The American Dream

This is a story of my family, who I love and respect every day of my life and will not be able to thank them enough for everything that they have given me throughout my life.  They are the most wonderful parents, teachers, and the only role models that I will ever have.

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My parents, Vadim Fedotov and Irina Depler, just celebrated their 41 year Anniversary in April 28th, 2011 after only 1 month dating.  Their live story is one of a kind.

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Being born and raised in Kiev, Ukraine, they have spent almost their whole life as each others right hand.  Together they became one of the most respectful and recognizable ballet dancers in Europe and Asia: Vadim becoming world renown choreographer, and Irina -as one of the top training coaches in Europe.

Their lives consist of traveling around the world, performing on some of the most famous stages world wide, and partnering with the worlds’ greatest dancers.  Their theater was my world, my playground.  I think I spent more time sleeping in dancers’ dressing rooms, than I did in my own bed. Imagine 150 years of history in the Kiev theater: every wall, every corridor, costumes, back drops, and crystal chandeliers, – all of that was fascinating to a little girl, who lived in a fairy tale in the world of Ballet.  I remember my dad choreographing huge ballets with over 150 company members and my mom polishing his creations with her artistic touch.

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One of the countries that we have never been to was America.  In the fall of 1996 Vadim accepted an offer to choreograph 30 minute Nutcracker on ice at Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven, Florida.  During his 3 month stay, Barbara Riggins, former Artistic Director and founder of Southern Ballet Theater (now known as Orlando Ballet) saw Vadim’s production and invited him to teach a master class to the company members in Orlando.  The Company members where impressed and moved with the difference in Russian classes and training, and were all in favor of making Vadim a member of the company.  Accepting the offer was one of the most difficult decisions that had to be made, while making several trips back to Ukraine and deciding what should be the next step for the whole family.  They’ve spend their whole lives trying to build a stable future for my older sister, Darya, and myself; therefore, packing the bags, moving to a different country, and starting all over was not an easy decision.  Vadim and Irina took a chance; and both became members of Southern Ballet Theater in 1997 for the next 3 years.

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Vadim is a world-renown choreographer, and it was an honor for any ballet company to have him on their side.  Irina fast became the Ballet Mistress at the School of Southern Ballet (now known as School of Orlando Ballet) and main training coach for the company.  My sister, Darya Fedotova, and her husband, Sergiy Mikhailov, became principal company dancers at Southern Ballet Theater as well.  I was in school company and my mom became my ballet teacher.

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When you are born in a country where Arts is a part of your culture, it is very difficult to adapt to another country where it is not a part of everyone’s life.  In June 2000 we took a huge chance in opening our own ballet school at The Plaza Theater Downtown Orlando.  Without knowing anything about running an American business, we still have not given up.  Without speaking much English, first 6 months were  tough and almost hopeless; however, after our first Nutcracker production in December of 2000 at The Plaza Theater our luck turned around. The show was SOLD OUT and a huge success and started a very promising new beginning for The Russian Academy of Ballet in Orlando.

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Within 3 years Russian Academy of Ballet became one of the top 5 ballet schools in Central Florida and expanded to Winter Springs Florida, where we have purchased a second location, formally known as the Royal Dance Center and Orlando City Ballet, ran by Artistic Director Beatrix Aldana. Our family and Beatrix Aldana have been very good friends for years and had mutual understanding, respect, and passion for Ballet and Russian Ballet training in our blood.

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In the Summer of 2003, Ms. B (as it was remembered by her students) approached Vadim and Irina in a personal matter that is till this day a very sensitive subject to us all.  Beatrix informed us that she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had very little time to live.  Her only request was that Vadim and Irina agree to take her ballet studio under their wings, because they were the only people in Orlando who, she trusted her girls to and shared the same passion and techniques for Ballet and Arts in this community.

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It was a challenge to manage two studios with only 3 people running it.  We had a great staff of teachers, but the business part was a totally different story.  Vadim, Irina, and myself were torn apart between two studios, trying to keep everyone happy and not bring too much change into the new Winter Springs location after Beatrix’s death.  Both locations were under the name of Russian Academy of Ballet; the non-profit professional student company, Orlando City Ballet, was re-named into Russian Ballet of Orlando.

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Russian Ballet of Orlando is Florida 501(c) non profit Professional Student Company.  Over the years, Vadim and Irina and their schools have been named as the gold token of this community.  Providing students of the Russian Academy with the opportunity to perform with Russian Ballet of Orlando in professional productions throughout the year, including The Nutcracker, Snow White, Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story, Coppelia, Gershwin Greats, Hamlet, Tchaikovsky concerts and many more.

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Our job at Russian Academy is not just to teach someone how to dance, but to educate every student with everything that comes in the world of Ballet.  We offer professional Russian Ballet classes, Ballet History, where students learn the famous ballets, choreographers, composers, and world renown dancers.  For our older students we help to build their resumes for the time when they graduate and decide to audition for  professional ballet companies.  Without performing leading roles in school, one would never be able to get into a professional ballet company.  Vadim and Irina work with every student individually, training them for main roles and International Competitions.  When students graduate they have a full resume with leading roles in professional productions that we gave them an opportunity to be a part of.

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Our most famous graduates are Joseph Gatti, currently dancing for Boston Ballet, and Marsha Rodriguez, currently in Bejart Ballet in Switzerland.

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At the end of the day, I realize that the reason I wake up every day  is to see those happy faces that run into the studio.  When parents drop off their kids in front of the studio, as they run inside, I cannot wait for them to share their exciting weekend, or their play ground battle scars, or the need to know what we are going to learn today or repeat what we did the day before.  I thank my parents every day for giving me the opportunity to teach and pass on what I have learned to young children.  My parents have given me my life, my happiness, and my future.

I realize that our family are not only the four of us, but the entire Russian Academy of Ballet.  To all of our 250 students we say thank you for all of your support, dedication, and constant trust in the future of Russian Academy of Ballet and Russian Ballet of Orlando.

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My name is Katerina Fedotova, I am the youngest and the most proud daughter of my parents, Vadim Fedotov and Irina Depler.

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Thank you mom and dad for the biggest gifts in my life.

Dedicated to offering your children the best ballet education in town.