Meet the Faculty
Ella Gourkova
School Director/Ballet Mistress Ms. Gourkova began her classical ballet training at age seven in her birthplace, Donetsk, Ukraine. At age eleven she auditioned for admittance into the Kirov Ballet’s famed Vaganova Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia and was accepted. Thus began her association with legendary teachers, dancers and choreographers of Russia’s renowned Bolshoi and St. Petersburg ballet companies. Upon her graduation from the Vaganova school, she joined the Donetsk Theatre of Opera and Ballet where she rose to the rank of principal dancer. She later performed on international tours with the ‘cream’ of Russia’s ballet artists including Vladimir Vasiliev, Ekaterina Maximova and Nina Ananiashvili, among many others. During a tour of the USA she and her husband, Sergey Popov, came to the attention of Vassili Sulich and Nancy Houssels, co-founders of Nevada Ballet Theatre (then, Nevada Dance Theatre) and were engaged as principal dancers, positions they held from 1995 to 2000. After her retirement from the stage, Ms. Gourkova was contracted to teach at the company’s academy where she continues to conduct ballet and character classes and to provide choreography for its annual concerts. In addition, she is a faculty Teacher for Dance Masters of America. She is happy to be sharing her experience and expertise with the students of Nevada School of Dance. |
Sergey Popov
Principal/Artistic Director Mr. Popov trained extensively at the State Choreographic School in Perm, Russia. He has performed throughout the world dancing leading roles from the classical ballet repertoire, including the princes in “Swan Lake,” “Sleeping Beauty” and “The Nutcracker.” His numerous awards include first prize as Best Partner at the Ukrainian Contest of Ballet. During his career, his partnering skills have been much sought after by many renowned ballerinas, including Russia’s Lyubov Kunakova and Inna Dorofeeva. He has been a guest artist with numerous companies and in many international gala performances with such luminaries as Irina Kolpakova, Galina Mezentseva, Vadim Pisarev, Julio Bocca and Farukh Ruzimatov, to name just a few. While principal dancer with Donetsk Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Ukraine he met and married ballerina Ella Gourkova. Before they retired from performing they were principal dancers together at Nevada Ballet Theatre for five years. Mr. Popov has taught dance at the College of Southern Nevada since 1999 and, as a faculty member of Dance Educators of America and Dance Masters of America, conducts classes throughout the USA. Mr. Popov brings vast knowledge and experience to Nevada School of Dance. |
Huong (Christina) Ngo Instructor Ms. Christina worked as a Ballet Teacher, Choreographer and Vice Dean of the Foreign Department for nine years in Hanoi, Vietnam. She was a solo ballerina for the most prestigious national opera ballet theatre in Vietnam until December 2003. She was a featured solo ballerina for many plays in multiple countries including France, Germany, Norway, Japan, and China. Ngo’s Education began in the Vietnam Dance College in 1992. She finished there in 1999 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Ballet, Vietnamese Traditional Dancing, Character Dancing, Duo and Contemporary Dancing. She went on to the Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema where she received a BA Degree in Dance Training. Finally, she received her Masters Degree from the Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema in 2012. Christina’s awards include Second Place in teaching ballerina by Vietnamese Dance Association in 2009, First Place in 2010 and Second Place again in 2011. |
Victoria Vuong-Medeiros Instructor Ms. Victoria fell in love with dance when she took her first Creative Movement class in her home state of New Jersey. She moved to Las Vegas at the age of five where she continued dancing at Nevada Ballet Theatre until the age of nine when her parents enrolled her in Shirley Chen & Dancers, a Chinese Folk Dance troupe that she has renamed Las Vegas Chinese Dance Academy since taking ownership after Shirley Chen’s retirement in 2021. She has won Gold and Platinum awards from American Chinese Dance Association’s (ACDA) annual competitions. She has also earned certification to teach Chinese Folk Dance Levels 1-6 through Pan America Chinese Dance Alliance’s (PACDA) teacher training program. Her formal ballet training began in 2012 under the guidance of Ms. Ella Gourkova and Mr. Sergey Popov at Nevada School of Dance where she has performed numerous times in their production of The Nutcracker. Ms. Victoria enjoys working with children of all ages. Outside of Nevada School of Dance, she teaches French, Mythology & Folklore, and Intro to World Languages for grades 7-12 at Amplus Academy. She is excited to have the opportunity to work with your children at Nevada School of Dance! |
