Summary: Maria Kochetkova joined San Francisco Ballet as a principal dancer in 2007. She trained at the Bolshoi School in Moscow and danced with The Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, and the Russian State Ballet as a guest artist before joining the Company. The many honors Ms. Kochetkova has received include a gold medal at the International Ballet Competition in Seoul, Korea, in 2005 and a gold medal at the International Ballet Competition of Luxembourg, 2003, and she was a winner of the Prix de Lausanne, 2002. Here she talks about the transition to San Francisco and how her background shaped the dancer she is today.
