trained and received her diploma in the pedagogy of ballet and character dance from the prestigious State Academy of Art and Culture in Chelyabinsk, Russia. Ms. Zhukova was a principal dancer with the State Ural Folk Choir and Dance Ensemble from 1975 to 1981, performing in several countries around the world.  Ms. Zhukova was the artistic director of the Municipal Children’s Dance Theater in Ekaterinburg, Russia, for thirteen years. Under her direction, students of the dance theater successfully participated in competitions in the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Turkey, and Finland. She received the Russian Federation’s honorable dance teacher award in the year 2000. Several of Ms. Zhukova’s former students have pursued dance careers, either as professional performers or dance instructors. Ms. Zhukova is also the author of a book on dance teaching methods, which has been well received by dance instructors in her native Russia. Prior to founding Ballet Academy in Lincoln Park, she was the artistic director of the Dmitri Roudnev Ballet School of Chicago, where she also taught ballet and character dance. Her ballet teaching is based on the Vaganova syllabus, which has proven to be highly successful with young children. Ms. Zhukova enjoys working with children and strives to help her students achieve their full dance potential.