Alexandra Koltun

Alexandra Koltun graduated in 1989 from the eight-year program at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St.Petersburg, Russia and received a BFA with an honorary diploma. Studying under such notable mentors as Natalia Dudinskaya, Ludmila Morkovina and Irina Kolpakova.

Upon graduation, Alexandra joined the famous Mariinsky/Kirov Ballet and was immediately recognized as an especially gifted young dancer. Alexandra was given the unique opportunity to learn the classical repertoire directly from the legendary Kirov stars as Irina Kolpakova, Tatiana Terekhova and Sergei Berejnoi. At the Mariinski/Kirov, Alexandra appeared in many lead roles in which she was partnered by various principal male dancers of the company, including Farukh Ruzimatov, Igor Zelensky, Eldar Aliev, Makhar Vaziev and Konstantine Zaklinsky. Alexandra performed in major productions in Russia and also toured throughout Europe, Japan, Korea and the United States. 

On October 15, 1991, while on tour in Washington DC at the Kennedy Center, Alexandra defected from Kirov and relocated to the United States where she obtained her citizenship. She began her career in America as a guest artist for the New Jersey Ballet and the Colorado Ballet. In 1992, ALexandra was invited to join Boston Ballet as a soloist. Under the directorship of Bruce Marks, Alexandra’s career flourished. Not only did she star in a wide range of full length classical ballet including Swan Lake, Giselle, La Bayadare, Don Quixote, and Sleeping Beauty, she also excelled in the contemporary choreography. 

Alexandra was promoted to principal dancer in 1994. Alexandra starred in the World premier of Christopher Wheeldon’s Fire Bird and Four Seasons, and collaborated with Mark Morris, Twyla Tharp, Daniel Pelzig and Eliot Feld. In Balanchine’s “Appolo,” Alexandra was partnered by the international ballet star Fernando Bujones. Alexandra was awarded the Bronze Medal in 1994 at the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi and Gold Medal at the Boston International Choreography Competition.

In 1995 – 1997, Alexandra performed as a principal dancer with Deutsche Opera am Rhein Düsseldorf and appeared at the Bavarian State Theater in Munich as a guest artist. Throughout this time, she worked under the tutelage of Hienz Spoerly and Konstanzia Vernon. Anna Marie Holmes’s directorship and continued her career as a principal dancer and was coached by Tatiana Terekhova and Sergei Berejnoi. In 1999, Ms. Koltun toured Russia, Lithuania and Ukraine with the San Francisco Ballet and participated in Gala des Etoile’s in Montreal, Vienna and Athens. 

From the period 2001-2005, Alexandra performed as a guest artist for the Dallas Fort Worth Ballet, toured in the Netherlands and Belgium, and was a permanent guest artist for Ballet San Jose. She also had the honor of collaborating with Danish choreographer Flemming Flindt, on his acclaimed productions of The Red Shoes and Miraculous Mandarin. 

Alexandra has been featured in Dance Magazine, Boston Globe, Boston Herald, NY Times, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury News, and Denver Post among others. She has also appeared on US television stations, and in various documentaries for Reuters Germany, and PBS, as well as the Kirov Ballet performances in Copenhagen, Denmark. 

In 2006-2009, Alexandra was a faculty member of Miami City Ballet under Edward Villella. Beside advances in her teaching skills, Alexandra staged numerous excerpts from classical ballets like Swan Lake, Le Corsaire, Paquita and others. In 2009, she helped run a summer program for Joffrey Ballet NY and was in charge of the recital. In 2009, Alexandra was appointed as a new Artistic Director of the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp. She created their Summer Program and presented the school students to YAGP. Under Alexandra’s direction, the school achieved (14) finalists, (1) 2nd place, and the Grand Prix in the European Final. In 2010-2011, Alexandra was a guest faculty member at the Boston Ballet Company and the School, consultant and a guest faculty at Hartford University’s Hartt School, and she was also a teacher and a coach at the annual Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) competition. 

Co-founded Koltun Ballet Boston with Alex Lapshin (her husband and also former principal dancer).