Four stars by Rita Kohn: NUVO
The Indiana Ballet Company; Madame Walker Theatre; Oct. 26-27

Andrew Lloyd Webber, move over. Indiana Ballet Company’s version of Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel is an engaging contender for this well-known story of a Phantom stalking the Paris Opera House and lusting after a rising star — in this case a member of the prestigious Paris Opera Ballet. IBC founding artistic director Alyona Yakovleva arranged, choreographed and directed the production with an unerring eye for dramatic and aesthetic detail in movement, pacing and interaction to heighten drama and equally to provide relief from the intensity. Read the full article »

By Jay Harvey jay.harvey@indystar.com

Everyone knows the story by now, thanks to Andrew Lloyd Webber: the disfigured ghost at the Paris Opera who becomes obsessed with a rising star of the company and sets out on a doomed course of wooing her. The Indiana Ballet Company takes these basic elements and weaves them into an easy-to-follow struggle for love — with intense rivalry over ballerina Christine between the Phantom’s menacing passion and the more idyllic, if somewhat bland, devotion of Raoul, the ballet master. Read the full article »

DANCE MAGAZINE 01-MAY-07 – With a scarf thrown over her shoulders, Alyona Borisovna Yakovleva stands on a chair to get a better view of the young dancers. Later, the scarf tied around her tiny waist, she leads them through their paces, correcting positions.

The 30-year-old Russian native is artistic director of the INDIANA BALLET COMPANY and director of the RUSSIAN BALLET ACADEMY OF INDIANAPOLIS. Her close ties to Russia’s Vaganova schools and teachers means that RBAI may become the first U.S. school certified to teach the Vaganova method (although several teachers are certified here, no schools outside of Russia have ever been). Read the full article »

by Rebecca Bibbs, Photography by Harold Lee Miller, Makeup by Lizzy Faulk. Hair by Reeda Beem for Reeda Todd Aveda Lifestyle Salon Spa

January 2007

Alyona Yakovleva examines the layout and wording of a poster for the Indiana Ballet Company and Russian Ballet Academy of Indiana’s production of The Nutcracker. A few minutes later, she leans toward the ground to examine the fit of a pointe shoe on a middle-school-aged dancer. Later she examines the fit of newly sewn costumes on a bevy of pre-teen dancers. Leaving nothing to chance, Yakovleva glides through such tasks with confidence.

Since she was a child, Yakovleva’s entire world has been dance. Even now, this tiny bundle of energy barely has time for outside interests like reading or walking the dog.

At only 30, Yakovleva has accomplished more than most people hope to do in a lifetime, but she has only begun. The artistic director of the ballet company and director of RBAI stands poised to do more. Read the full article »

The recent creation of The Russian Ballet Academy of Indiana is a Cinderella story, with its tale of dancers overcoming adversity because of their devotion to dance. Read the full article »

When irreconcilable financial problems forced Ballet Internationale to close its doors without warning Nov. 9, the dancers and administrative staff weren’t the only ones left out in the cold. The instructors and 94 students of the Clara R. Noyes Academy of Ballet Internationale were put out onto the street as well. Read the full article »