International Ballet Theatre & Academy

International Ballet Theatre & Academy International Ballet Academy, a professional dance academy for ages 3-18 and the official academy of The International Ballet Theatre www.IntBalletAcademy.com

International Ballet Academy is a professional dance academy with a focus on training young dancers who seek a career in dance. We cater to dancers all over the world and it is our belief that a passion for dance lies in everyone, thus we offer recreational dance courses through our regular season and during summer.

09/25/2026

🩸 DRACULA - A HALLOWEEN CLASSIC RETURNS TO SEATTLE. ONE NIGHT ONLY.

This Halloween season, Seattle Theatre Group (STG) and International Ballet Theatre bring DRACULA to The 5th Avenue Theatre.

Under the artistic direction of Vera Altunina, this original production brings together classical ballet, contemporary and character dance, tap, theatrical storytelling, magic and performance art.

Atmospheric music, elaborate costumes and dramatic choreography create a dark theatrical world where Dracula’s story unfolds.

🦇 Make it your Halloween night out. Come in costume, bring your friends, and experience this IBT Halloween classic together.

đź“Ť The 5th Avenue Theatre | Seattle
đź“… October 25, 2026 | 7:00 PM
🦇 ONE NIGHT ONLY

🎟 Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster.
Book your seats through the link in bio.

🍄 THE SMALLEST ARTISTS. A REAL THEATRE STAGE.Welcome to the world of International Ballet Theatre & Academy, where some ...
09/23/2026

🍄 THE SMALLEST ARTISTS. A REAL THEATRE STAGE.

Welcome to the world of International Ballet Theatre & Academy, where some of our youngest dancers get to experience the magic of performing as part of a real theatrical production.

🍄‍🟫These little mushrooms and forest characters stepped onto the stage in Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs - surrounded by theatrical scenery, beautiful costumes, music and professional artists.

🧑‍🩰This is an important part of what connects our Theatre and Academy. Children begin in the studio - learning movement, musicality, coordination and classical ballet foundations - and as they grow, they have opportunities to discover what all that work can become on stage.

🍄 For a young dancer, the first performance is more than a recital. It is the moment the studio opens into an entirely new world.

đź©° Enrollment for the 2026-2027 season is still open.
Children’s Program - 20 months to 7 years
Primary Program - 7 to 9 years
No audition required for ages 3-8.

đź“Ť Bellevue, Washington
Registration is open - link in bio.
Photo: Rex Tranter Rex Tranter

09/22/2026

🎹 THE MAN BEHIND THE PIANO — OLEG DUSAEV

Remember the ballet accompanist we told you about? Now it’s time to meet the artist behind the piano.

Oleg Dusaev is a professional pianist and ballet accompanist whose musical education began at the age of five. He graduated from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory with a Master’s degree in piano, studying under world-renowned professor Vera Gornostaeva, and continued his postgraduate studies under her mentorship. During that time, he was awarded the Mstislav Rostropovich Grant and became a prizewinner of multiple international competitions in Europe.

His career later brought him to New York, where he worked with ballet institutions including Manhattan Youth Ballet, Ellison Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Broadway Dance Center, Peridance Ballet and Brooklyn Ballet, while also collaborating with artists from Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music and Mannes College.

Since moving to Seattle, Oleg has accompanied dancers at International Ballet Academy, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Spectrum Dance and Evergreen City Ballet. In 2021, he also founded the Pacific Northwest Conservatory, sharing his experience with the next generation of musicians.

But what makes a ballet accompanist different from simply being an accomplished pianist?

As Oleg explains, you have to watch the dancers, follow the teacher, understand what they are trying to achieve and translate movement into music — immediately. It requires technique, improvisation, instinct and years of musicianship working together in real time.

And perhaps that is why the person at the piano matters so much more than most people realize.

09/22/2026

🩸 Five weeks until Dracula.

Rehearsals are in full swing, and today we’re giving you a glimpse of one of the many worlds inside this production — Gypsy Dance, captured right in the middle of rehearsal.

Dracula moves far beyond a single style of dance. Classical ballet, contemporary movement, character dance, Eastern European influences, tap and theatrical storytelling all live within the same production — each scene bringing its own rhythm, character and atmosphere.

What you’re seeing here is still the rehearsal room. No stage lights. No finished theatrical picture. Just the artists, the choreography and the work happening before the curtain rises.

35 days to go.

🦇 DRACULA • ONE NIGHT ONLY
October 25 • 7 PM
The 5th Avenue Theatre • Seattle
Tickets • Link in bio

09/18/2026

🎹 THE HERO BEHIND THE PIANO

Being a ballet accompanist is a profession of its own.

It takes much more than being an accomplished pianist. During a class, the accompanist is constantly listening to the teacher, understanding the combination, watching the dancers and translating movement into music — choosing the tempo, rhythm, character and phrasing that the exercise needs, often in a matter of seconds.

It is a conversation happening in real time between the teacher, the dancers and the musician.

And behind our piano is an artist with serious musical training, years of education and a professional story of his own.

We show you so much of what happens in our studios. Now we want to introduce you to the people who make that work possible — including our artist behind the piano.

🎹 Next, we’re sitting down with our ballet accompanist to hear his story — his education, his journey, and what this remarkable profession looks like from the other side of the piano.

09/16/2026

đź©° MEET OUR FACULTY | YULIA TUGUSHEVA

For our youngest dancers, the first ballet class is about much more than learning the steps. It is where movement becomes a way to discover music, imagination, discipline - and the joy of expressing something of their own.

Yulia Tugusheva joins International Ballet Academy teaching our Children’s and Primary Programs. Her background brings together ballet, dance and gymnastics: she began dancing at 6, trained in Russia, and has experience across ballet, contemporary, jazz and multiple forms of movement. Her gymnastics background is also independently documented in her professional teaching profile.

For Yulia, teaching young children begins with sharing - the experience passed down by her own teachers, the emotions found in music and movement, and most importantly, a love of dance.

“Art is an expression of everything you have inside.”

That philosophy is especially meaningful at the beginning of a dancer’s journey. Children are not expected to arrive already knowing how to dance. They are learning how to listen, move, communicate and express themselves — while classical ballet gradually introduces the structure and discipline that will support their growth.

At International Ballet Academy, our Children’s Program is designed to introduce young dancers to dance through ballet and other forms of movement, while the Academy’s broader curriculum combines classical training with modern, contemporary, jazz and character dance.

✨ 2026–2027 enrollment is still open through September.
We welcome families to discover the Academy, meet our faculty and find the right beginning for their young dancer.

đź“Ť International Ballet Theatre & Academy | Bellevue, WA
🩰 Children’s & Primary Programs
🤍 New students are welcome
🔗 Program information & registration — link in bio

09/10/2026

This is what Dracula sounds like live🩸🧛

More than classical ballet, Dracula is a theatrical performance where movement, character and spectacle collide - blending classical and contemporary dance with Eastern European folk and character dance, theatrical performance, and even tap.

Dark, unexpected and deliberately unlike a traditional night at the ballet, it was created to be experienced live - with the energy of the performers and the audience in the same room.

🦇 DRACULA — ONE NIGHT ONLY
October 25, 2026 | 7:00 PM
The 5th Avenue Theatre | Seattle

One performance. One chance to be there.

🎟️ Tickets available now — link in bio.

Address

11211 Main Street
Bellevue, WA
98004

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 8pm
Tuesday 10am - 8pm
Wednesday 10am - 8pm
Thursday 10am - 8pm
Friday 10am - 8pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 10am - 4pm

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