Our Story
About the
Brevard Ballet Youth Company
Founded 2018
The Performance Arm of Brevard Ballet Academy
The Brevard Ballet Youth Company was founded in 2018 by Elena Shokhina, founder and artistic director of Brevard Ballet Academy. As the academy's advanced students matured into accomplished dancers, Elena established the company to give them a true performance outlet — a pre-professional company presenting full-length classical ballets to the Brevard County community.
As the sister organization and performance arm of Brevard Ballet Academy, the company draws its dancers from the academy's most dedicated and advanced students. Together they present beloved works such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Cinderella on Brevard County's most prominent stages, including the Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts.
Since its founding, the company has become a treasured cultural resource for Melbourne and the surrounding region — offering audiences the experience of classical ballet performed at a professional standard, while giving young dancers an invaluable bridge toward conservatory study and professional careers.
Our Mission
To present full-length classical ballet of the highest artistic quality to the Brevard County community, while providing the area's most dedicated young dancers with the rigorous performance experience essential to a pre-professional path.
Our Vision
To be a cornerstone of classical performing arts in Brevard County — nurturing artistry, discipline, and excellence in young dancers, and inspiring audiences of all ages with the timeless beauty of ballet.
Artistic Leadership
Elena Shokhina
Elena Shokhina is the founder and artistic director of the Brevard Ballet Youth Company. A graduate of the world-renowned Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia, she trained under master teachers in the same tradition that produced Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov.
Following her graduation, Elena performed as a principal dancer with leading companies in Russia before joining Nevada Ballet Theatre in Las Vegas. Her repertoire spanned the full range of classical ballet, from Swan Lake and Giselle to contemporary works.
After founding Brevard Ballet Academy in 2014, Elena established the Brevard Ballet Youth Company in 2018 to give her advanced students the chance to perform full-length classical ballets. She brings the full depth of her training and performing career to every production — staging classical repertoire with authenticity, artistry, and the highest standards of the Vaganova tradition.
Be Part of Our Story
Explore our productions, attend a performance, or support the company as it brings classical ballet to Brevard County.