Marina K. Leonova, Rector of the Moscow State Academy of Choreography – the Bolshoi Ballet Academy – was born on February 18, 1949, in Moscow.

From 1969 through 1989, Ms. Leonova was a soloist at the Bolshoi Theatre where she performed a variety of leading classical and modern repertoire parties: the Swan Lake, the Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Shopeniana, the Love legend, the Stone Flower, Spartacus, Gayane, etc. Upon the completion of the performer career in 1991, she graduated from the GITIS (Russian Institute of Theatre Arts) with the qualification of ballet teacher and choreographer, and started teaching at the Moscow Academical Ballet School (nowadays known as the Bolshoi Ballet Academy). Capitalizing on expertise gained at the Bolshoi Theatre, Ms. Leonova to have been successfully nurturing future ballet performers for more than 30 years.

Over the years, Marina K. Leonova has nurtured over a hundred performers under her wing, many of whom are currently Premiers at leading ballet companies in Russia and abroad. Her students – Natalia Osipova, Svetlana Lunkina, Xenia Ryzhova and other prominent ballerinas have won a variety of prestigious ballet contests.

• The Sole of the Dance Award in “Maitre of Dance” nomination (2011);

• Best Ballet Teacher Diploma at 4th International Y. Grigorovich Competition “Young Ballet of the World” (2012);

• Ad-hoc Diploma for “Training of the Competition Participant” at the First National Competition of Young Ballet Performers “Russian Ballet” (2013);

• The Natalia I. Sats Golden Medal for outstanding creative contribution in the development of arts (2013);

• The Ekaterina Maximova Award for “Successful Education of Future Ballet Performers” (2013);

• The Boris Eifman Special Award (2017);

• The Eminent Creative Accomplishments and Contribution to the Development of Bulgarian and Russian Cultural Connections Diploma and the Golden Muse Statuette – award from the leading contributors to the Bulgarian culture and arts (2018);

• Letter of Acknowledgement from the Chairperson of the Council of Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation “For Many Years of Fruitful Educational Activities and a Significant Contribution to the Development of Russian Culture and Arts” (2019);

• The Acknowledgement Certificate for “Participation in the 5th Jubilee Svetlana Children’s Dance Festival” (2019);

• Diploma of the International Ballet Contests Federation for “Significant Contribution to the International Contest Activities, Classical Dance Arts and Contemporary Choreography” (2019).