Faculty
Hagop Kharatian
Artistic Director
Hagop Kharatian trained at the Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia and the Kirov Academy in Washington, DC with many renowned teachers including Konstantin Sergeyev, Natalya Dudinskaya, Alla Sizova and Roudolf Kharatian. He has worked as a principal dancer with the Washington Ballet, Hartford Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens and Milwaukee Ballet, and as a guest principal dancer with many companies throughout the United States and Canada including Sarasota Ballet, Indianapolis Ballet, Washington Ballet, Ballet Met, Los Angeles Classical Ballet and Les Ballets Classiques de Montreal. He has also appeared as principal guest artist in numerous festivals and galas and has been featured in programs such as “Suzanne Farrell Stages Balanchine” for the Kennedy Center’s 25th Anniversary Celebration and “Tribute to Kolpakova”, partnering such renowned ballerinas as Maria Calegari, Helene Alexopoulous and Leslie Browne. He has appeared on PBS in Alonzo King’s Map for the September 11th Relief fund and in a documentary about the making of Anna Karenina, and has been featured in Dance Magazine.
Mr. Kharatian has performed the main principal roles of the classical and contemporary repertoire in ballets including Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Coppelia, Cinderella, Le spectre de la rose, L’apres-midi d’un faune, Firebird; Balanchine’s Apollo, Prodigal Son, Theme and Variations, Monumentum/Movements, Valse Fantasie, Divertimento #15, Chaconne, Tzigane, and Slaughter on Tenth Avenue; Andre Prokovsky’s Anna Karenina, Fernand Nault’s Nutcracker and Carmina Burana, Anthony Tudor’s Pillar of Fire, Kurt Jooss’ Green Table, Nacho Duato’s Duende, William Forsythe’s Approximate Sonata, James Kudelka’s Desir, Choo San Goh’s Fives and Momentum, as well ballets by Mark Godden, Alonzo King, Nils Christe, Graham Lustig, Ohad Naharin, Margo Sappington, Roudolf Kharatian and many others. He has also worked with such well-known directors, teachers and repetiteurs as Suzanne Farrell, Ib Anderson, Patricia Neary, Victoria Simon, Alla Osipenko, Vladilen Semyonov, Lupe Serrano, Maria Youskevitch, Oleg Vinogradov, Larry Rhodes, Gradimir Pankov and Martin Fredmann.
Mr. Kharatian has extensive experience as a ballet teacher and coach both nationally and internationally, with professional ballet companies and pre-professional schools and summer programs. From 1999 to 2009, he was principal guest teacher and coach for ARKA Ballet in Washington, DC and since 2008 has been a guest teacher and coach with the National Ballet of Armenia. Some of the other schools and companies he has taught and coached include the Washington School of Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet School, Les Ballets Classiques de Montreal, Dance Art Center, Seiskaya Ballet Academy from where one of his students, Cory Stearns, is currently a Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre (read more). He started teaching at Arizona School of Classical Ballet in 2011, and in 2014 he became the Artistic Director. During those years, his students have won numerous awards at local and international ballet competitions. His choreographic works include The Nutcracker, The Firebird, La Bayadère, Sleeping Beauty and various other classical ballet productions.
In 2023 Arizona School of Classical Ballet was renamed ARKA Ballet Academy. Mr. Kharatian is continuing to bring the best out of his students by mentoring the next generation of young dancers to achieve their excellence.
Irina Abramyan
Artistic Director
Irina Abramyan started her career at the State "Barekamutiun" Dance Academy in Yerevan, Armenia. After graduating from the State Academy, she became a company member of the "Barekamutiun" Dance Ensemble. After dancing in this ensemble for a couple of years, she joined the National Ballet of Armenia where she danced all the company's repertoire. In 2006, Ms. Abramyan traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia where she became the Artistic Director of “Nairi Dance Company”.
In 2011, Ms. Abramyan was invited to choreograph for the Milwaukee Ballet’s II (trainee company) graduation program.
In 2012, she relocated to teach and choreograph in several ballet schools in Arizona, including Arizona School of Classical Ballet. During her leadership, she choreographed many classical and contemporary ballet pieces including, The Nutcracker, The Firebird, The Fifth Position and restaged The Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, La Bayadère, etc.
From 2015-2023 Ms. Abramyan was the Artistic Director of the Arizona School of Classical Ballet in Phoenix, Arizona. Her students have been invited to Youth America Grand Prix Finals in New York City and Tampa. Her choreographic achievements include “Dle Yaman” and “The Storm” received 1st place overall as well as the Judges’ Choice and Poetic Vision Awards. Her choreography for Raffi Galstvan, “The Beast in Me” received 2nd place at Tallinn International Ballet Competition Finals. Her student also received an invitation to YAGP Finals in NYC. Ms. Abramyan was recognized by Mr. Boris Eifman, and her student Raffi became the Principal Dancer of the National Ballet of Armenia. In 2019, she received “The Best Choreographer” Award at WBAC Grand Prix International Competition. Her choreography “Warrior Princess” received 4th place overall at WBAC Grand Prix Finals in Canada. In 2022, Ms. Abramyan choreographed solos, duets and ensembles that were recognized at the Finals in Tampa. Her duet “The Crane”, by Armenian genius composer Komitas, got special attention from judges and in 2023 she choreographed “The Swans” which received 2nd place and received an opportunity to perform at Gala. Her choreography “The Apricot Tree” and “Amadeus”, choreographed for her daughter, was also recognized by various international competitions and was invited to perform at YAGP NYC Finals 25th Anniversary.
In 2023 Arizona School of Classical Ballet was renamed ARKA Ballet Academy. Mrs.Abramyan is continuing to bring the best out of her students by mentoring the next generation of young dancers to achieve their excellence.