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 Summer Intensive 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 the last five years Mr. Zamuel was 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.
Jordan Kennedy started ballet at the age of four in Shreveport, Louisiana. At the age of 10 she moved to Colorado Springs and studied under Valentina and German Zamuel. She performed in three Nutcrackers with ZBS in many different roles and from the 2007 school year she started to teach at ZBS. Jordan has participated in the Youth America Grand Prix and Denver Guild competitions and attended summer intensives at International Ballet School, Washington School of Ballet and at ZBS.
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.
