Founder / Executive Director

Has won the hearts of all who experienced her delicate, refined performances. Treating audiences to many masterful and memorable roles, Ms. Julia danced the starring role in many ballets including Giselle, Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Macbeth, Spartacus, Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty and Allegro Brilliant, Concerto Barocco, Sylvia Pas De Deux, Who Cares, Raymonda of Balanchine and other beautiful pieces of acclaimed masters. She scored tremendous critical success and the New York Times ballet critic Anna Kisselgoff praised her work in the title role of ballet Esmeralda with NJBallet Co.

Ms. Julia’s career began in Moscow at the world famous Bolshoi Ballet Academy (Degree of Ballet Artist) and the Bolshoi Institute of Choreography (Bachelor degree of Ballet teacher). She toured throughout the world as a principal artist with the Moscow Classical Ballet and Russian State Ballet. She performed at the world famous Bolshoi Theatre, Vienna State Opera and other big stages of the world. From 1998 she was with the New Jersey Ballet Co. as a principal dancer.

As a teacher Ms. Julia has been praised for her extraordinary ability to work with today’s young generation of dancers. Her thorough knowledge of the most current teaching methods and styles has produced many dancers who have been accepted into some of the most prestigious dance programs and companies.

In 2020 she founded the Duet School of Russian Ballet (Duet-SRB) with her late husband Konstantin Dournev. She created International Summer Ballet program for ballet students and Intensive Summer Ballet Camp. The students under leadership of Ms Julia have great performing skills, competition experience and scholarships. All of Duet’s students were able to get accepted to various art schools such as; Mark Twain, Bay Academy, La Guardia and more.