Iana Salenko

Iana Salenko is one of the most admired ballerinas of her generation. Born in Kyiv, Ukraine, she began her training in gymnastics and folk dance before turning to ballet at the age of 12. At 14, she was invited to the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in St. Petersburg, but instead trained under Vadim Pisarev at the Donetsk Ballet School. By age 15, she was already performing with the Donetsk Opera and Ballet Theatre as one of Pisarev’s partners.

After graduating in 2000, Salenko became a soloist with the company. She went on to become a Principal Dancer with Kyiv Ballet and, in 2006, joined Staatsballett Berlin as a soloist—quickly rising to Principal in 2007.

Salenko’s repertoire is vast and varied, featuring leading roles in Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, La Bayadère, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, and Romeo and Juliet. She is also admired for her performances in works by Balanchine, Roland Petit, Alexei Ratmansky, and other contemporary choreographers.

In 2013, she made her debut with The Royal Ballet in Don Quixote alongside Steven McRae and has since become a regular guest artist with the company. She has also performed with the Bolshoi Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, and in major galas and festivals around the world, including in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Japan, and China.

Throughout her career, Salenko has received numerous international awards, including the Gold Medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition, the Nijinsky Prize for Best Female Dancer, and top prizes at the ballet competitions in Helsinki and Nagoya.