Ilya Kozadayev

Ilya Kozadayev is an international award-winning dancer and choreographer. He joined the UNCSA Dance faculty from the University of Oklahoma School of Dance, where he was Assistant Professor of ballet, coordinated the Oklahoma Festival Ballet and served on the Dean’s Advisory Council.

Born in St. Petersburg, Russia, to a family of ballet dancers, he received his dance training from Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia, The School of American Ballet in New York City, Academy of Colorado Ballet and graduated from the John Cranko Ballet Academy in Stuttgart, Germany.

Credentials

• Choreographic credits include original works for Boston Ballet’s Raw Dance project, Houston Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Oklahoma Festival Ballet, Houston Ballet II, Festival Ballet of Providence, Contemporary Dance Oklahoma, Milwaukee Ballet II, Ballet Arkansas and Tulsa Ballet II. 
• Most recent pieces of original choreography include a full length production of “Romeo and Juliet,” a classical ballet with music by Sergei Prokofiev, “Le Spectre de la Rose,” a contemporary ballet for four dancers with music by Carl Maria von Weber and “Lucid,” a contemporary ballet for nine dancers with music by Philip Glass.
• Previous teaching engagements include Assistant Professor at University of Oklahoma, Visiting Professor at University of Utah and as a guest teacher at Kansas City Ballet, Houston Ballet Ben Stevenson, Houston Ballet II, Ballet Arkansas, Festival Ballet Providence and Victoria Ballet Theater. 
• Studied at St. Edwards University, John Cranko Ballet Academy, Academy of Colorado Ballet, School of American Ballet and Vaganova Ballet Academy before earning an M.F.A. from Jacksonville University.

Career Highlights

• Has danced with numerous ballet companies in the United States, including Boston Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, as a soloist with Colorado Ballet, a principal dancer with Columbia Classical Ballet and Soloist with the Houston Ballet from 2003-13. 
• Has performed works by world-renowned choreographers including George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Fredrick Ashton, Christopher Wheeldon, William Forsyth and Jiri Kylian
• Has created roles in ballets by Christopher Bruce, Jorma Elo, Aszure Barton, Julia Adams, Stanton Welch and many others

Awards, Recognitions and Honors

• University of Oklahoma Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts Faculty Peer Recognition, 2016
• Winner, Ballet Arkansas Visions Choreographic Competition, 2015
• Winner, New York International Ballet Competition, 2000