Kirov Academy of Ballet

The Kirov Academy of Ballet (formerly the Universal Ballet Academy^[1]) was a ballet school in Washington, D.C. founded by Rev. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon in 1990.^[2] It closed in May 2022.

Kirov Academy of Ballet
Location
4301 Harewood Rd NE, Washington, D.C. United States of America
Coordinates	38.941°N 77.0032°W / 38.941; -77.0032
Information
Type	Ballet school
Established	1990 (1990)
Closed	2022 (2022)
Grades	6th through 12th
Campus size	1.2 acres

Facilities

The Kirov was located in a former monastery on a 1.2 acre campus in the Brookland neighborhood of northeast Washington, D.C. The 50,000 square foot gated facility featured dormitories, studios, and administrative space.^[3]

Performance series

The Kirov’s spring and winter performance series were held in the academy’s 300-seat auditorium. Annually, the six performances served more than 1,800 people, including student performers, family members, children (including from underserved populations), and ballet aficionados of all ages.^{[citation needed]}

Notable students

Kirov Academy of Ballet students have gone on to become leading dancers at top companies around the world.^[4] Graduates and other students include Melanie Hamrick,^[4] Sascha Radetsky,^[4] Hee Seo,^[4] Jayna Ledford,^[5] Rasta Thomas,^[6] Michele Wiles,^[6] Danny Tidwell,^[7] Tyler Nelson,^[8] Vanessa Zahorian,^[9] Sasha De Sola,^[10] Brooklyn Mack,^[11] Maria Bystrova,^[6] Hyo-Jung Kang,^[12] Melissa Hough,^[6] Connor Walsh,^[13] Rory Hohenstein,^[6] Brian Maloney,^[14] Jonathan Jordan,^[15] J’aime Crandall,^[16] Elizabeth Mason,^[17] Lauren Strongin,^[6] Dana Genshaft,^[18] Laura O’Malley,^[6] Adrienne Canterna,^[6] Evan McKie,^[4] Dragoș Mihalcea,^[19] Yena Kang,^[20] Hye-Min Hwang,^[21] Jae Yong Ohm,^[6] Joy Womack.^[6]