Ms.Tuya Tumennasan
Director
Ms. Tuya received her ballet training at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia, one of the most well known and influential schools of classical ballet in the world. Upon receiving her diploma in 1992, Ms. Tumennasan joined the Classical Opera and Ballet Theater in her native Mongolia. While building her classical repertoire as a professional dancer at the Classical Opera and Ballet Theatre, Ms. Tumennasan continued to compete in international dance competitions where she regularly received high marks for her clarity and strength of technique and for the passion of her performances. After moving to the United States with her husband, Mr. Ulzii Davaadorj, in 1996, Ms. Tumennasan continued her professional career, guesting with the National Ballet of New Jersey and the Granite State Ballet in Nashua, New Hampshire (now known as Northern Ballet Theatre), before joining the Russian Ballet Theater in Delaware as a principal dancer.
While with the Russian Ballet Theatre, Ms. While continuing to dance professionally, Ms. Tumennasan also honed her skills as a teacher, joining the faculty of the River Ballet in 1999. Ms. Tumennasan used her thorough knowledge of classical Russian technique, known as the Vaganova Method, to help young students develop their skills and performance abilities while instilling in them a love and appreciation for the world of ballet that is both steeped in history and yet relevant in a modern age. During this time, Ms. Tumennasan also worked extensively with a select set of students, chosen to compete nationally, to craft and refine their art of variation, pas-de-deux, and character. Upon moving to Virginia in 2008, Ms. Tumennasan began serving as a full-time faculty member at Adagio Ballet in Arlington, Virginia, where she worked with students of all ages. Throughout her teaching career, she has worked with students as young as 2 ½ while also continuing to train advanced students in the basics of classical Russian technique as well as in pointe work, variation and pas-de-deux.Tumennasan continued to perform as a guest artist, often with her husband, at the River Ballet, where she danced in the premiere of Mr. Davaadorj’s original work, Wolves. Ms. Tumennasan has also danced with the Pennsylvania Ballet Company where she again performed starring roles in the company’s full-length productions. Ms. Tumennasan’s repertoire includes leading roles in ballet classics such as The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote, Giselle, Le Corsaire, and the hallmark of the Russian balletic tradition, The Dying Swan. Her repertoire also includes contemporary selections such as Pointer Sisters En Pointe and An American in Paris. Ms. Tumennasan was also invited to participate in the Kennedy Center’s Balanchine Festival in 2004 where she danced in the Balanchine classic, Serenade.
