Spectacular dancing, gorgeous new costumes, hand-painted scenery and a hand-picked international cast with principal dancers from Ukraine, Tajikistan, and Armenia made the December 5 production of Swan Lake at the Arlington Theatre truly memorable. The dancers of International Ballet Stars (IBS), directed by the husband-wife team Artem Yachmennikov and Ekaterina Vaganova-Yachmennikova , are chosen from a wide range of countries, all winners of prestigious ballet competitions in Europe, the U.K, and the U.S., and coming from national ballet companies across the globe.
Their extensive North American tour, managed by Classical Arts Entertainment , began in October 2025 and will end in May 2026. The cast of more than 40 dancers is accompanied by a large staff who handles the costumes, sound, lighting, scenery, makeup, and accommodations. There is even a dedicated chef who manages their daily meals. How do they do it? According to co-director Vaganova-Yachmennikova, they receive no funds from any government and have no sponsors, but fund everything through their own organization.
As one would expect, with such pedigreed dancers, the dancing was impeccable. Swan Lake is one of the most challenging of all classical ballets, not just for the principals, but also for the demanding range of choreography for the swans and the folkloric soloists. The whole company was spectacular, indeed.