Timour Bourtasenkov

Artistic Director – Cleveland Ballet

Mr. Bourtasenkov began his professional education with the Moldavian Opera House and the Bolshoi Ballet.  Upon coming to America, he danced with Pennsylvania Ballet, New Jersey Ballet, and the New York-based Daring Project.  In 1998, Mr. Bourtasenkov joined Carolina Ballet as a Principal dancer and founding member of the company.  His repertory includes ballets by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, Mikhail Fokine, Leonid Massine, Auguste Bournonville, Arthur Saint-Leon, George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, John Cranko, Fredrick Ashton, Anthony Tudor, Jose Limón, Peter Martins, Robert North, Margo Sappington, William Forsyth, Richard Tanner, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Christopher Wheldon, and Carolina Ballet’s Artistic Director, Robert Weiss, who has created numerous principal roles for him in the company’s extensive repertory. 

Mr. Bourtasenkov has choreographed works for Carolina Ballet, Ballet Hawaii, Infinity Ballet, and New Jersey Ballet.  He has been chosen twice for the New York Choreographic Institute.  In 2004, he choreographed using New York City Ballet dancers and, in 2006, using Carolina Ballet dancers.  His ballets include Calderiana, Dance of the Spirits, Dances for Piano and Violin, Elements, Fallen Dreams, Intrigue, Light and Dark, Memories, sections of Messiah, Slavonic Dances, Tango! Tango! Tango!, The Jungle Book, Vivaldia’s Gloria and Walpurgisnacht.  

Mr. Bourtasenkov won the Bronze medal in the VII Masako Ohyo World Ballet Competition of Osaka, Japan and the V International Competition of Paris, France.  He has appeared in two USSR movies: The Long Way and The Magic Star.  In 1996, he filmed Little Red Riding Hood for the Sundance Film Festival.  He has also been seen on tours with the Stars of American Ballet in the Orient and Europe.   

From 2006 to 2009, he served as Assistant Professor at East Carolina University where he choreographed Listianna, Provocative Monologs, and Swan Fake.   

During the summer of 2008, he choreographed the dance scenes for an independent film Looking For Nick.   

From 2015 to 2022, he was on the faculty of Cary Ballet Conservatory and was judging International Competitions. 

During the summer of 2022, he directed a short film The Adventures of Kai on the Big Island of Hawaii. 

In 2022, Mr. Bourtasenkov accepted the Director of Repertoire position with Cleveland Ballet. In 2024, he was appointed Artistic Director of Cleveland Ballet. 2024 will be his first appearance as a member of the VKIBC Jury.