Diane Hakak

Founder and Director of New Elite Ballet Academy

After a rigorous audition, Diane Hakak was selected at age 10 to join the Higher Institute of Ballet at the Academy of Arts of Egypt. Her tutors, from the Bolshoi and Kirov academies, included Leonid Zhdanov, Youri Chatilov, and the great choreographer Leonid Lavrovsky.

At the end of five years of training at the Higher Institute of Ballet, with Bolshoi Ballet Masters Alexei Joukov and Ludmilla Cherkassova, Diane earned a two-year scholarship at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow where she completed her graduation course in the Vaganova method. 

Shortly after graduation, Diane performed, as Principal Dancer, the part of Zarema in The Fountain of Bakhtchissarai, which was the inaugural performance of the Cairo Ballet company. The Ballet was directed by Leonid Lavrovsky, former Artistic Director of the Bolshoi Ballet.

Diane was then honored by receiving the State’s Order of Merit medal for her contribution to the arts by the President of Egypt and promoted to prima ballerina of the Cairo ballet.

 Diane danced the principal roles in the ballets The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Coppelia, and Chopiniana, among others. 

Diane completed her B.F.A in Cairo, did graduate work in French Literature at St. John’s University in Queens, New York, and she is fluent in Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, Arabic, and English.

In addition to classical Ballet, Diane was anxious to explore other forms of dance and trained in International Style Ballroom dance under John Nyemchek and Bill Davies, both United States Professional Ballroom Champions.  Diane and her husband competed in various open International Style competitions.  

In New York, she taught at the International School of Ballet at Carnegie Hall, Shostakovich School of Music, Art and Dance, Dickerson Performing Arts Center, and was invited to conduct master classes at various other venues. In Connecticut, she taught at Valentina Kozlova Dance Conservatory of New York [VKDCNY].

She joined the Kozlov’s Troupe while on tour and performed as guest artist in various ballet productions of Kaleria Fedicheva in New York.  

Diane Hakak was the Kozlov’s Assistant Choreographer for the Melbourne Australian Ballet Company production of The Nutcracker. 

Currently, Diane, the founder and Director of New Elite Ballet Academy, is totally committed to teaching pure classical ballet, following the famous Vaganova method. Her passion is to motivate students and help them to reach their goals and ambitions.