CATERINA PRINA

Founder and Director

Caterina Calvino Prina

A dancer and instructor, she completed her training by earning all diplomas from the Kiev Academy—under the direction of Alvina Kalchenko—and by attending university-level courses in the Vaganova teaching method. She studied under Alvina Kalchenko, Alla Nekrasova, Liudmila Volodko, and Irina Skripnik, specializing in the Vaganova method.
Since 1999, she has served as the Italian representative for the Ukrainian Ballet Academy of Kiev; in 2005, she founded the Academy’s permanent Milan branch at the Teatro delle Erbe, assuming the role of director. From the outset, she has organized significant artistic events—particularly Grand Galas featuring international *étoiles* from the world’s leading theaters—at major venues in Milan and across Italy. Since 2009, she has also organized tours presenting major classical ballets (such as *Swan Lake*, *The Sleeping Beauty*, *The Nutcracker*, and *Don Quixote*), performing at prestigious venues including the Teatro Arcimboldi in Milan, the Teatro Verdi in Florence, and other renowned theaters. For these tours, she collaborates closely with the Macedonian Opera, offering the Academy’s students the opportunity to perform alongside world-renowned professionals.
As a choreographer, she rounded out her training by studying modern and contemporary dance—subjects she now teaches at the AUB, having developed a distinctive personal technique and style. She has won numerous awards and accolades with her students, including the prestigious "Danzando senza confini" (Dancing Without Borders) International Prize, held in Kyiv in April 2004, 2007, and 2012. She choreographed *Carmen* for AUB students and, in 2011, was commissioned to choreograph the musical *La Divina Commedia* (The Divine Comedy), set to music by Don Marco Frisina; she had previously debuted as a guest choreographer for the large-scale production of the work at the Verona Arena in 2010, subsequently establishing herself as the official choreographer in October 2011 with the international premiere at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo, followed by a tour across various Italian cities.

In 2012, he directed the *Angeli sulle punte* Grand Gala at the Verona Arena, featuring—among others—Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, Denis and Anastasia Matvienko, and other international *étoiles*.

Since 2014, she has organized and produced all student performances from the Academy that are part of the Teatro Arcimboldi’s theatrical season in Milan.

In 2019, he oversaw the transformation of the Academy’s company into the AUB Compagnia Italiana di Balletto, producing and distributing performances throughout Italy, and established a partnership with the Ecoteatro in Milan.

In the 2020/21 season, thanks to a fruitful collaboration with TAM Teatro Arcimboldi Milano, the Ukrainian Ballet Academy added a new location, allowing the Academy to experience the theater's magnificent spaces on a daily basis.

In 2022, she wrote and directed the musical comedy *Equilibri sopra la Follia*, which was a great success and was brought back for the following season.

Starting in the 2023/24 academic year, in collaboration with TAM Teatro Arcimboldi Milano, it established the "Formazione TAM" contemporary professional training program—a three-year course based at the theater itself.

In 2023, the Academy’s new headquarters opens at the prestigious Teatro Lirico di Cagliari.

In 2024, she was entrusted with the direction and management of the renowned Teatro Carcano Dance School; under her leadership, the school has been revitalized and has found significant new opportunities.

As of 2024, she serves as Artistic Director of “TAM Ballet,” a new project in collaboration with the Teatro Arcimboldi. TAM Ballet is a new company aiming to become a key player in the Italian theater scene by showcasing young ballet talent. Based at the Teatro Arcimboldi, it offers an ideal environment for refining technique and exploring new creative possibilities. Blending tradition with innovation, the company meets the growing demand for classical ballet performances while ambitiously looking toward the European stage through international collaborations and co-productions.