Draft:Ustyugov Yury Nikolaevich

Ustyugov Yury Nikolaevich
Born	(1964-07-16) July 16, 1964 Chelyabinsk, USSR
Occupation(s)	Ballet dancer, choreographer, teacher, musician
Known for	[[Igor Moiseyev Ballet ]] (1987–1995) Riverdance (1995–2004)

Ustyugov (Oustiougov) Yury Nikolaevich (born July 16, 1964) is a Soviet and Russian ballet dancer, choreographer, teacher, musician. Best known for his career as a soloist of the State Academic Folk Dance Ensemble under the direction of Igor Moiseev in 1987-1995 and  later as one of the soloists of the Irish show Riverdance in 1995-2004.

Biography

Early life

Ustyugov was born in Chelyabinsk, Soviet Union. He began dance lessons at the age of seven in amateur performances (the ensembles “Ural Souvenir” and “Rainbow”).

Graduated from a music school in accordion class with honors.

He received higher education as a teacher-choreographer at the Chelyabinsk State Institute of Culture (choreographic department, graduated in 1985).

Career

Service in the Soviet Army - Song and Dance Ensemble "Red Star", ballet dancer 1985 - 1986.

The State Academic Dance Ensemble "Ural"  1987 - ballet dancer.

The Igor Moiseyev State Academic Ensemble of Popular Dancense 1987 - 1995 principal dancer. The repertoire included Class-concert, “Summer”., “Jok”, “Partisans”, Gypsy dance, dance of the Argentine shepherds “Gaucho”, naval suite-solo with button accordion, “Polovtsian dances”, “ At the Skating Rink”, “Evening in the Tavern”, “Sirtaki”, “Night on Bald Mountain”, “Khorumi”, Buryat-Mongolian fairy tale “Tsam” and other productions.

Participation in the filming of The Carol Burnett Show in 1991.

In 1995 Ustyugov was invited to the Irish theater show “Riverdance” as one of the lead dancers. Original cast, co-creator of the show's choreography.  Toured more then 30 countries with them. After a long and fruitful collaboration with the show, Ustyugov left "Riverdance" in 2004, deciding to finish his dancing career and retire from active dancing.

In 2004 he returned to Russia and started working on implementing of his original choreografical program “Parterre & more”, based on the experience of comprehension and sensing the human body. Injury prevention, post-trauma and stress rehabilitation, expanding the boundaries of free organic movement.

Later work

From 2016 to 2023 Ustyugov was a senior lecturer of the department of “Art of the Choreographer” of the Russian State University's A.N.Kosygin Institute of Slavic Culture,  instructing in folk stage dance, national cultural heritage and repertoire, including a unique author's program for folk stage dance.

His programs and field of interest included "Rhythm in folk dance": a semester devoted to the use of rhythm without musical accompaniment in exercises at the barre and in the middle of the hall on the bases of experience working in Ireland.

"Stylization", which deals with the influence of time, the interaction of musical arrangement and the nature of movement.

He also devoted a lot of time to modern adaptations of folk songs and music, including the simultaneous singing and dancing experience. "Folk stage dance to classical music": exercises in Polish character to the music of F. Chopin, round dance to the music of L. Beethoven, stylized lyrics to the music of J. Brahms.

Ustyugov carried out more than 20 choreographer’s works.

The author's work “Music in Folk Dance” was presented at scientific conferences on choreography.

Other activities

Cooperating with the online educational project DanceHelp as an expert teacher.

Member of the jury of international and national choreographic festivals and competitions

Laureate of international choreography competitions.

Author of two books.