Vladimir Vasiliev (dancer) Vladimir Vasiliev (dancer) Vladimir Viktorovich Vasiliev (Russian: Влади́мир Ви́кторович Васи́льев), (born April 18, 1940) is a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer from Moscow, Russia. He was a principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet and its director from 1995 to 2000. He was best known for his role of Spartacus and his powerful leaps and turns. Vladimir Vasiliev was named "God of the dance" and is regarded as a classical dancer on the same level as Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov. At the height of their careers, Vladimir Vasiliev and Ekaterina Maximova were the golden couple of Russian ballet. Vladimir Vasiliev
Paul Hammond (ballet dancer) Ballet Master and as Principal Dancer in Orpheé. As Principal Dancer with the Metropolitan Ballet (UK) from 1948 to 1950, Hammond performed the lead role in several productions including Prince Siegfried in "Swan Lake" and Prince Florimund in "Sleeping Beauty". As a Principal Dancer with the Théâtre Royal de Monnaie (Belgium), Hammond danced in various opera productions and ballet divertissements including "Brahms Variations" and "Bouquetierre des Violets". In addition to extensive classical ballet training in Australia with Mischa Burlakov, Helene Kirsova and Leon Kellaway, Hammond studied ballet in Western and Eastern Europe, with acclaimed teachers including Vera Volkova, Anna Northcote,