Anastasia Dunets
Anastasia Dunets was born in Leningrad. She received excellent choreographic training and education in the Vaganova Ballet Academy where she had the great fortune of studying under the tutelage of Natalia Dudinskaya and Konstantin Sergeev. She danced many featured roles under the guidance of Madame Dudinskaya, including the role of Summer in Sergeev’s ballet «Seasons», the pas de deux from «The Sleeping Beauty» and «Venetian Carnival» and the grand pas de deux from «Paquita» for the 250th-anniversary celebration of the Vaganova Ballet Academy in 1988. Anastasia also acted in several films about the Vaganova Ballet Academy and about Natalia Dudinskaya as well as in the film-ballet «Carnival». As a student, Ms. Dunets danced the role of Masha in «The Nutcracker» at the famed Mariinsky Theatre, with critics taking note of her superb technique and mature acting skills.
Upon graduation from the Academy, Ms. Dunets was awarded the 2nd place prize at the Vaganova International Ballet Competition. She joined the Mariinsky Ballet in September of 1988 where she worked with such acclaimed artists as Olga Moiseeva and Galina Kekisheva. As a member of the Mariinsky Ballet, Ms. Dunets toured internationally to Europe as well as the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and other countries. Ms. Dunets worked under the guidance of artistic director and choreographer Oleg Vinogradov. In 1993 she acted in his film «Coppelia», and in 1994 she played the role of the Sister in his staging of «Cinderella». This role allowed her to demonstrate her fine comedic acting skills.
In May of 1997, Ms. Dunets accepted an invitation to dance for the State Ballet Berlin. This productive time period was full of premieres and creative work with new choreographers such as P. Bart, P. Lacotte, U. Sholts, M. Bolduin, and others.
Beginning in August of 2000, Ms. Dunets started dancing with the Finnish National Ballet, joining by invitation of its famed choreographer and director Jorma Uotinen. Here she danced leading roles in George Balanchine’s «Serenade» and «Violin concerto», the role of Gamzatti in Natalia Makarova’s staging of «La Bayadere», and Godmother fairy in Ben Stevenson’s «Cinderella», Mirtha in Sylvie Guillem’s «Giselle». She also performed a leading role in Anna-Marie Holmes/Kevin McKenzie’s staging of «Raymonda», a unique collaboration between the Finnish National Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. In 2006 Anastasia receiving the PRO DANCE award for her role as Masha in John Neumeier’s «The Seagull». Two years later Ms.Dunets performed the great role of Arkadina in the same production and role of Mother in the «Blood Wedding» (choreographer Cathy Marston), both roles requiring formidable acting skills.
During her performing career, Ms.Dunets received a Bachelor degree in Arts in Ballet Pedagogic in the Vaganova Ballet Academy. She began teaching at the Dance Institute of Helsinki and the Finnish National Ballet School. 2015-2019 at the Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in Canada, and at the Kirov Academy of Ballet of Washington, DC, USA. Her students are awardees of many international ballet competitions and are dancing with such famous companies as John Neumeier’s Hamburg Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Boston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, The Washington Ballet, and Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet.
In 2015 Anastasia was awarded Order of Lion of Finland for achievements in the Field of Art.
As a professional choreographer, she worked as an Artistic Director for the choreographic projects in Finland, USA, Costa Rica, and Bulgaria. Ms. Dunets is an honorary guest teacher at International Dance Programs and a jury member at international ballet competitions in Europe.
