About ZBS

The mission of ZBS is to train and develop young students with the excellence required for a professional career in ballet. Instructors are chosen for their abilities to help the student obtain an international level of expertise.

The Zamuel Ballet School (ZBS) offers a professionally oriented ballet program with classes in technique, pointe, character, classical variations, and contemporary variations. ZBS has established itself as a superior training ground for aspiring ballet dancers.

Students of German and Valentina Zamuel have distinguished themselves through their professional careers as principal and leading dancers at major companies around the world and acceptance at many of the country’s leading Ballet Programs: San Francisco Ballet School; World Masters in Vail; Kirov Academy in Washington DC; American Ballet Theater School; Pacific Northwest Ballet School; North Carolina School of the Arts; Walnut Hill School; National Ballet of Canada School; Suzanne Farrell Intensive; Harid Academy; Boston Ballet School; Washington Ballet School; and the School of American Ballet.

Performance is an important part of the students dance education and ZBS will train students to share their joy of dance with an audience. Studio   performances and formal stage productions, including an annual Nutcracker performance, are the highlights. Through performance, students acquire a focus, discipline, and love of the art that will enrich their lives and may lead to a professional career in dance.

ZBS Faculty

German Zamuel graduated from the world-renowned Vaganova Russian Ballet Academy. He danced professionally in leading roles throughout the former Soviet Union, Europe, South America, and the United States. Mr. Zamuel was a principal dancer and choreographer of the Maliy Theatre of Opera and Ballet, St. Petersburg, Russia and professor of choreography at the All Union College of Arts and Culture, St. Petersburg. Following his performance career, Mr. Zamuel served for 11 years as senior teacher at The Royal Ballet School in London, as principal teacher at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School, as director of Pittsburgh Ballet Theater II, and as ballet teacher for the New York Conservatory of Dance. Mr. Zamuels students have won numerous awards including six medals (two of them gold) by Tetsuya Kumakawa and Christopher Wheeldon at the Prix de Lausanne, the worlds foremost dance competition.  For five years Mr. Zamuel has been awarded the "Outstanding Teacher" award from the Youth America Grand Prix.

Valentina Moukhanova Zamuel is also a graduate of the prestigious Vaganova Russian Ballet Academy. She danced as a principal dancer with the Maliy Theater of Opera and Ballet, as well as guest artist with the Kirov Ballet. Ms. Moukhanovas roles include Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Giselle in Giselle, Nikia in La Bayadere, Medora in Le Corsaire, Swanhilda in Coppelia, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Carmen in Carmen Suite, and Firebird in The Firebird. In 1980 she received the Meritorious Artist of Russia award from the government. Ms. Moukhanova was a senior teacher at The Royal Ballet School in London for 12 years before coming to Colorado.

Marina Oreshkevich is a graduate of the Perm State Choreographic School and the Russian State Academy for Theatre Art. She danced as a soloist and principal dancer with Moisseyevs Folk Dance Company and later taught in the Academic Folk Dance Company of the Russian Federation of Moscow, earning numerous awards. She brings a wealth of teaching experience in classical ballet, historical character, and folk dance, to the Zamuel Ballet School.

Marina Stillman received her formal ballet education at the Academy of Choreography in Baku, Azerbaijan, where she studied the Vaganova Method for eight years. She spent two years of practical training at the Azerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theatre. She continued her education at the Art and Dance College in Tver, Russia, where she graduated with honors. Since 1999, Marina has taught at several dance studios in California, Arizona, Hawaii and Colorado. She has joined Zamuel Ballet School faculty in 2009.

Alexis Corcoran, has been dancing consistently for upwards of thirteen years. She began competitive dance at eight years old and has received several titles such as "1st place" for solos and a ballet duet, "Olympic Miss Dance Diva" in 2006, and "Dancer of the Year Runner Up" in 2007 for her contemporary solo. She attended workshops and intensives such as NYCDA (where she was a semi-finalist two years in a row) and BHUMAN DANCE. When Alexis moved to Colorado Springs, she began to study at ZBS under German and Valentina, and she performed several roles such as Princess in The Firebird, Dew Drop and Snow Soloist in The Nutcracker. She also earned a place in the Top Twelve at Grand Prix for a self-choreographed contemporary routine in 2009, and 'Athlete of the Week' for KOAA television in 2010. She is honored and excited to teach and inspire at Zamuel Ballet School.

Nina Miller, accompanist, knew early on what her lifes work would be: Play the piano!  In fact, it was at the age of 5 when she first started taking piano lessons.  Since then, she has performed to audiences all over the world including St. Petersburg Russia, Porto Portugal, Finland, Perm Russia, Sicily Italy, Tokyo Japan and of course Colorado Springs.  After graduating from the College of Mussorgsky in 1990 and St. Petersburgs Conservatoire in 1996, she worked as ballet pianist at the Leningrad Ballet Company in St. Petersburg until 2000.  In 2000, she began working in Tokyo Japan as a ballet pianist with R-Studio and the New Tokyo National Theatre.  She also had performances at the Russian Embassy and an episode of SMAP TV show for Fuji TV.  A resident of Colorado Springs since 2004, Nina works with the Zamuel Ballet School, is an accompanist for Widefield School District #3 and piano teacher to many lucky students.