Russian folk dancer Mikhail Nesterenko from New York

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Russian folk dancer Mikhail Nesterenko specializes in character dance as well as ballet. He has graduated from Voronezh Dance Academy in Russia and has worked for various dance companies in Russia including Rhythm Planet under direction of Boris Sankin (former first cast of famous Moyeseev Russian Folk Ensemble). Mikhail’s inborn talent was recognized very early and he was a winner of numerous junior dance competitions. In 1995 Mikhail Nesterenko toured all over Europe with the Dance group MVO, and in 1996 he joined renown Bim-Bom Dance Group and Lovushkin Circus and Folk Dance Company. Between 1997 and 1999 Mr. Nesterenko performed with Lovushkin Group at Cypress Gardens, Florida. Mikhail also performed Russian Trepak in the Nutcracker with the well-known Florida Dance Theater and featured as a principal dancer of the Niel Goldberg’s Cirgue at the Acuff Theater, Nashville, TN.

Video from concert in New York City on January 26, 2008

"Hopak" - "Гопак"

View all videos from Zhenya Shevchenko and Russian dance and music ensemble Barynya performance in New York City on Saturday, January 26, 2008

Photos by Dalia Bagdonaite from Zhenya Shevchenko and ensemble Barynya concert and rehearsal on Saturday, January 26, 2008 in New York City

View all photos from the concert January 26, 2008 by Dalia Bagdonaite

Slavic Cultural Festival Sept 29, 2007 McLean, VA

view photos provided by K.P. Vereshchaka

Mikhail Nesterenko, Mikhail Smirnov, Victoria Pichurova, Valentina Kvasova, Olga Chpitalnaia, Natalia Ejova, Stefan Kuziw, and Roman Lewkowicz photos from Slavic Cultural Festival that took place on September 29, 2007 at the McLean Community Center, 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean, VA. Ensemble Barynya shared the stage with the Kazak Family Trio of Belarus, the Bandura Tells of Ukraine, and local organization, the Washington Balalaikas Society Orchestra.

July, 2007. Performance series in Ohio communities

view photos from Ensemble Barynya Ohio summer tour 2007

Ensemble Barynya was touring the state of OHIO as part of the Ohio Arts Council’s Summer International Music and Performing Arts in Communities Tour (IMPACT). Barynya performed many shows, Russian & Ukrainian dance workshops from July 17 to July 28, 2007. Performance locations included Lakeside, Warren, Marietta, Jackson and Grandview Heights. All performances were free and open to the public.

One of the final events of the Russian Heritage Festival 2007 was a "Spirits of Russia" evening at the Copacabana Club (560 West 34 Street in Manhattan) on June 27... view pictures

The Russian Nobility Association in America annual Spring Russian Nobility Ball took place at the luxurious "Pierre" Hotel on May 11, 2007 in New York City. Musicians and dancers of New York based Russian dance and music ensemble Barynya (full company) provided music for coctail hour and thirty minute music and dance program during the dinner. "Barynya" performed popular Russian Gypsy pieces: "Two Guitars", "Kay One", "Vingerka", "3 lines", Russian favorite balalaika arrangement "The Moon is shining brightly" and Cossack song and dance "Varen'ka"

Ensemble Barynya in Eugene, Oregon, January, 2007

view full size photos

November 2006. University of Texas-Pan American,

more pictures from University of Texas-Pan American

October 2006, John Michael Kohler Arts Center

videoclips from performance in Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Ensemble Barynya performed in Wisconsin with dancers Olga Chpitalnaia, Valentina Kvasova, Ganna Makarova, Andrij Cybyk, Vitaly Verterich, and Mikhail Nesterenko; musicians: Ruslan Khain - contrabass, Mikhail Smirnov - garmoshka, singer Alexander Menshikov, and Alex Siniavski - balalaika... view all videos, photos, listen to MP3, buy DVD and CD.

Mikhail Nesterenko and Ganna Makarova

In 2000 Mikhail Nesterenko was invited to perform with the United Art Corporation in New York as a soloist of Pototsky Dance Group, one of the first and most recognized Russian folk shows in the East Coast.

Russian folk dancer Mikhail Nesterenko and ensemble Barynya

In 2003 Mikhail Nesterenko performed with Pennsylvania Youth Ballet which is one of the highly regarded performing and educational institutions that raised generations of dancers since 1958.

Russian folk dancer Mikhail Nesterenko

Mikhail’s acrobatic skills and knowledge of Russian folklore enjoyed outstanding reviews. Mikhail started to perform with New York based Russian folk dance and music ensemble Barynya in 2004.

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Mr. Nesterenko first performed with Brighton Ballet Theater during 2002 Winter Fairytale Season as a guest dancer featuring as a Mouse King in Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. During the past year Mr. Nesterenko has worked as a soloist of Brighton Ballet Theater.

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In 2004 Mikhail Nesterenko performed Ukrainian, Russian and Gypsy dances at Lincoln Center and at the Brooklyn Art Council Folk Feet Festival, a first-ever attempt to document the range of ethnic dances sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Ford Foundation.

First official record of Russian dancing is related to year 907 when Great Russian Prince Oleg (Vechshiy Oleg) celebrated his victory over Greeks in Kiev. During the Gala Dinner 16 male dancers dressed as bears and four bears dressed as Russian dancers performed for the guests. After the dinner was over Great Prince commanded to release the bears into the wild and to execute all the dancers.

As it became clear later on, Vechshiy Oleg, who was purblind, has mistaken the dancers for the ambassadors from the Northern Tribes (Severyane) who owned him a few hundred skins of marten - Russian tiger-cat... read full article

"Daniel Cooper" (also sometimes spelled as "Danila Kuper" or "Daniel Kupor") is the dance of the Russian Nobility during Napoleonic wars (in Russian version, "Danilo Kupor") was an actual dance - to be more precise, contradance, an old English dance characterized by quick and easy movements. F.F. Wiegel in his "Memoirs" (part 1, M., 1864, p. 62, first published in "Russky Vestnik", 1856) wrote that "One of these contradances was named a Danilo Kupor, probably after its composer, a certain Englishman Cooper".

Daniel Cooper dance was briefly mentioned in world-known novel by Leo Tolstoy "War and Piece": The dance grew livelier and livelier. The other couples could not attract a moment's attention to their own evolutions and did not even try to do so. All were watching the count and Marya Dmitrievna. Natasha kept pulling everyone by sleeve or dress, urging them to "look at Papa!" though as it was they never took their eyes off the couple. In the intervals of the dance the count, breathing deeply, waved and shouted to the musicians to play faster. Faster, faster, and faster; lightly, more lightly, and yet more lightly whirled the count, flying round Marya Dmitrievna, now on his toes, now on his heels; until, turning his partner round to her seat, he executed the final pas, raising his soft foot backwards, bowing his perspiring head, smiling and making a wide sweep with his arm, amid a thunder of applause and laughter led by Natasha. Both partners stood still, breathing heavily and wiping their faces with their cambric handkerchiefs.
"That's how we used to dance in our time, ma chere," said the count.
"That was a Daniel Cooper!" exclaimed Marya Dmitrievna, tucking up her sleeves and puffing heavily.

In 2008 Russian dance ensemble Barynya from New York re-introduced "Danila Kooper" dance during the Russian Nobility Ball 2008 in New York City (Hotel Pierre, Grand Ball Room), May 9th, 2008... read more, view video

Russian dance ensembles and dancers, Russian, Cossack, Ukrainian, Klezmer and Gypsy traditional dance descriptions, videos, photos, Russian dancers and dance troups wanted... to directory

Russian, Russian Gypsy, Russian Cossack, Ukrainian, Russian Siberian stage costumes for professional performances made by Russian costumes designer Svetlana Gavrilova.... see pictures

RUSSIAN DANCE GROUPS FOR HIRE

Barynya - Russian music, song and dance ensemble from New York is a unique group of top soloists: musicians, singers and dancers who were trained and performed with Don Cossacks of Rostov, Andreev State symphonic balalaika orchestra, Moscow State center of "Russian Song"

The Russian Collection Dance Ensemble from San Francisco, California provides a selection of thrilling and colorful Russian folk dancing, enchanting Russian folk music, and Russian magical illusions. Group was founded in 1945 and has performed in Europe, Asia, North and South America

Revival - Russian dance ensemble from Toronto Canada is available in Canada and the United States of America to provide live entertainment for corporate events, parties, weddings, and all other events. Artistic Director Ekaterina Kornienkova

Canary dance ensemble from Los Angeles, California performs Russian, Moldovan, Ukrainian, Gypsy, Armenian and Jewish folk traditional dances

Russian traditional dance and music program NY, NJ, CT, PA, MD designed for smaller budget venues with limites space for the dancing. 3 dancers, 1 musician perform Russian, Cossack, Ukrainian, Siberian folk dances, songs and music... more Russian dance ensembles

RUSSIAN DANCE AND MUSIC VIDEO FOR SALE

Legendary Russian Gypsy singer Zhenia Shevchenko and ensemble Barynya DVD. Concert was recorded in New York City on January 26, 2008. Fifteen performers: six dancers, three singers, six musicians. Performers: Sergey Ryabtsev - violin, Mikhail Smirnov - garmoshka, vocal, guitar, Alex Siniavski - Gypsy guitar, balalaika, Alexander Menshikov - Russian Gypsy singer, tambourine, Leonid Bruk - balalaika-contrabass, Gennady Gutkin - bayan, Lev Zabeginsky - balalaika, Andrij Cybyk - dancer, choreographer, Ganna Makarova - dancer, Olga Chpitalnaia - dancer, Vitaliy Verterich - dancer, choreographer, Valentina Kvasova - dancer, singer, Mikhail Nesterenko - dancer, Victoria Pichurova - singer, Gabriel Yakubov - Gypsy dancer. Musical instruments: Balalaika, garmoshka, bayan, violin, balalaika-contrabass, Gypsy guitar, Russian 7 string guitar. Program of Russian Gypsy songs, music, Russian, Gypsy, Cossack and Ukrainian folk dancing... more info, video samples, order

This DVD was recorded at live performance of Russian music and dance ensemble Barynya (Artistic Director/Founder Mikhail Smirnov) in Lakeside, Ohio at the Hoover Auditorium in July 2007. List of performers: Mikhail Smirnov - vocal, garmoshka, guitar , Alex Siniavski - balalaika, Gypsy guitar, musical director, Andrij Cybyk - dancer, choreographer, Valentina Kvasova - dance captain, dancer, Leonid Bruk - balalaika contrabass , Alexander Menshikov - singer, tambourine, Victoria Pichurova - singer, Natalia Ejova - dancer, Natia Rtveliashvili - dancer, Stefan Kuziw - dancer, Alex Sizov - dancer.... more info, videoclips, order

This DVD is from live performance of Russian dance, song and music ensemble Barynya from the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin in October 2006. PROGRAM: Russian, Gypsy, Cossack, Ukrainian traditional dances, folk and popular songs, virtuoso performances on musical instruments with explanation of the program in English. INSTRUMENTS: balalaika, garmoshka, contrabass, buben, Gypsy and classic guitars... more info, videoclips, order

New York based Russian folk dance and music ensemble Barynya, 2004. Russian folk dances, songs, virtuoso performances on balalaika, bass-balalaika and garmoshka. Runtime: 1 hour, cover art: Anna Nagorskaya
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Ensemble Barynya, 1998. Live performance in cabaret "Moscow", Lexington Ave/54 street, New York City. Russian, Cossack, Ukrainian, Klezmer music and dances. Runtime: about 35 minutes.
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Runtime: 60 minutes. On this DVD ensemble Barynya dancers are performing Russian, Cossack, Gypsy and Ukranian folk dances including "Kalinka", "Katyusha", "Barynya", "Two Guitars" and others. more info, videoclips, order