Elizabeth Kokaska – Sugar Plum

Elizabeth Kokaska is a dancer with Ballet Melange, and has studied with Elizabeth Shipiatsky, Sergii Sydorsky, and Maureen Breeze for many years. She has performed in a variety of classical repertoire including Le Corsaire, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Cipollino, Paquita, The Little Humpbacked Horse, Legends of Love, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty. In addition, she has performed diverse contemporary repertoire over the years. In 2020, she was selected to dance in the final round at the Grand Prix Kiev in Kiev, Ukraine. In 2022, at the Universal Ballet Competition, she was offered several scholarships for summer programs, along with a College Artistic Achievement Scholarship offer to attend Point Park University. In February 2023, she was offered many scholarships and received the Bronze medal at TANZOLMP in Berlin, Germany.

Sergii Sydorsky – Nutcracker Prince

Mr. Sydorskyi was born in Kiev, Ukraine. He was trained at the Kyiv State Ballet School and has won many international competitions and awards. He has been Principal dancer with the National Opera of Ukraine for many years and Dance Alive National Ballet in Florida. His extensive repertoire includes leading roles in numerous classical and contemporary ballet productions in Ukraine and around the world. He was given the esteemed title “Honored Artist of the Ukraine”. Mr. Sydorskyi earned a degree in dance, choreography and teaching from the famed Kyiv State Choreographic School, as well as a Master’s Degree in Theatrical Arts from the Kyiv National I. K. Karpenko-Kary Theatrical Arts University. Currently, Mr. Sydorskyi is Ballet Master in Ballet Melange and Classical Ballet Academy in Denver.

Douglas Horne – Rat King & Russian Dance

Douglas danced professionally after studying on full scholarships with American Ballet Theatre (New York), Miami City Ballet (Miami, FL), and Studio Maestro (New York). In June 2010 he was the Bronze Medal winner in the World Ballet Competition: and in June 2009 he was a finalist in The New York International Ballet Competition. Additionally, he was a semi-finalist in the renowned International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria. He won Gold in the senior classical division of the Youth American Grand Prix semifinals in Torrington, CT. In 2007 he won the Gold Medal in the senior division of the Youth Dance Festival in New Jersey. Mr. Horne has danced leading roles with the Orlando Ballet.

Roberto Vega – Nutcracker Doll & Lead Shepherd

Mr. Vega has been dancing with Dance Alive National Ballet from 2015. Prior to joining DANB, Mr. Vega was first soloist with the Cuban National Ballet. Mr. Vega has performed as soloist and first soloist with ballet companies all over the world, among them companies in the Dominican Republic, Canada, Nicaragua, Spain, Italy, Mexico, England, France, Australia, Puerto Rico, and the United States. He has danced leading roles in Giselle, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Nutcracker, Coppelia, Theme and Variations, Napoli, La Fille Mal Gardee, Time Out of Mind, and Flames of Paris among others. Featured and principal roles at DANB include the Firebird in Gerard Ebitz’s Firebird, all principal roles in The Nutcracker, A Haunted Swan Lake, Corroboree, The Ring, Lady Bug: Action Hero, ‘Puck’ in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, L’Amour, and Don Quixote. Mr. Vega is a virtuosic and versatile dancer and has a beautiful daughter, Valeria.

Sergiy Mykhaylov – Herr Drosselmeyer

1987– 1995: attended the Kiev State Choreographic College
1995 – 1998: National Ballet of Ukraine (soloist)
During these years, he also worked as a soloist with The Classical Ballet of Paris.
1998 – 2009: Orlando Ballet (as a principal dancer under the direction of Vasiliy Petrutiu, Fernando Bujones)

During this time, he was a principal guest artist in Boca Raton Ballet, Ocala Ballet, Terada Ballet Arts Academy (Japan), Cincinnati Orchestra, Orlando City Ballet, Russian Ballet Academy, Kansas City Ballet

2001 – 2009: Sarasota Ballet (as a principal dancer, under the direction of Robert de Warren. and Ian Webb). During this time, he was principal guest artist with Central Florida Ballet, Terada Ballet Arts Academy (Japan), Orlando City Ballet, Kingsport Ballet, Steward Ballet, Russian Ballet of Alafaya

1996: Silver Medal winner at Serge Lifar International Ballet Competition in Kiev
2002: Semi-finalist in USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi

He has taught and choreographed at Orlando Ballet School, Terada Ballet Academy in Japan, Sarasota Ballet School, Russian Ballet School of America in Orlando, Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida (Miami), Florida Ballet Arts Academy, and more.

In 2010, Sergiy Mykhaylov with his wife Darya Fedotova proudly opened the School of Russian Ballet in Sarasota/ Bradenton. In 2022 the school changed its name to International Ballet of Florida.

Carlos de Quesada– Fritz & Chinese Dance

Carlos began his ballet education at the International Ballet of Florida under Sergiy Mikhailov and Darya Fedotova. He continued his training at the Sarasota Cuban Ballet school and The Sarasota Ballet Margaret Barbieri Conservatory. The recipient of merit scholarships, he attended summer intensives locally as well as with Bolshoi Ballet in New York, Modas Dance in New Mexico, and Oklahoma City Ballet. Carlos was awarded a full scholarship for the year round program with Joffrey Ballet School in New York. As a student Carlos has danced Don Quixote’s Basilio, Giselle’s Albrecht, The Flames of Paris’ Marseillaise, The Sleeping Beauty’s Prince Florimund as well as contemporary works. Carlos also performed the role of the Gangster Rat in John Ringling’s Circus Nutcracker and the Clown soloist in Oklahoma City Ballet’s Matthew Hart’s The Nutcracker. Carlos is currently a member of the Gulf Coast Studio Company in Sarasota where he has danced the principal role in La Vivandiere and the Pas de Deux from Paquita. This December he danced the role of The Nutcracker.