About Alhanko Academy of Ballet
Explore our programs, learn about our talented instructors, and find out how we support our students’ growth both on and off the stage.
Our Program
At Alhanko Academy of Ballet, we provide specialized training in classical ballet and complementary dance styles, ensuring a well-rounded education that prepares students for a professional ballet career.
Students train 5-6 days a week, based on their grade level:
Grades 4-5 train 5 days a week, while Grades 6-9 train 6 days a week.
Classical Ballet Training
Our core program focuses on classical ballet, offering a solid foundation in technique and artistry. Classes are structured to progressively build skills from basic positions and placement to advanced techniques, with a strong emphasis on correct posture, alignment, and musicality.
Complementory Dance Styles
Jazz: Adds versatility and enhances performance skills.
Modern Dance: Encourages creativity, dynamics and fluidity.
Character Dance: Develops style and expressiveness through different cultural dance forms.
Repertoire: Offers experience with classical and contemporary ballet pieces.
Solo Repertoire: Focuses on individual performance skills, classical solos.
Performance Opportunities
Our students regularly showcase their hard work in performances, including our annual final event at Oscarsteatern. Throughout the year, we host workshops and masterclasses with renowned ballet professionals, and provide valuable stage experience by participating in prestigious competitions like YAGP and the Prix Du Nord.
Our Staff
At Alhanko Academy of Ballet, our students benefit from the expertise of a distinguished team of instructors.
Each teacher is committed to fostering talent and guiding students to reach their fullest potential through dedicated and personalized instruction.
Teachers
Mia began dancing at age three and joined the Royal Swedish Ballet School at twelve. A professional dancer with the Royal Swedish Opera from 1982, she performed major roles in classics like Swan Lake and Giselle. Mia has worked with renowned choreographers such as Rudolf Nureyev and Mats Ek, and has won awards including the Eurovision Dance Competition in 1985.
She aims to make ballet accessible and motivating, helping students reach their full potential.
Aleksandr is an outstanding teacher and choreographer with extensive experience from both Russia and Europe. He holds a master’s degree in choreography from the prestigious Vaganova Ballet Academy (2013-2015) under Professor Nikolai Boyarchikov and has won several choreography competitions.
During his career, Aleksandr has worked with the classical repertoire as well as contemporary choreographers such as Hans Van Manen and has broad teaching experience, including Creation of ice skating dance performances.
He has been a dancer at the Cheiyabinsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater of Glinka, the Ekaterinburg State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater and the St Petersburg Festival Ballet.
Aleksandr has danced both soloist and lead roles during his career as a dancer and participated in several international tours.
Magdalena joined the Royal Swedish Ballet School at nine and danced with the Norwegian Opera before returning to the Royal Swedish Opera.
With extensive experience in leading roles and performances, she has worked with choreographers like Birgit Cullberg and Sir Peter Wright.
Magdalena also has a strong background in choreography and has created pieces for prestigious events and companies.
Trained at the Conservatoire in Paris and Rosella Hightower Superior School of Dance, Kusi has danced with major companies such as Ballet de l’Opéra National de Bordeaux and English National Ballet.
Now a ballet teacher and certified Pilates instructor, Kusi brings a wealth of knowledge from her international career, including work with prominent choreographers like John Cranko and George Balanchine.
Oskar Störtebecker is a trained musical theater performer and actor. He has studied at the Stockholm Musical Theater Education at Base23, was a scholarship recipient at Millennium Dance Complex in Los Angeles, and attended the dance program at House of Shapes.
Oskar has extensive experience as a dancer and performer, having appeared in both TV productions and stage shows such as Scalarevyn, the TV series Vuxna Människor and Gåsmamman, as well as Showkoncept and Allsång på Skansen, among others.
He is a dedicated and driven individual who constantly seeks to grow. As an artist, one is never truly “finished,” and it is his curiosity about personal growth, along with the desire to touch people with his artistry, that motivates him every day.
Alena, a graduate of the Stockholm University of Dance and a professional dancer from Ukraine, has worked with character dance companies across Eastern Europe.
In Sweden, she has taught at institutions including Danshögskolan and the Royal Swedish Ballet School. Alena’s expertise in character dance and choreography enriches our curriculum and inspires students.
Emma was trained at the Royal Swedish Ballet School and the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg. She has performed with the Royal Swedish Ballet and at the Mariinsky and Hermitage Theatres in Russia.
Emma has also trained at prestigious schools such as the Royal Ballet School in London, the Paris Opera Ballet School, the School of American Ballet in New York, the Royal Danish Ballet School, and the Académie de Danse Princesse Grace in Monaco. She participated in the Nordic Baltic Ballet Competition as the youngest in the senior category and has received the Carina Ari Memorial Fund scholarship three years in a row.
“My motto is to spread the joy of dance and show that anything is possible if you want it.”
Today, Emma is also a trained physiotherapist.
Pauline danced with the Royal Swedish Ballet for four years, performing both Soloist and Corps de Ballet roles in works by world-renowned choreographers such as Natalia Makarova, George Balanchine, Rudolf Nureyev, Mats Ek, and William Forsythe. Her international career has also included notable moments with the Finnish National Ballet and the Bavarian State Ballet.
In addition to her professional stage achievements, Pauline was a Top 12 finalist in the prestigious Youth American Grand Prix finals in New York.
As a certified Yoga Teacher, Pauline integrates mindfulness into her teaching, encouraging students to enhance their performance through focusing on the breath while dancing.
Jenny received her professional training at the Ballet Academy in Stockholm and continued her studies for many years in New York, where she also began her dance career. She has worked with Skånes Dance Theater, Helena Franzén, Melodifestivalen, and more. Jenny has taught at institutions like Ballet Academy, Dansens Hus in Copenhagen, Tel Aviv Dance Center, and Skånes Dance Theater.
After many years in Portugal, where she ran her own dance studio and company, The Movement LAB, Jenny has now returned to Sweden.
“My classes are a blend of the experiences I’ve gathered over the years, with a special focus on musicality and expression. I want to help my students find freedom and joy in dance.”
Management
Mia began dancing at age three and was accepted into the Royal Swedish Ballet School at twelve. By 1982, she was a professional dancer at the Royal Swedish Opera. She quickly rose to prominence, performing lead roles in productions such as The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Swan Lake, and Don Quixote.
Mia has collaborated with renowned choreographers like Rudolf Nureyev, Ulysses Dove, and Jiri Kylian.
In 1985, Mia won the Swedish Eurovision Dance Competition and earned a bronze medal at the final in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Between 1988 and 1992, she danced as a soloist at Zürich Opera, Vienna State Opera, and Deutsche Oper am Rhein. She was the first Swedish dancer to perform in the Vienna New Year’s Concert in 1991 and has appeared in major galas worldwide, dancing with international ballet stars.
Certified in Pilates from Stockholm Pilates Center, Mia aims to break the barrier that ballet is difficult.
She focuses on teaching students how to train effectively, fostering motivation and self-discipline. Her philosophy is “Everything is possible!”.
She believes that with dedication, students can achieve more than they ever imagined.
Karin was accepted into the Royal Swedish Ballet School at the age of 7 and continued her education at the newly established Royal Swedish Ballet Gymnasium. At 18, she joined the Royal Swedish Opera Ballet. After becoming a finalist in the New York International Ballet Competition in 1987, she began an international career with Basel Ballet in Switzerland under Heinz Spoerli. During her years in Switzerland, she toured in Europe and the USA and gained experience working with reknowned choreographers in both classical and contemporary.
Karin later returned to the Royal Swedish Ballet and was appointed First Soloist. Her dance career included both principal and soloist roles, including a wide range of styles.
Selected ballets: The Nutcracker, Manon Lescaut, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Peer Gynt, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, and soloist roles in ballets by George Balanchine, as well as the role of Osilde (Isolde Blanchemain) in Tristan choreographed for her by Krzysztof Pastor.
In the neoclassical and modern repertoire, Karin has danced in works by William Forsythe, Angelin Preljocage, Mats Ek, Jiri Kilian, Maurice Béjart, Mathilde Monnier, Örjan Andersson, Krzysztof Pastor, and Hans van Manen.
She also performed the duet “By the Painless Arrow of Artemis,” choreographed for her and Jan Erik Wikström by Virpi Pahkinen.
Karin has guest-starred as a soloist in Symphony in C (Balanchine) in South Korea and performed at several galas in Europe.
Anneli Alhanko is an internationally acclaimed Prima Ballerina Assoluta and the first to be appointed as a Court Dancer by HM the King.
Since her debut at 17 in The Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House, personally selected by Rudolf Nureyev, the world’s stages have been her domain.
Her grace, dramatic talent, and unique artistry have made her a ballet icon. Throughout her career, Anneli has been recognized as a leading lyrical ballerina and has left an unforgettable mark on Swedish ballet history.
Auditions
At Alhanko Academy of Ballet, we hold auditions to identify passionate and talented students who are ready to embark on a challenging and rewarding ballet education. Our auditions are designed to evaluate each dancer’s technical skills, artistic potential, and commitment to the art of ballet.
Prospective students are invited to demonstrate their abilities through a series of exercises and routines, guided by our instructors.
The audition process helps us ensure that each student is well-suited for our comprehensive training program and committed to their development as a dancer.
For details on upcoming audition dates and registration, please Contact Us directly.
We look forward to seeing you and exploring the possibilities of your ballet journey with us!
Our Alumnis
We take great pride in the achievements of our alumni, who have made their mark in prestigious ballet institutions and professional companies worldwide.
This Year’s 2024 Graduates
We are excited to share that our 2024 graduates have secured spots in highly esteemed ballet programs.
Juliette Larrson: KHIO – Oslo National Academy of the Arts
Maria Olsson: The Royal Swedish Ballet School
Kira Rietschel Gink: Central School of Ballet, London
Additionally, two of our dancers have been selected for the Royal Ballet School’s Summer Intensive in London.
From Alhanko to the World
Several of our former students have established themselves as professional dancers in renowned ballet companies worldwide.
Among them are Evelina Andersson at Leipzig Ballet, Ossian Montemartillo at The Croatian National Ballet, and Isabel de la Cruz at Josef Kajetan Tyl Theater in the Czech Republic. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and look forward to following their continued success.
In addition to this, our former students have achieved remarkable success and have been offered positions in prestigious institutions such as:
The Royal Swedish Ballet School, The English National Ballet School, Balettschule Theater Basel, Kirov Academy in Washington DC, The Royal Ballet School in London, Accademia Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Joffrey Ballet School in the USA, The Royal Ballet School in Antwerp, Perm State Choreographic College, State Ballet Academy in Munich and many others.
