Yuri Tcvetkov, Master Teacher, is a ballet artist and educator. He holds an MA in ballet teaching from the Vaganova Academy in St.Petersburg in Russia, and a Bachelor’s in Choreography from the State University of St. Petersburg. Yuri danced as a soloist for twenty years in companies such as the Mikhailovsky Theatre, Zarzarkalia Theatre, Red Army Ballet Company, Operetta Theatre in St. Petersburg, and at the Jerusalem Dance Theatre in Israel. He has extensive ballet teaching experience, including teaching in Greek Professional Academies and preparing dancers for auditions and competitions. He organised masterclasses in Poland, Greece, Germany, Russia, Israel and the Czech Republic, and served as a judge at competitions such as the 2006 International Dance Competition in Crete, and the 2023 Kavala Open in Greece. He is the Arts Director of the Balkan Classic Contemporary Festival taking place annually in Thessaloniki, Greece.

Sara-Maria Barton is Artistic Director of S-MB Company. She is an international medalist who has had contracts with all major British ballet companies: The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, and Scottish Ballet. She has danced by invitation in the UK, Europe, USA and China. Her film credits include “Rob Roy” with Liam Neeson and Jessica Lange, and “Mrs Brown” with Billy Connolly and Dame Judi Dench. She has appeared on television, has danced in MTV music videos, and has been featured in various magazines, including Hello and Vanity Fair. Sara-Maria has over 30 years of teaching experience, and has worked in higher education since 2006 as a Classical Ballet Tutor. She is a registered teacher of the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum and a certified instructor in Progressing Ballet Technique. She received the 2022 Outstanding Instructor Award, and in 2023, the Outstanding School Award from the jury at the Dance Open America.

Oona Doherty was born in 1986 in London and moved to Belfast when she was 10. She studied at The London School Of Contemporary Dance, University of Ulster and LABAN London, and holds a BA Honours and Postgraduate degree in Contemporary Dance Studies. Doherty’s ground-breaking choreography has earned her multiple awards and prestigious opportunities in Ireland, Europe and beyond. Her solo work Hope Hunt and the Ascension into Lazarus (2015) earnt her Tiger Dublin Fringe Festival Best Performer Award in 2016 and won the Total Theatre Dance Award at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017. Her first group piece Hard to Be Soft – A Belfast Prayer was voted no.1 UK dance show of 2019 by The Guardian. Oona Doherty was awarded the Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale Danza in 2021. In 2022, she made her debut at Sadler’s Well in London with Navy Blue. Most recently, Doherty was the Guest Artistic Director for the 2023/24 cohort of National Youth Dance Company in the UK and the 2024 CHANEL Next Prize winner.