DUSANKA GRADISKI-IVANOVA, MFA
4201 Brigadoon Cir.
Clearwater, FL 33759,
Cell: 727-488-7602
e-mail: duska_ivanova@hotmail.com
www.duska-ballet.com

Ballet Teacher and Choreographer

HIGHLIGHTES OF QUALIFICATIONS

• Experienced and highly qualified ballet instructor (Vaganova method) and choreographer
• Former principal dancer at the Macedonian National Ballet Theater
• Former Ballet Mistress at the Macedonian National Ballet Theater
• Choreography for full-length ballets and operas
• Classical ballet, point and jazz
• Extensive experience in organization of workshops, seminars and projects
• An expert in historical and character dance, choreography for plays


EDUCATION

• Secondary School: “Ilija Nikolovski Luj Music and Ballet School”, 1979 - 1983 ( Prof. Gjurgjica Jovanovska )
• Ballet specialty training at the Vaganova Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia, 1985 – 1986 ( Prof. Ekaterina Kokorina )
• Graduate studies in (BA) in Ballet Instruction, Choreography and Direction from the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 1994 – 1998 ( Prof. Irina Trofimova - St. Pete Vaganova Ballet Academy - Russia, Prof. Peter Loukanov and Prof. Lili Draguleva - Sofia, Bulgaria )
• Postgraduate studies (MFA) in Ballet Instruction, Choreography and Direction from the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 1998 - 2000 ( Professors: Irina Trofimova, Peter Loukanov and Lili Draguleva )


PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2007– present
Florida Dance School and West Florida Ballet School, Palm Harbor, FL - Artistic Director and Ballet Pedagogue. Teaching classical ballet ( Vaganova method ), pointe, repertoire, character dance, modern dance, jazz and choreography. Choreographed and staged the following recitals: “The Four Seasons", "Nutcracker", “The Sleeping Beauty”.

2007
Master class in classical Ballet in Palm Harbor, FL

2004 - 2005
Macedonian National Theater (MNT). Private ballet instruction/coaching (trained a student for the part of Amoretti, Don Quixote).

2003
6 month contract to teach classical ballet, jazz and choreography in the U.S.
Taught master classes in classical ballet, historical and character dance.
Dance World Academy, Randolph, NJ and the West Side Dance Academy, Fair Lawn, NJ

2000 - 2002
Ballet Department Head at the “Ilija Nikolovski Luj Music and Ballet School”, Macedonia

2001 - 2002
Ballet Mistress for the Ballet Company of the Macedonian National Theatre

1994 - 1996
Member of ITI, International Theatrical Board in Macedonia (involved in selecting performing companies from around the world to tour Macedonia)

1988 - 2007
Ballet Teacher, Choreographer, Rehearsal Specialist at the “Ilija Nikolovski Luj Music and Ballet School” (Luj), Macedonia

1983 - 1988
Soloist at the MNT (Macedonian National Theater) Ballet Company.

1980 - 1983
Luj Ballet Company, Macedonia - Artistic Director and Choreographer

MAJOR SOLO AND PRINCIPAL PERFORMANCES

Arabian Dancer (Nutcracker) at the Kirov (Mariinsky) Theatre – Leningrad (St. Petersburg, Russia)
Snake (Elan), MNT
Fairy (Giselle), MNT
Fairy (Cadets’ Dance), MNT
Dance of the Three Swans (Swan Lake), MNT
Sylphide (Illo Tempora), MNT
Black Woman (Ad Absurdum), MNT
Reflection - guest performance in China at the “Days of Macedonian Culture”
Swan Lake - guest performance in France
The Legend of Dubrovnik - guest performance in Croatia
The Fountain of Bakhchisaray- guest performance in Slovenia and Croatia

CHOREOGRAPHIC WORKS

Opera choreography (at the Macedonian National Theater)

2001 - “ The West Side Story” - Leonard Bernstein
2001 - 2002 - “ Pagliacci” – Ruggero Leoncavallo
2001 - 2002 - “ La Forza del Destino” - Giuseppe Verdi
2001 - 2002 - “Rigoletto” - Giuseppe Verdi
2001 - 2002 - “ Aida” - G. Verdi
2002 - 2003 - “ Cavalleria Rusticana “ - P. Mascagni
2002 - 2003 - “ Turandot “ G. Puccini

Choreography for plays:


1993 - “Antigonus” - Kumanovo National Theatre, Macedonia
2000 - “Count Milivoj” – an MNT drama performance

Full-length ballets:

1992 - “For the unknown” ( Gilgamesh ) - Vangelis ( Macedonia )
1993 - “Last game” – compilation of several authors ( Macedonia )
1998 - “Golden feather “- W. A. Mozart (graduation project) ( Macedonia )
2008 - “The Four Seasons” - A. Vivaldi ( Clearwater - Florida )

Major choreographic works created for the student’s concerts at the Luj National School of Music and Ballet:

1990 - “ Dance of the flowers” – Tchaikovsky
1991 - “ Adagio” - Albinoni
1993 - “ The Sounds of Love” – Kenny G
1994 - “ Childish tempers” – E. Grieg
1996 - “ Tiny fox” - P. Atanasovski
1997 - “ Pictures from the Ballet For the Unknown” – Vangelis
1998 - “ Synthesis”, Enigma ( modern choreography for ballet dancers and karate experts)
2001 - “Impressions” - A. Ponkieli
2002 - “ Dance” - M. Oldfield



WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS

(organized by Dusanka Gradiski- Ivanova for Ilija Nikolovski Luj National School of Music and Ballet and the Macedonian National Theatre)

1998 - “ A week of classical ballet “ with professor Irina Trofimova from St. Petersburg, Russia
1999 - “ Modern and Jazz Dance Seminar” with professor Derek Williams and Christopher Hustert from Essen, Germany
2000 - “A week of Modern Ballet “ with professor Tim Golier from Berlin, Germany and Elisabeth Griovska from Rotterdam – Netherlands

(Seminars were attended by students and teachers from Bulgaria, Albania, Croatia, Serbia and Macedonia.)


PARTICIPATED IN PROJECTS ORGANIZED BY THE SOROS FOUNDATION IN SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE

1996 - “ Art for Social Changes”, Bulgaria
1999 - “Management of Cultural Projects”, Macedonia
1999 - “Independent Project Management”, Macedonia
2000 - “ Audience Development”, Macedonia
2001 - “ Dance against violence”, European Cultural Foundation, Germany
2002 – “ Our voice”, Macedonia