Teachers
Hala Al Zayani (Director/A.I.D.T.A)
Hala Al Zayani

Hala Al Zayani is the founder and director of Ballare School of Performing Arts. She started dancing ballet at the age of three. It was extremely evident from a young age dance was going to be a large part of her life.

Hala spent seven years of her life dedicated to her passion with various dance schools in Bahrain and America. She joined “TA-DA” Dance Productions in Oregon for two years as a Company Dancer and never looked back.

Soon after, she decided to continue her education in London at Millennium Performing Arts. Millennium gave Hala the opportunity to further enhance her technique in all dance styles including, Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Tap and Musical Theatre within a professional artistic atmosphere in a city full of theatre and art.

After having graduated she moved back to Bahrain, Hala began teaching at Victoria Dance as well as choreographing for a Musical Production Company called MASK.

Hala is completely dedicated to offering Bahrain the best of performing arts in every way possible. She is so excited to have launched Ballare on September 25, 2011, and she is even more delighted to see the fantastic response in students. She believes Bahrain has a great amount of artistic talent that is just waiting to arise and is delighted to provide a well-structured creative curriculum for students of all ages and abilities.

Ballare School of Performing Arts offers a wide selection of classes provided by a syllabus of authenticity accredited by the International Dance Teachers Association (IDTA) with a team that consists of IDTA certified, qualified and nurturing instructors.

Piano lessons are also provided at the school with two exam classifications, which include the Associated Board of Royal School of Music (ABRSM) and the Associated Russian System - Life in Music.

Hala Al Zayani, is a proud member of the International Dance Teachers Association Ballet and Freestyle Faculty. She is the first Bahraini to gain an Associate Ballet Diploma, Freestyle Diploma, as well as Anatomy and Physiology Diploma within the Association.

The International Dance Teachers Association is one of the world’s largest examination boards, covering the full spectrum of the dance examinations on a global scale, with over 7,000 members in 55 countries.

Valentina Kuzmiankova (Vocal Teacher)
Valentina Kuzmiankova

Ms. Valentina is highly qualified, trained, as well as educated with both an Undergraduate and Master’s degree in music. She also holds years of teaching and training with children from the age of 4 years old all the way up to adults!

From 1990 – 1996 Valentina attended the Mogilev Musical College gaining an undergraduate degree in Music. From 1996 – 2001 she attended the Belarusian National University of Culture, gaining a Masters degree in Faculty of Music Arts and Stage Vocal Development.

Valentina’s extensive teaching experience includes 8 years of “Stage Vocal Teaching” in the Minsk University of Modern Knowledge. Two years of teaching at the Bahrain Private Music School “Harmony”. Six years of teaching at the Bahrain “Life of Music School”. Two years of teaching at the British Preparatory School as a Music Teacher.

With over seventeen years teaching and performing experience, Valentina is now ready to share her knowledge teaching a wide variety of all levels from beginners to advanced in many different vocal styles including, Classical, Pop, Musical Theatre and more.

Valentina also teaches, ensemble, duets, as well as soloists, using different soft programs to further develop and enhance singing techniques.

Valentina is well known for her unique style of teaching towards catering to individual students of all ages, levels, and abilities using the classical and moderate repertoire with various songs, as well as the expansion of the vocal chords.
Valentina is thrilled to now be teaching at Ballare School of Performing Arts and is looking forward to meeting all her new talented students.

Elena Smith (Piano Teacher)
Elena Smith

Elena attended the Mogilev School of Music and Arts, Mogilev, Belarus (secondary school) where she gained a General Certificate of Education and an Advanced Certificate of Music (Forte Piano). Following her secondary education, between 1989 and 1993 she studied music and music teaching at the Rimsky Korsakov Institute of Music and Arts, Mogilev, Belarus where she earned a Bachelors' Degree in Music, Choral Conducting and Piano. Following a two year period teaching music, she decided to take up Law and attended the Faculty of Law at the Belarusian State University in Minsk between 1995 and 2001 where I gained a Specialist Degree in Law.

Following graduation from University, her passion for music overwhelmed her interest in practicing law and she returned to a career in music becoming the director of music of a Russian Folk Band in Belarus. Following her marriage in 1993, she began teaching music as a private tutor to a number of children in Bahrain. By word of mouth and recommendation she soon had a full schedule, teaching most afternoons. In 2011 she took up a part-time position as a piano teacher at the Life in Music School, Bahrain.

During her teaching career she has taught piano individually and to groups of students from as young as five up to adults with levels of ability from those with no previous musical training up to exam level. She develops strong relationships with her students and encourages parents to participate in their home studies to enhance the children's musical development. She believes in creating a fun but disciplined approach to learning, encouraging her students to develop their own musical ideas within stylistic parameters and set clear guidance for practicing between lessons.

AIRA KATRINA GLORIOSO (Dance Teacher / A.I.D.T.A.)
Aira Katrina A. Isleta

Aira is a proud Associate of the Ballet Faculty under the International Dance Teachers’ Association, IDTA. She had an extensive and passionate years of training and performing under the Royal Academy of Dance, RAD & holds a Level 4 Diploma in Advanced II Ballet which qualified her in achieving the Ballet Associate of the RAD. She has a Level 2 Certificate in Fitness Instructing under the Active IQ, an Ofqual- recognized awarding organization, gaining her credits for Anatomy and Physiology. Furthermore, she’s a Bachelor’s degree holder in Communications major in Theatre & Film Studies at De La Salle University, Philippines.

Growing up in the world of performing arts, she knew that she wanted to be an artist. She was dancing from her heart and had a life full of big dreams. As a teen, she was awarded the “President Arroyo Award of Excellence in Culture & Arts”. She got into a scholarship to Ballet Philippines, CCP Dance School. She became fully equipped and knowledgeable to different genres of dance as various respectable directors mentored her for Classical & Urban Ballet, Contemporary, Hip hop, and Aerial.

It was at the university that Aira gained deep insight into Theatre & Production. She's a Soloist of the Salindayaw Dance Company & a Musical Theatre Actress for annual concerts.

Before coming to Bahrain, she's a Faculty at Ballet Regina, Claravall School of Dance, & British School Manila. She has traveled to South Korea, a land where performing arts was flourishing & was trained by Seoul's finest Hip hop choreographers at K1 Studio in Hongdae.

She’s one of the pioneer members of Ænigma, a newly established hip hop dance crew based in Bahrain and has been performing all over the Kingdom. She was part of the crew who became a global winner, Bahrain representative for performance group category in the 2018 Changwon KPOP World Competition. In 2016, she performed a contemporary duet and won as the Grand Champion in the Season 1 of the “Bust-a- Groove”, held at The Ramee Monroe Hotel.

Aira is currently training to gain her professional qualifications for Aerial Arts.

She joined the Ballare Team in 2014, and since then, she still feels the thrill of everyday, inspiring budding artists, and molding future dance professionals.

MARC GLORIOSO (Dance Teacher)
Marc Glorioso

Marc gained his First International Supreme Award with Distinction under the International Dance Teachers’ Association, IDTA in 2018, demonstrating proficiency in Street Dance.

He started his professional dancing career on Philippine television at twenty one. He took part in an entertainment program, known as SOP on GMA, one of the largest networks, and performed on numerous live musicals with the lead actors and actresses of the country. Moreover, he was casted on several acting roles on tv programs, mainly, MAYNILA, a youth-oriented TV series drama anthology. Being in the television and entertainment industry for about two years gave him profound understanding about choreography, production and management.

Soon after, he gained his performing artists’ qualification, Artist Record Book, ARB, now the Artist Accreditation Certificate, AAC. He travelled to Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea and landed as a professional Dancer and Choreographer for seven years. Through his extensive years of experience performing with the best artists in South East Asia, he mastered his technique in Hip Hop, Pop & Lock, Lyrical, & Break Dance.

He came to Bahrain in 2013, and in the same year, he led as the Vice President and one of the most respected choreographers of the Philippine Dance Crew, PDC. Since then, he gained his reputation in the Bahrain dance community.

In 2014, he established his own hip hop group, named Pinoy X Crew. They won in two consecutive dance competitions presented by Bershka held at City Centre Bahrain. Pinoy X Crew won 1st Place in 2016, and in the succeeding year, it was hailed as the Grand Champion.

In 2016, Pinoy X Crew changed its name to Ænigma, a Latin word which means mysterious or ambiguous. He does annual dance concerts where the whole Bahrain Dance community celebrates together.

Ænigma won as the Grand Champion on further Bahrain performance competitions such as the Bust-a-Groove held at The Ramee Monroe Hotel, The Hub, showing precision in contemporary; and the Changwon KPOP World Competition, held at the City Centre in 2018.

Marc is presently creating his name as an artist and a disc jockey alongside with being a dance group leader, and choreographer.

Being a part of the Ballare team fires his passion to share his endeavor in molding future dance professionals that will be on the same level or better than him.

MARIJA RAKIC (Dance Teacher)
Marc Glorioso

Marija began studying in the National Ballet School “Lujo Davicho” in Belgrade at the age of 8. At the age of 10, Marija was chosen to take part in ballet and drama performances “Balkanska plastika” by Ivana Vujic, “Bergamova Sonata”, “Nutracker”, in the National Theater in Belgrade. She performed with honored artists of Serbia, actors, and dancers. Marija studied in various International Dance Internships where she has often been noted and rewarded with scholarships. At the age of 12 she was touring with Belgrade National Theater to National Theater in Ljubljana and Maribor, Slovenia.

At the age of 14, Marija attended one of most famous competitions in Europe, the “International Ballet Competition and Summer School in Varna, in Bulgaria.” By the age of 16 Marija was rewarded with a scholarship for Salzburg International Ballet Academy, Austria directed by Peter Brauer. After just one year, by 17 years old she was again rewarded with scholarship to ballet school “Carmen Roche” in Madrid, Spain. She studied with Cuban principal dancers and stars Marta Garcia and Orlando Salgado.

Marija professionally trained at the prestigious ‘Perm State Ballet Academy’ in Russia, marked as one of the top leading ballet academies in the world. After which she graduated as a Soloist, and after 3 years, Marija graduated with the highest marks in her class, along honored artists and Principal Dancers of Russia: Svetlana Ivanovna Sidorova and Yuri Mihailovich Sidorov

Marija then gained a Unversity BA degree, in TV, Cinema, and Theatre Production from Guglielmo Marcony University in Rome, Italy.

In 2011 at the age of 20 years old she started to work in the State Theater of Republic of Karelia, Russia, under the famous director and choreographer Kiril Simonov. Marija started as corps de ballet, only after 6 months of hard work she was promoted with soloist roles in classical and neoclassical ballets.

In 2013 Marija was invited to be a soloist of “Russian Ballet” company in Moscow. They toured in Europe, Italy, Portugal and Spain. She was performing in some of the biggest theaters around Europe as Theatro de Liceu-Barcelona, Tetro Real (Royal Theater)-Madrid, Teatro de Palermo, State Theater in Milano, National Theater in Rome, Teatro Nacional Porto-Portugal, Teatro de Lisboa- Lisabon etc… In 2014 Marija accepted a contract with one of the leading ballet companies in Moscow “Moscow ballet La Classique” directed by Elik Melikov. By 2015 Marija was offered soloist contract in Teatrul de Sibiu, Romania.

In the year 2016, Marija accepted a professional teaching job offer from the International Center of Music in Doha, Qatar for a teaching position. It was great opportunity for Marija to develop her teaching skills and talent. Marija has organized various ballet workshops and performances throughout her career & continues to do so in Doha, Qatar. The goal of her workshops are to represent and teach the Russian ballet method- Vaganova to different type of dancers. It is an interesting and challenging approach, but the workshops have been a success as many dancers have progressed and enhanced their technique under Marija.

Finally In 2019, Marija is going strong with her career in the arts and is further researching thematic Dance in Islam religion throughout history, inspired by her stay in the Middle East.

Marija is a proud Member of the International Dance Council CID of UNESCO. She is fluent in a variety of languages such as Serbian, English, Russian, and Spanish, giving her the ability to deliver world class instruction to her students.

With all the prestigious dance background and success that she has gained throughout her career, Marija is truly a great inspiration for young and passionate artists who aims to be professionally trained at Ballare Performing Arts.