Ballet Mississippi is pleased to welcome Mikhail Ilyin, a returning favorite, to the role of Lucien.

Mikhail Ilyin, a native of St. Petersburg, Russia, dances for American Ballet Theatre. He recieved his early training at the prestigious Vaganova Ballet Academy. Ilyin danced with Boston Ballet before becoming a soloist with Miami City Ballet in 2001. He was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2003. He has won many awards including a Silver Medal at the VI New York International Ballet Competition, a Bronze Medal at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS, and a Gold Medal at the IV Vaganova-Prix International Ballet Competition.

Mikhail has danced leading roles from Swan Lake, Paquita, Stars and Stripes, Sonatine, Alvin Ailey's Giggling Rapids, Giselle, Glinka pas de trois, Apollo, The Reassuring Effects of Form and Poetry, Symphony in C, Nutcracker, Donizetti Variations, and many others. He has toured Canada, Bahrain, Finland, Greece and the United Kingdom.

Joining Mikhail, is Nicole Graniero as Paquita

Nicole Graniero, born in New York City, was raised in Westchester County where she began her early ballet training. She later trained under Francois Perron, Marina Stavitskaya, and Deborah Wingert at Studio Maestro. In January of 2004, Graniero continued her training under John Meehan at the Studio Company Associate Program, presently known as the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. She attended summer programs at Ballet Regent, the Chautauqua Festival Dancers, Stiefel and Students, and five years at American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensives.

Graniero joined American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company in 2004. She joined the main Company in 2006, performing Tippet’s Some Assembly Required, soloist roles in Balanchine’s Ballo della Regina, Millepied’s From Here on Out, and Tudor’s Continuo. Graniero has performed three seasons with Stiefel and Stars, Benjamin Millepied’s Danse Concertantes, The Career Transition for Dancers Gala, and United Ballet Association's production of Don Quixote. Dance Magazine has featured Graniero as “On the Rise” in the June 2009 issue.