That success lead to numerous ensuing commissioned works by the company, including The Widow’s Broom (2004, based on the story by Chris Van Allsburg, with original score by Novi Sad native Alexandra Vrebalov), Loof and Let Dime (2006), Viktorations (2006), Bre (2007), the overwhelming critically acclaimed Coma (2007) , Cinderella (2007), Atom (2009), Sun Dust (2009), and Surrender (2010). In 2010, Djuric named him Festival Ballet Providence Resident Choreographer.

Mr. Plotnikov is married to Boston Ballet’s Larissa Ponomarenko.

Choreographer - Trinidad Vives

Trinidad Vives is a native of Madrid, Spain. Ms. Vives began her training in Spain with Carmina Ocaña, Luis Fuente, and Victor Ullate. She spent summers studying in Paris. Ms. Vives was a first prize medal and scholarship winner at the Prix de Lausanne Competition. She completed her ballet training at the Ecole Supérieure de Danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower. Upon graduation she joined the Hamburg Ballet at the age of seventeen where she was a Soloist for six years and was awarded the Oberdorfer Prize for Best Young Artist. Later as a Principal dancer with the Basel Ballet, Düsseldorf Ballet, and English National Ballet in London she performed the leading roles of the classical ballet repertoire as well as contemporary works by some of the greatest twentieth-century choreographers such as George Balanchine, John Neumeier, Sir Kenneth McMillan, John Cranko, Glen Tetley, Ben Stevenson, Heinz Spoerli, and Ronald Hynd.

Ms. Vives received her teaching diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Dance in Madrid and began teaching at the Houston Ballet Academy in 1994. During her eight-year tenure with the Houston Ballet she rose from the position of Ballet Mistress to Co-Artistic Director, a position she shared with Ben Stevenson. She was honored by LULAC with an Excellence in America award for her work in Houston.

In 2002 she was named Artistic Associate of Boston Ballet, a position she held for seven years where she was responsible for the day-to-day activities of the company including company class, staging ballets, coaching dancers and overseeing the artistic staff.

Ms. Vives has staged numerous full-length ballets including Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Dracula, and Cleopatra as well as contemporary works and has been a guest teacher for companies including the Pittsburg Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo and Bayersiche Staatsballett.  Recently Ms. Vives participated in the 2010 USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi as a member of the Jury, which included 13 of the most noted dance experts from around the world.

Currently Ms. Vives is Artistic Director and Founder of the Brookline Ballet School (MA).