Born in Kazan in the USSR and educated in Leningrad at the famed Vaganova Choreographic Institute – sometimes referred to as the Kirov Ballet School - Ai-Gul Gaisina graduated from the class of Naima Valievna Baltacheva. Travelling throughout South America, Cuba, Europe and Australasia, she partnered the legendary Alexander Godunov, before joining the Stanislavsky Ballet Theatre in Moscow, where she created several principal roles, the most notable being in Khatchaturian’s Gaynee.

In 1973, Ms. Gaisina left Russia and, at the invitation of Sir Robert Helpmann and Dame Peggy van Praagh, joined the Australian Ballet where, amongst other roles, she danced Ronald Petit’s Carmen, Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, Kitri in Nureyev’s Don Quixote, Michelle in Gillian Lynne’s Fool on the Hill and Valencianne in Helpmann’s magnificent Merry Widow.

The birth of her children also signalled the beginning of her teaching career which began at the Victorian College of the Arts where Anne Wolliams was principal.

In 1983 at the invitation of Dame Margaret Scott, Ai-Gul joined the Australian Ballet School where she taught for 10 years before joining the Australian Ballet once more – this time as guest teacher and coach, under the direction of Maina Gielguid and subsequently Ross Stretton and now David McAllister.

Ai-Gul Gaisina has, by invitation, taught at The Royal Danish Ballet, the Houston Ballet and the Hong Kong Ballet company.

Outside a busy professional dance career, Ai-Gul is an accomplished painter. She is married to producer Andrew Guild and has a son Tim.

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