Artisitic Director | Ballet Academy of St. Petersburg

Artistic Director

Dusanka Gradiski Ivanova, PhD

Dr. Dusanka Gradiski Ivanova is an esteemed Artistic Director, Professor, Ballet Pedagogue and Choreographer with over 40 years of professional experience in the world of classical ballet.

Her dance education began in Skopje, Macedonia, where she graduated with honors from the State Music and Ballet School Center under Professor Gjurgjica Jovanovska, subsequently joining the National Opera and Ballet. In 1985, as a standout talent, she was awarded a scholarship from the Yugoslavian Ministry of Culture to train at the world-renowned Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia, under the tutelage of Professors Elvira Kokorina and Andrey Bossov. A highlight of her time in Russia was the privilege of performing as a soloist in the Arabian Dance in The Nutcracker on the historic stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, coached by the legendary Irina Gensler.

Dusanka graduated summa cum laude from the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Studying under masters such as Irina Trofimova (Russia) and Peter Loukanov (Bulgaria), she earned her bachelor’s degree in Ballet Pedagogy and dual master’s degrees in Ballet Pedagogy and Choreography & Directing, specializing in the Vaganova method in teaching classical ballet.

In February 2021, she reached the pinnacle of her academic career by earning her Doctor of Arts in Dance. Her PhD thesis, "The Role of the European School in the Creation of Ballet in America in the 20th Century," remains a significant contribution to the field of dance research.

Dusanka’s performance repertoire features an array of principal and solo roles in classical masterpieces and contemporary works, including The Nutcracker, Giselle, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, and The Fountain of Bakhchisaray. Her versatile stage career also includes featured roles in La Fille Mal Gardée, Graduation Ball (Cadet's Dance), Ellan, In Ilo Tempore, and Ad Absurdum. Beyond her home stage, she has appeared as a guest artist in prestigious venues across France, Germany, Switzerland, China, Serbia, Croatia, and the Netherlands.

Working as Ballet Mistress for the National Opera and Ballet of Macedonia (formerly Macedonian Opera and Ballet), Dusanka choreographed for a diverse range of operatic productions, including West Side Story, Pagliacci, La Forza del Destino, Rigoletto, Cavalleria Rusticana, Aida, and Turandot.

During her tenure at the State Music and Ballet School Center "Ilija Nikolovski-Lui" in Macedonia, Dusanka served as a Professor, Head of Department, Choreographer, and Rehearsal Specialist. Her creative contributions include a wide range of original works and classical stagings, such as Dance of the Flowers, Albinoni Adagio, The Sounds of Love, Childish Temper, Tiny Fox, Gilgamesh, Synthesis, and Impressions. Her choreographies for the National Opera and Ballet (formerly Macedonian Ballet) include acclaimed pieces such as For the Unknown - King Gilgamesh, Last Game, and Golden Feather.

Since moving to the United States in 2007, Dusanka has flourished as a ballet professor and prolific choreographer. She has staged and choreographed an impressive repertoire of full-length ballets, including Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, La Fille Mal Gardee, Coppélia, Raymonda, La Bayadère, Peter Pan, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Clara’s Christmas Dreams, Cinderella, and Paquita, as well as whimsical productions like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Dr. Dolittle.

Her versatile choreography has also been featured in major opera productions, including Florida Lyric Opera’s Amahl and the Night Visitors and New Century Opera’s stagings of Carmen, Iphigenia in Aulis, Macbeth, and Rienzi.

Dusanka’s extensive professional background includes teaching at Rehearsal Studios Off-Broadway in NYC and Dance World Academy in Randolph, New Jersey. In Florida, she has served as an Adjunct Professor at St. Petersburg College and as the Dance Director at Thurgood Marshall Fundamental Middle School. Her leadership experience includes tenures as Artistic Director for both the Florida Dance Center and Florida West Ballet. Additionally, she has shared her expertise as a Guest Professor at the University of South Florida (USF) School of Theatre & Dance, America's Ballet School & Tampa City Ballet, and the International Ballet of Florida, Sarasota.

On January 13, 2024, at the 12th Tesla Spirit Conference & Award Ceremony in New York City, Dr. D was honored with the Tesla Spirit Award Medal and a Letter of Gratitude from the Tesla Science Foundation USA. Notably, this was the first award of its kind ever presented for choreography. Shortly after, on February 24, 2024, in Miami, Florida she was also awarded a Tesla Spirit Award Golden Plaque for her choreography titled Tesla, a joint recognition from the Tesla Science Foundation in both the USA and Serbia.

In June 2024, the Music Center of Montenegro, MCCG in Podgorica invited her to lead a three-week technique intensive for their professional ballet ensemble.

In consecutive years, 2025 and 2026, at the 13th and 14th Tesla Spirit Conference & Award Ceremony in New York, Dr. D received awards from the Tesla Science Foundation for her choreographies Wireless Light and The Synergy of Opposites. These performances featured her students from the Ballet Academy of St. Petersburg, Florida, alongside athletes from the Shotokan Karate Club of Clearwater, Florida.

The Ballet Academy of St. Petersburg is proud to have Dr. D as their certified Vaganova method professor and Artistic Director, where she leads students toward their highest potential.

Beyond the studio, as dedicated researcher, she has contributed nine publications to international scientific journals and conferences across the USA and Europe.

Her global impact is reflected in her students, many of whom have secured professional contracts with ballet companies in the U.S., Europe, and Australia.