Faculty
Hagop Kharatian
Artistic Director
Hagop Kharatian trained at the Vaganova Ballet 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, Indiannapolis 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 repetiteur, 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 repetiteur 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. Since 2011, he has been working with Arizona School of Classical Ballet and teaching at many valley schools.
Irina Abramyan
Artistic Director
Irina Abramyan started her dance 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 “The Nairi Dance Company”.
In 2011, after arriving in the United States, she choreographed for the Milwaukee Ballet’s II (trainee company) graduation program.
In 2012, she was invited to teach in several ballet schools in Arizona. Ms. Abramyan was teaching Ballet, Pointe, Variations, Contemporary, Pilates, International Dances, Argentinean Tango, Character, etc.
In March of 2014, she became the owner and the Artist Director of the Arizona School of Classical Ballet. All of The Arizona School of Classical Ballet’s productions succeeded under her leadership.
Timeline of Achievements:
2008- She was the Artistic Director for the dance department at the Armenian Orange Fitness Club.
2015-2023-ASCB students of Ms. Irina were invited to YAGP’s Finals in New York City and Tampa.
2017- The “Dle Yaman” and “Storm” contemporary pieces, took 1st place overall at KAR Dance Competition and received the Judges’ Choice Award and Poetic Vision Award. These pieces also have been recognized at YAGP Finals in New York City.
2018- Her Choreography for Raffi Galstyan, “The Beast in Me” took 2nd place at Tallinn International Ballet Competition, and received an invitation to compete at YAGP Finals in NYC. Many renowned choreographers, including Mr. Boris Eifman, complemented this contemporary piece and Raffi became the Principal Dancer of The National Ballet of Armenia.
2019- Ms. Abramyan received “The Best Choreographer” Award at WBAC Grand Prix International Competition. Also, her choreography “Warrior Princess” received 4th place overall at WABC Finals.
2022- Her choreographed solos, duets, and ensembles were all recognized at the Finals in Tampa. Her duet “Crane” under Armenian genius composer Komitas got special attention from all the judges.
2023- Ms. Irina is creating “Abramyan Ballet Coaching”. This program will transform pre-professional students, who are serious about the art of Ballet, to pursue their journey of becoming professional dancers and artists.