Sergey Ignatiev

Sergey Ignatiev was born in Russia and got his initial training at the Bolshoi Ballet School in Moscow under the guidance of the legendary teacher Alexander Prokofiev. During his studies he took part in performances of the Bolshoi Theater, at the age of sixteen he already received his first engagements in different Russian ballet companies. Solo performances in »The Nutcracker«, »Swan Lake«, »Sleeping Beauty«, »Cinderella«, »Don Quixote«, »Giselle« and others followed. He was also selected for the first Russian-American project »12 + 12«, in which the best students from both countries prepared a ballet evening in the USA. At the Prix de Lausanne, Sergey Ignatiev received a scholarship for the Dance Academy Zurich, followed by a contract at the Saxon State Opera Dresden. Heinz Spoerli hired him in 1995 for the Ballett der Deutschen Oper am Rhein, Youri Vámos renewed his contract when he took over the direction of the ballet. Until 2009 he danced solo roles in choreographies by Vámos, Erich Walters, Hans van Manen, Mats Ek, Nils Christe, John Neumeier, Jiří Kylián, Heinz Spoerli, Antony Tudor, Jochen Ulrich and others. As a guest dancer he performed with different ballet companies around the world.

In 2007 Sergey Ignatiev has started teaching. His first steps as a teacher were at the Dance Academy Münster. He then got engaged as a guest ballet master at several ballet companies such as the Ballet Leipzig, and theatres in Wiesbaden, Würzburg, Düsseldorf/Duisburg, Salzburg and Vienna, among others.

Since 2010 Sergey Ignatiev is working as a ballet master for the Vienna State Ballet.