Lyubov Fominich
Lyubov Fominich was born August 20, 1952 in the city of Kurgan, Russia. At the age of seven, she entered into the ballet school of Chelyabinsk. After four years of study, considered the most capable girl in the school, she was advised to audition for the Perm Ballet Academy. In 1963, she was accepted into one of the most prestigious Ballet Academies in Russia graduating with distinction in 1970 in the class of well-known teachers L.Saharova and J. Plaht. That same year Fominich became a Soloist with the Perm State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, where she earned her a fast promotion to the rank of a Prima Ballerina of the company. She received the Gold Medal at the 1976 Moscow Ballet Competition. Together with the most prominent ballerinas of the Russian ballet theaters, such as I.Kolpakova, N.Kurgapkina, R.Struchkova, etc., Liubov became a constant and the youngest participant of the touring company "The Stars of Ballet."
In 1977, in honor of her and her comprehensive contribution to the art of ballet, Ms. Fominich was awarded the title "Honored Artist" of the Russian Federation. In 1979, she was invited to dance the central role of Kitri in the ballet "Don-Quixote" on the stage of the glorified Kirov (Mariinsky) Theatre in Saint Petersburg. An offer to join the company followed at once; however, she accepted the invitation of the State Opera and Ballet Theatre of Odessa, Ukraine, where she worked with the great ballet master Julius Plaht. In 1982, she left Russia and departed for her husband's home. There, after a debut in the role of Odette-Odile in "Swan Lake", she became a Prima Ballerina of the Sofia National Opera (SNO later reneamed Sofia National Ballet).
Ms. Fominich continued to tour worldwide as a member of the company and as a guest-star. She has worked with such well-known Ballet Masters as Y. Grigorovich, P. Lakot, A. Petrov, etc. and has a vast knowledge and experience in the classical as well as the contemporary repertoire. She has acted in several television ballet films, one which ("La Fille Mal Guardee") received the Bulgarian National Award for the best television film of 1985. In 1993, Mrs. Fominich left the stage and she engaged in pedagogical activity at the National Academy of Dance starting in 1984. She also remained as a teacher and Ballet Mistress at the theatre, sharing her rich stage experience with new generations of stars in the Sofia National Opera. Her reputation as a ballet teacher and coach quickly grew in and outside of Bulgaria, and she received an invitation to teach in Greece 1995-97, Korea 2001-02, and Turkey 2003.
Simultaneously, Ms. Fominich began studies with a specialty in "Ballet Directing" at the National Institute of Stage and Screen Arts graduating and earning a Masters Degree in 2004. As a director, she has carried out two brilliant jobs in the Sofia and Burgas Operas—the ballets "Paquita" and "La Bayadere." In the August of 2004, she received an invitation from Vladimir Issaev, Artistic director of the Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida, to join his company as a Ballet Mistress where she successfully trained and coached ballet dancers and students. In 2006, she joined the professional Kirov Ballet Academy in Washington, DC, where she worked and shared a wealth of knowledge and experience both in the classical and contemporary repertoire.