Leadership & faculty bios

Guiding the Next Generation

Under the guidance of Artistic Director George Birkadze, the leadership and faculty of American Classical Ballet (ACB) bring decades of international performance, choreography, and educational expertise to training the next generation of professional dancers. Our mission is to mentor each artist with artistic insight, technical excellence, and integrity, fostering discipline, creativity, and confidence. Led by a team that includes former Principal Dancer Ashley Ellis and Executive Director Heather Centurioni, ACB combines world-class performance experience, strategic leadership, and individualized guidance to ensure dancers develop the strength, artistry, and versatility required to thrive in today’s dynamic dance world.

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

George Birkadze

George Birkadze is a Georgian-born ballet dancer, choreographer, and dance educator. He was born in Tbilisi, Georgia and began his dance training at the National Academy of Dance of Tbilisi under Vakhtang Chabukiani.

Birkadze continued his studies in Moscow at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy under Genady Ladiah, where he graduated with Honours in Classical Ballet, Pas de Deux, and Traditional Dance. During his time in Moscow, he was awarded a Gold Medal for World History and Literature, and he also studied pedagogy, business administration, art direction, public relations, and marketing.

After completing his formal training, Birkadze joined the Kremlin Ballet under Ekaterina Maximova, performing works by Yuri Grigorovich, Andrei Petrov, and Vladimir Vasiliev. He received the Silver Medal in Russia and the Bronze Medal in Luxembourg in 1996 for his performances.

Birkadze has danced and choreographed throughout Europe, being promoted in 1999 to Principal Dancer with the Young Ballet of Catalonia. He served as Artistic Director of BMK Company, organizing international ballet galas.

As a choreographer, he has created works for Angel Corella’s company (including Macbeth, Taming of the Shrew, and Celaje) and participated in productions at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona. He has also worked with major ballet artists and companies in Europe, Southeast Asia, and the United States.

Birkadze has traveled the world for choreography, teaching, and guest appearances at prominent institutions such as Boston Ballet, Ballet RI, Sarasota Ballet, Houston Ballet, Singapore Dance Theater, Ballet Philippines, and more.

He is involved in dance education leadership, including roles such as Artistic Director of the Classical Training Program at The Dallas Conservatory and leadership at American Classical Ballet.

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Ashley Ellis

Ashley Ellis is an American ballerina and former Principal Dancer with Boston Ballet. Originally from Torrance, California, she trained at South Bay Ballet and attended major summer intensives including American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, and the School of American Ballet. She began her professional career with American Ballet Theatre Studio Company before joining the main company, later dancing as a soloist with Corella Ballet in Spain and Sarasota Ballet.

In 2011, she joined Boston Ballet, where she rose to Principal Dancer in 2013 and performed leading roles in the classical and contemporary repertoire, including Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Le Corsaire, Jewels, and Onegin. She retired from the stage in 2021 after an international career spanning two decades.

Ellis has since continued her work in training and mentorship, bringing extensive performance experience and a deep understanding of classical technique to the next generation of dancers.

Faculty of Excellence & Wellness

The American Classical Ballet faculty is composed of internationally trained educators, former principal and professional dancers, coaches, and wellness specialists dedicated to developing technically strong, artistically refined, and resilient dancers. Drawing upon distinguished training backgrounds from institutions including the Moldovan Academy of Ballet (Russian Vaganova Method), the School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theatre School, the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Moscow, and leading ballet academies throughout Europe and the United States, our faculty bring decades of professional performance and pedagogical experience to the studio. Their careers have spanned prestigious companies and institutions such as the Moldavian National Opera and Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, New York City Ballet, The Israeli Ballet, Ballet Panov, and numerous international touring productions. With expertise encompassing classical ballet pedagogy, men's training, repertoire coaching, competition preparation, strength and conditioning, nutrition, and dancer wellness, the American Classical Ballet faculty is committed to cultivating technically accomplished, healthy, confident, and expressive artists prepared for success on stage and beyond.

Head Rehearsal Director

Olga Balbocean

Olga Balbocean is a seasoned ballet educator and the Head Rehearsal Director at American Classical Ballet, where she leads ballet, pointe, repertoire, and coaching for advanced students. She trained in the former Soviet Union, graduating from the Moldovan Academy of Ballet Dance (Russian Vaganova Method) and the University of Musical Theatre and Fine Arts in Chisinau, and enjoyed a distinguished career as a professional dancer and ballet master.

After performing with companies including the Moldavian National Opera and Ballet, Ballet Russe (U.K.), and the Crown of Russian Ballet (Moscow), she transitioned into teaching and artistic direction, also serving as Artistic Director of her own ballet school. Olga has earned recognition for her pedagogical excellence, including the Outstanding Teacher Award (Youth America Grand Prix) and the Honor Teacher Award (Washington D.C. Grand Prix), and continues to coach dancers for competition, performance, and professional development.

Faculty

Tim Fox

Tim Fox is a distinguished ballet educator and faculty member at American Classical Ballet, where he teaches ballet, men’s class, and coaching. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he began his training with Moscelyne Larkin and Roman Jasinski—founders of Tulsa Ballet—and earned a Ford Foundation Scholarship to study at both the School of American Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre School in New York City.

During his time at SAB, he performed featured roles in works by George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins and was invited by Balanchine himself to join the New York City Ballet. Mr. Fox went on to have a celebrated performance career as a principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet under Helgi Tomasson, dancing leading roles in ballets by Balanchine, Robbins, Jirí Kylián, Michael Smuin, Paul Taylor, and more.

After retiring from the stage, he built a successful teaching career with institutions including The Washington Ballet, The Boston Ballet School, Ballet Academy East (NYC), Maryland Youth Ballet, and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. His broad experience and deep musicality bring invaluable insight to students at all levels.

Faculty

Mariia Rubenstein

Mariia was born in Russia and began her athletic training at age four at an Olympic Reserve School of Gymnastics in Moscow. She later transitioned to ballet, continuing her studies at the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Moscow. In 2015, she graduated from the Moscow Choreographic Academy at the Gzhel Theater, earning her professional diploma as a Professional Ballet Dancer. That same year, she moved to Italy, where she taught choreography and obtained certification as a Qualified Ballet Dancer and Teacher from the Russian Ballet College Genova.

Following her certification, Mariia performed with The Israeli Ballet and, beginning in 2016, danced and taught professionally with Ballet Panov in Israel. In 2018, she relocated to Dallas, Texas, expanding her professional scope and later earning credentials as a Certified Nutritionist and Health Coach (ISSA / IIN). Since 2022, she has served as Director of Ovsyanka LLC, continuing her work at the intersection of dance, wellness, and performance development.

Faculty

Julia Drusch

Julia Drusch began her classical ballet training in Arlington, Texas, where she studied the Vaganova method, receiving multiple awards at prestigious competitions and earning scholarships to renowned ballet schools around the the world.

Following her training, Ms. Drusch joined American Classical Ballet in its inaugural season and danced with the company for four years, performing both soloist and principal roles. Her repertoire includes Odile in Swan Lake, Myrtha in Giselle, and featured gala performances staged by George Birkadze and Ashley Ellis. She also performed internationally as both a soloist and guest artist in productions of The Nutcracker and Swan Lake throughout Europe and the the United States. Her additional performance experience includes Napoli Pas de Six, Yakobson's Pas de Quatre, Don Quixote, Cinderella, Coppélia, Sleeping Beauty, and numerous other classical and contemporary works.

Now dedicated full-time to coaching and education, Ms. Drusch is a ballet instructor and NASM-certified Personal Trainer, coaching aspiring dancers of all levels. She specializes in evidence-based strength training specifically designed for dancers. Her passion for helping each student reach their fullest potential while minimizing injuries drives her teaching philosophy. Ms. Drusch is committed to developing technically strong, healthy, confident, and artistic dancers, both in and out of the studio.

Faculty

Nadia Daniel

Naida Daniel began dancing at the age of 4 and discovered her passion for choreography at the age of 12, beginning to choreograph at 14 years old. Growing up in the small town of Winnsboro, Texas, she committed to a six-hour daily commute for eight years to pursue her training at The Dallas Conservatory, where she developed both her technical foundation and artistic voice.

She has also trained at the CLI Conservatory Summer Intensive, Moving Forward Dallas Summer Intensive, and Dallas Black Dance Theater Summer Intensive, studying with renowned artists including Blake McGrath, Natalia Bashkatova, Brian Friedman, Lucy Vallely, Jason Williams, Olga Pavlova, and Dwight Rhoden, among others. Her performance credits include the PBS All Arts TV film “Nostalgia,” choreographed by Micaela Taylor; Youth America Grand Prix International Finals (2022–2024), where she was honored to receive Top 12 Pas de Deux for a work choreographed by Megan Storey; and The Dallas Conservatory’s “The Nutcracker” (2018–2023). Throughout her training, she received numerous awards and prestigious scholarships.

For the past four years, Naida has been teaching, choreographing, and assisting throughout the DFW area. She is currently beginning her professional career with Bruce Wood Dance Dallas – Second Company “ROOTS” while pursuing a degree in psychology with the goal of guiding aspiring artists toward healthy, sustainable professional careers. She is passionate about creating a positive, encouraging environment where dancers can build confidence, artistry, and a genuine love for dance.