Our Team
Mrs. Altynay Mazhikeyeva
Altynay Mazhikeyeva is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Philadelphia Dance Conservatory, as well as an accomplished ballet artist, educator, choreographer, and mentor with almost 40 years of professional experience in classical ballet.
Born into a distinguished ballet family in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Altynay Mazhikeyeva began her ballet training at the A. Seleznev Ballet Academy in Almaty, where she graduated with honors in 1988. Following her graduation, she joined the Abai State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where she performed as a soloist from 1988 to 1989.
In 1990, Altynay Mazhikeyeva became a soloist with the Moscow Ballet Festival under the artistic direction of Sergey Radchenko. Throughout her professional performing career, she toured extensively and worked alongside renowned ballet artists of the Bolshoi Theatre, including Ludmila Semenyaka, Marina Bylova, Sergey Radchenko, and other distinguished performers. Her extensive classical repertoire includes leading roles in Swan Lake, Giselle, Carmen, Chopiniana, La Bayadère, The Fountain of Bakhchisarai, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Raymonda, Spartacus, Frescoes, La Sylphide, Don Quixote, La Vivandière, Le Corsaire, and many other classical and contemporary productions.
Altynay Mazhikeyeva’s artistic foundation was shaped by her remarkable family legacy. Her father, Kairat Mazhikeyev, is an internationally recognized ballet artist, teacher, choreographer, and stage producer whose distinguished career as a soloist with the Abai State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre and later as an educator and choreographer has influenced generations of dancers. Her mother, Lora Mazhikeyeva, is an Honored Artist of Kazakhstan, celebrated ballerina, educator, and the founder and leader of the private choreographic school “Lora Studio Dance” in Almaty, Kazakhstan. In 2003, Altynay Mazhikeyeva founded the Philadelphia Dance Conservatory in Pennsylvania, where she continues to serve as Artistic Director, choreographer, and master teacher.
Under her artistic leadership, the Conservatory has presented numerous full-length classical ballets, contemporary works, and original productions, including Carmen Suite, La Vivandière, Bolero, Don Quixote, Prince Igor’s Polovtsian Dances, La Bayadère, Swan Lake, and many other productions.
Altynay Mazhikeyeva was born and raised by famous ballet parents. Kairat Mazhikeyev is a teacher, choreographer, and director of a theater. On the other hand, Lora Mazhikeyeva is a famous ballerina, teacher/founder of her methodology of healthy choreography, and considered an honored artist of Kazakhstan. In 2003, Altynay Mazhikeyeva founded her ballet studio, Philadelphia Dance Conservatory in Philadelphia, PA. With twenty-three years of experience, Altynay Mazhikeyeva continues to teach the language of ballet, body culture, and knowledge of folklore and dance culture from different countries. And from all of this, she gets great pleasure from the result of her students!
Kairat Mazhikeyev
Kairat Mazhikeyev is an internationally recognized ballet artist, teacher, choreographer, and stage producer with more than six decades of experience in classical ballet. He graduated from the Moscow State Academy of Choreography, where he studied under the distinguished ballet pedagogue L. T. Zhdanov, before beginning his professional career with the Abai State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in Almaty, Kazakhstan. From 1964 to 1984, he performed as a celebrated soloist with the company.
Throughout his distinguished performing career, Kairat Mazhikeyev was renowned for his versatility, technical excellence, and dramatic artistry. His extensive classical repertoire included leading and featured roles in The Fountain of Bakhchisarai, La Sylphide, Swan Lake, Spartacus, Pulcinella, Shurale, The Young Lady and the Hooligan, La Bayadère, Giselle, Raymonda, Cholpon, Aksak-Kulan, Frescoes, Faust (Walpurgis Night), Sleeping Beauty, and numerous other classical and contemporary productions. His portrayal of Nurali in The Fountain of Bakhchisarai earned widespread acclaim and was regarded by many as one of the best interpretations of the role since the ballet’s 1934 premiere. In 1978, he represented the Abai Theatre during its prestigious tour at Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre, performing the roles of Nurali in The Fountain of Bakhchisarai and the title role in Pulcinella.
Since transitioning from the stage in 1984, Kairat Mazhikeyev has devoted his career to teaching, choreography, stage production, and artistic direction. He has trained generations of dancers, served as ballet master and artistic director for numerous productions and major cultural events, and worked internationally, including as a ballet instructor and choreographer in Maputo, Mozambique, under the Ministry of Culture of the USSR. Throughout his career, he has also been invited as a guest ballet master and instructor at renowned ballet schools and institutions around the world, sharing his expertise in classical ballet and choreography with aspiring dancers and professionals alike.
Since 2003, Mr. Mazhikeyev has served as Chief Ballet Consultant, choreographer, stage producer, and master teacher for the Philadelphia Dance Conservatory in Pennsylvania. Under his artistic guidance, students have earned recognition and top awards at national and international ballet competitions. His lifelong dedication to artistic excellence, mentorship, and the preservation of classical ballet continues to inspire generations of dancers around the world.
Alan Omurzakov
Alan Omurzakov is the Manager of the Philadelphia Dance Conservatory, where he oversees the studio’s digital presence, advertising, website management, music editing for competitions and annual productions, and assists with studio operations. He also serves as an instructor, teaching ballet classes and mentoring students.
Alan began his classical ballet training at the Philadelphia Dance Conservatory in 2012 under the instruction of Altynay Mazhikeyeva and Kairat Mazhikeyev. Since then, he has developed a strong foundation in classical ballet and has performed an extensive repertoire that includes Swan Lake, La Bayadère, Carmen, La Vivandière, Don Quixote, Bolero, Prince Igor’s Polovtsian Dances, and numerous other classical and contemporary productions.
As a competitive dancer, Alan has represented the Philadelphia Dance Conservatory at regional and national ballet competitions, including Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), Universal Ballet Competition (UBC), California Dance Classics, Jewels Festival, and others. Throughout his training, he has earned numerous awards, scholarships, and invitations to ballet programs and professional training opportunities, including Joffrey Ballet School (New York City), Next Generation Ballet, Oklahoma Ballet, Nashville Ballet, as well as international opportunities in Germany and Japan.
In addition to his work with the Philadelphia Dance Conservatory, Alan is frequently invited as a guest artist to perform in The Nutcracker with ballet companies and schools throughout Pennsylvania and Virginia, where he continues to share his passion for classical ballet with audiences and young dancers alike.