Meet Our Faculty

Founder & Artistic Director

Hasmik Amirian

Armenian-born ballet dancer, educator, coach, and academy director Hasmik Amirian has dedicated her career to the preservation and advancement of classical ballet. Recognized for her extensive training in the Vaganova method, attention to technical detail, and commitment to healthy dancer development, she has guided students to success at leading ballet schools, universities, and professional companies throughout the world.

At the age of seven, Hasmik began her ballet training at the Yerevan State Choreographic College (historically known as the Armenian Choreographic Ballet Institute), where she studied under teachers trained directly in the Vaganova tradition. Upon graduating in 1988, she joined the Armenian National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet and was quickly promoted to soloist, performing leading and principal roles with the company.

After several international tours, Hasmik immigrated in 1992 to the United States, where she performed principal and soloist roles as a guest artist with such companies as Marla Bingham Contemporary Ballet, Nima Kiann’s Les Ballet Persans, and Kalinin Dance Company. In 1995, she joined Los Angeles Classical Ballet as a soloist under the direction of David Wilcox and made Southern California her permanent home.

Hasmik’s artistic foundation was shaped by distinguished Armenian ballet educators whose lineage traced directly to Agrippina Vaganova and the renowned St. Petersburg ballet tradition. This early immersion in the principles of Vaganova training established the technical and artistic framework that continues to influence her teaching philosophy today.

Following her performing career, Hasmik devoted herself to dance education and mentorship. She served as Assistant Director of the Marat Daukayev School of Ballet from 2002 to 2017 and master teacher at numerous respected Southern California institutions, including Debbie Allen Dance Academy, Peninsula School of Performing Arts, Revolution Dance Studios, Pasadena Civic Ballet, and Long Beach Ballet. In 2017, she founded Hasmik Amirian Ballet, an academy and conservatory in Los Angeles dedicated to wellness-centered, pre-professional training for the next generation of dancers.

Today, Hasmik continues to serve as a ballet teacher, coach, and mentor recognized for her advanced Vaganova training, meticulous attention to technical detail, and individualized approach to dancer development. Her teaching combines the rigor and artistry of classical Russian ballet with a strong emphasis on healthy technique, musicality, strength, and longevity.

Under Hasmik’s guidance, students have earned top honors at national and international ballet competitions, including Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), Prix de Lausanne, Youth Grand Prix Europe, Japan Grand Prix, Moscow International Ballet Competition, Varna International Ballet Competition, World Ballet Competition, Universal Ballet Competition, California Dance Classics, ICON Awards, TOP Awards, Spotlight Awards, and YoungArts.

Her students have received invitations, acceptances, and scholarships to many of the world’s most prestigious ballet schools, conservatories, and universities, including Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet Academy, The Royal Ballet School, Paris Opera Ballet School, Princess Grace Academy, John Cranko School, Royal Danish Ballet School, Dutch National Ballet Academy, English National Ballet School, Elmhurst Ballet School, Rambert School, European School of Ballet, American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, School of American Ballet, Ellison Ballet School, The Ailey School, The Juilliard School, Boston Conservatory, Boston Ballet School, The Rock School for Dance Education, San Francisco Ballet School, Washington School of Ballet, Houston Ballet Academy, Colorado Ballet Academy, Miami City Ballet School, Orlando Ballet School, Sarasota Ballet School, Ballet West Academy, Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, Stanford University, Brown University, New York University, University of California–Berkeley, University of California–Los Angeles, University of Southern California, Harvey Mudd College, Southern Methodist University, University of Michigan, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

They have gone on to perform with professional companies throughout the world, including Russian State Ballet Theatre, The Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, Ballet Brno, Tatar Academic State Opera and Ballet Theatre, National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Armenia, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Joffery Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Los Angeles Ballet, The Washington Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet West, Nevada Ballet Theatre, Tulsa Ballet, Ballet Austin, Ballet Arizona, Charlotte Ballet, Richmond Ballet, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet.

Throughout her teaching career, Hasmik and her school have received numerous awards for excellence in ballet training and student achievement, including the YAGP Outstanding School and Outstanding Teacher Awards from 2018 to 2026, and honors from the City of Los Angeles for “exceptional artistic work” and “dedication to the preservation of performing arts.”

Assistant Director

Olga Megrikian

Master teacher Olga Megrikian was born in Yerevan, Armenia. At the age of eight, she was accepted into the Yerevan State Choreographic College (historically known as the Armenian Choreographic Ballet Institute), an offshoot of the Kirov and Bolshoi schools, where she studied and trained in the Vaganova method under famous Russian teachers such as Ludmila Saharova, Elvira Mnatsakanyan, Balabina, and Anahit Ter-Gabrielian.

Upon graduating at age 18, Olga joined the Armenian National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet and was quickly promoted to soloist. In addition to expertise in Vaganova-style classical ballet, she also has extensive training in character dance, including Spanish, Hungarian, Italian, Russian, Ukrainian, Armenian, and Gypsy.

After moving to the United States in 1992, Olga worked as a dancer, guest artist, soloist, choreographer and teacher with such companies and schools as Kalinin Dance Company, International Dance Production, Santa Clarita Ballet, and Long Beach Ballet. She taught at Marat Daukayev School of Ballet before co-founding Hasmik Amirian Ballet in 2017. Her students have won top prizes in international ballet competitions and received invitations and scholarships to prestigious ballet schools, universities and companies.

Ballet Master

Ms. Anahit Ter-Gabrielian

Anahit Ter-Gabrielian is a highly respected classical ballet master teacher whose distinguished artistic lineage traces directly to the renowned Russian ballet pedagogues Agrippina Vaganova and Natalia Dudinskaya. Born and trained in Armenia, she carries forward the rich traditions of the Vaganova method with exceptional dedication, precision, and artistry.

Recognized for her deep knowledge of classical ballet technique and unwavering commitment to preserving the integrity of the Vaganova system, Anahit enjoyed a distinguished teaching career at the Yerevan State Choreographic College, where she trained many young dancers, including future ballet educator and academy director Hasmik Amirian during her formative years of professional ballet training. Her instruction emphasized strong technical foundations, musicality, artistry, and disciplined training while nurturing each dancer’s individual potential.

After continuing her career in the United States, Anahit became known throughout Southern California for her exceptional coaching and master classes. She regularly teaches and conducts master classes at Hasmik Amirian Ballet Academy, where she now works alongside her former students, mentoring advanced dancers and competition students preparing for Youth America Grand Prix and other prestigious opportunities.

Classical & Contemporary Ballet Teacher

Amanda de OlivEIra

Amanda De Oliveira is a Brazilian-American dance artist, choreographer, and educator originally from São Paulo, Brazil. She began her training at Ballet Paula Castro and Escola Municipal de São Paulo before moving to New York at age 10 to pursue her ballet training after being accepted to the prestigious School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center.

Following two years at SAB, Amanda attended American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive, where she received a personal invitation from former director Franco De Vita to join the inaugural class of the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School on a full merit scholarship. At 15, after attending the Bolshoi Ballet Academy’s Summer Intensive, she received a full scholarship invitation from Academy Director Marina Leonova to continue her training in Moscow. She ultimately remained in New York to accept an offer with ABT Studio Company and later joined American Ballet Theatre, where she was honored with the Marjorie Isaacs Dancer Award.

Contemporary Ballet Teacher & Choreographer

Ashley YaNo

Southern California native Ashley Yano grew up dancing. She trained as a classical ballerina from the age of four and danced professionally with the Los Angeles Classical Ballet and Southern California Dance Theatre. At age 18, Ashley was cast as Mulan in the Disneyland “Mulan” parade, which ignited her love for commercial dance. While training in other disciplines such as jazz, contemporary, hip-hop and musical theatre, she began auditioning as a professional dancer. She has worked in film, television, and on stage in such productions as Disney’s Aladdin, A Musical Spectacular, Memoirs of A Geisha, Tennis Channel, and ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.

Ashley fell in love with choreographing and teaching at a young age and turned her focus toward training young dancers for professional dance careers. After years of teaching at various studios, she co-founded “Artist Entrance Dance Company,” a pre-professional company for dancers 12 to 18 years old that provides training and performance opportunities, including performing in full-length concerts and creating short films.

Ashley is driven by the passion of young artists and hopes to help them carve out their own place in the dance world. Sharing her knowledge of dance, creativity and artistry with the next generation of dancers has been the highlight of Ashley’s career.

Contemporary Ballet Teacher & Choreographer

Hilary Pawlik

Hilary Morris-Pawlik is a dancer, teacher and award-winning choreographer. She is originally from Denver, Colorado, where she began her journey into the world of dance studying at various schools including The Michelle Latimer’s Dance Academy. She moved to Los Angeles after earning a scholarship to The Dance Center (formerly Tremaine), then went on to train in New York at Steps On Broadway and Broadway Dance Center.

Some of her professional credits include The Young and the Restless, CBS’s Smith, Jackass Number 2, the NBA All-Star Dance Team, The Hollywood Pin-Up Girls, Terry Beeman’s Mental Head Circus, and commercials for Target, Old Spice, Sparkle Paper Towels, Party Poker.Net, San Miguel and more. She can also be seen in music videos for Alanis Morissette and Cherie.

Her choreography credits include The Surrogates, Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland, Tinashe’s Who Am I Working For? music video, the CBS pilot A Marriage, Showtime’s series Look, and Drive A’s The World In Shambles music video. Hilary has more than 15 years of experience teaching dance throughout Southern California. Her competition choreography has won numerous awards and national titles. Her energetic personality and style create a warm and fun classroom environment, focusing on technique, movement quality, and performance without losing sight of the inherent joy of the art of dance.

Ballet & Gyrotonic Teacher

Anne Kim

Anne Kim is a dancer, choreographer, and Gyrotonic instructor based in Los Angeles, California. She began her dance training at the Marat Daukayev School of Ballet under the direction of Marat Daukayev and Hasmik Amirian. Anne earned her BFA in Dance from the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance and her Master of Science in Gerontology from the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.

As a freelance artist, Anne has been invited to perform, choreograph, and collaborate with dance companies, artists, and organizations through a range of residencies, performances, and interdisciplinary projects. Her work has been supported by grants and fellowships from the California Arts Council, Los Angeles Performance Practice, and the Goethe-Institut. Anne is currently a faculty member at Danceology Performing Arts Campus and teaches Gyrotonics to dancers and movers of all backgrounds.

Assistant Teacher & Stage Manager

Yannie Darin Lee

Yannie began her dance journey at the age of 12 under the mentorship of Hasmik Amirian, and quickly found a home in the discipline and artistry of classical ballet. She has competed at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) and the Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition (VKIBC), and has had the opportunity to train at the Alberta Ballet School in Canada and with guest artists from around the world.

She now channels her passion into teaching and also supports the studio's day-to-day operations and stage performances, supporting the next generation of dancers in their endeavors. Alongside her work in the studio, she is pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Assistant Teacher & Pilates Teacher

Elise Ancu

Elise Ancu is an apprentice ballet teacher, certified Pilates instructor, and UCLA biology student on the pre-med track who combines elite ballet training, professional performance experience, and a passion for teaching to help students develop confidence, artistry, technical excellence, and a lifelong love of ballet.

Elise trained primarily under the direction of Hasmik Amirian, whose mentorship shaped the foundation of her classical ballet education. She also studied with renowned artists including Nilas Martins, Xiomara Reyes, Adiarys Almeida, Zippora Karz, Jose Carayol, Ashley Yano, Andi Shermoloy, and Sara Silken.

During her pre-professional career, Elise earned national and international recognition as a Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) Finalist from 2018–2022.

Gyrotonic & Classical Ballet Teacher

Noune Diarbekirian

Born in Armenia, Noune Diarbekirian earned the degree of Professional Ballet Artist from the Yerevan State Choreographic College (historically known as the Armenian Choreographic Ballet Institute) in 1991. She danced with the Armenian National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet and, at age 19, moved to Los Angeles, California, where she taught ballet in many studios and danced professionally with companies from San Diego to Los Angeles to Santa Barbara.

She discovered her love for Pilates and Gyrotonic after suffering a debilitating dance-related injury to her hip in 1999 that impacted her ability to dance and teach. She worked with chiropractors, acupuncturists, and masseuses for an entire year, but the pain did not subside until another dancer introduced her to the Pilates Method. Within six months, her hip finally healed. When she began to dance again, she noticed that her dancing was better and that Pilates not only alleviated pain from injury, but also prevented injury from occurring.

Noune is PMA Certified Pilates Instructor and Certified Gyrontonic Trainer who has taught Pilates and Gyrotonic for more than 25 years.

Guest Teachers

Francisco Gella

Nilas Martins

Jose Carayol

Laura Morera

Maria Conrad

Andi Shermoly

Regina Montgomery

Ruben Tonoyan

Graciela Kozak

Petra Conti

Adrian Blake

Gennadi Saveliev

Vera Ninkovich

Maine Chernjavsky

Brady Farrar

Crystal Huang

Maxwell Simões

Guest Choreographer

Sara Silkin

Guest Choreographer

Guest Choreographer

Coco Williams

Norbert de la Cruz III

Guest Choreographer

Colette Snow Walsh

Assistant Teacher

Assistant Teacher

Emma Rose Crawford

Arpine Azlvyan

Gyrotonic & Classical Ballet Teacher

Luna Sayag

Gyrotonic & Classical Ballet Teacher

Gyrotonic Teacher

Lisa Marie Goodwin

Costume Designer & Wardrobe Mistress

Patricia Guillem

Originally from Colombia, Patricia Guillem has been sewing since the age of 16, developing a lifelong passion for creating clothing and costumes for friends, family, and performers. Her journey into the world of ballet began through her daughter, Ashley Guillem, and what started as support in her daughter's love of dance quickly grew into a deep commitment to the ballet community.

Over the years, Patricia has generously volunteered her time and talents, creating and assisting with costumes for numerous ballet companies, schools, and productions throughout California. Her work has supported organizations and artists including Inland Pacific Ballet, Dance Arts Academy of Claremont, Anaheim Ballet, Los Angeles Ballet, LACHSA, PSPA, San Francisco Ballet, Marat Daukayev School of Ballet, Vera Ninkovic, Everybody Dance, Viver Brasil, Yuri Grigoriev, Seda Aybay, Alla Khanashvili, Misty Copeland, and Hasmik Amirian, among many others.

Known for her dedication, craftsmanship, and generous spirit, Patricia believes that costumes are far more than fabric and embellishments — they become part of the magic that helps bring a performance to life. She often reminds young dancers that “costumes come to life when dancers bring them to the stage.”