BALTOVICK BALLET
The home of YAGP Outstanding Teacher & School, and artistic excellence
Email us: baltovick.ballet@gmail.com
Program Director
ELENA BALTOVICK began her classical ballet studies at the age of nine in her native Kyiv, Ukraine at the National Choreographic Ballet School of Ukraine. She went on to dance with the National Theatre of Opera and Ballet. Ms. Baltovick came to the United States in 1992 and furthered her study of the Vaganova Method at the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts in Connecticut, graduating with honors in 1994. In 1998, Ms. Baltovick graduated cum laude from the University of Hartford’s Hartt School of Music and Ballet Pedagogy. During her college years, she danced with the company at the School of the Hartford Ballet. Her main coach during her studying at the University was world famous Prima Ballerina, Ms. Alla Osipenko from Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Ms. Baltovick’s repertoire includes: The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Les Sylphides, La Bayadere, Raymonda, and Paquita, among many others. While studying in Spain, she received additional training in flamenco dance. She is also certified to teach ballroom dance. Elena Baltovick is also a certified rhythmic gymnastics coach. She was invited to be a guest choreographer for Northshore Rhythmic, home of the USA National Rhythmic team (Deerfield, IL). Ms. Baltovick specializes in strengthening, conditioning, flexibility, and agility, and synthesizes her knowledge of rhythmic gymnastics and classical ballet when she works with her students.
Under the direction of Ms. Elena, her students have been winning numerous awards and scholarships in prestigious ballet competitions including Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), W.B.A.C. Grand Prix, ICON Dance Awards, ADCIBC and more. Many of her former students have gone on to pursue professional dance careers worldwide.
2011- YAGP Top 12 Pre-Competitive Contemporary (PCC)
2012- YAGP Top 12 PCC, 3rd Place Ensemble
2013- YAGP Top 12 PCC, 1st Place Junior Contemporary, Top 12 Ensemble
2014- YAGP 1st PCC, 2nd Place Junior Contemporary, Top 12 Pre-Competitive Classical and Top 12 PCC
2015- YAGP Outstanding Teacher, 3rd Place Pre-Competitive, Top 12 Junior Contemporary and Classical, Top 12 Pre-Competitive Junior Contemporary, Top 12 Ensembles
2016- YAGP 3rd Place Junior Contemporary, 3rd Place Junior Classical,, 3rd Place Pre-Competitive Men’s Classical, Top 12 PCC, Top 12 Junior Classical and Contemporary,
2017- YAGP 1st and 2nd Place PCC 2nd Place PCC, 1st Place Junior Contemporary, Top 12 Pre-Competitive Classical, Top 12 Junior Contemporary,
2018- YAGP 1st Place Trio, 1st Place Ensemble, 1st Place PCC, 2nd Place Pre-Competitive Classical and Contemporary, 3rd Place Pre-Competitive Classical, Top 12 PCC and Classical
2019 – YAGP 1st and 2nd Place Junior Contemporary, 3rd place Pre-Competitive Contemporary and Classical. 2 NY Finalists for Youth America Grand Prix
2020 – YAGP Outstanding Teacher, 1st and 2nd Junior Contemporary, 3rd Junior Classical, 12 NY Finalists for Youth America Grand Prix
2021 – YAGP outstanding school, 1st Junior Contemporary, 3rd Junior Classical, 1st Pre-Competitive Contemporary, 3rd Pre-Competitive Classical, 4 finalists for Youth America Grand Prix, 6 finalists for W.B.A.C. Grand Prix, Outstanding Teacher W.B.A.C. Grand Prix
2022 – 1st and 2nd Place PCC contemporary, 3rd Junior Contemporary, 1st small ensembles,. 1st Senior Contemporary, Top 12 PCC, 3 finalists for Youth America Grand Prix
2023 – YAGP 1st Place PCC contemporary and classical, Top 6 small ensembles, Top 12 Junior Classical and Contemporary, 1 finalists for Youth America Grand Prix, Outstanding Teach ICON Dance Awards
2024 – YAGP 1st Place Junior contemporary, Top 12 Junior Classical, Top 12 Senior Contemporary, Top 24 Senior Classical, Top 6 large ensembles, 7 finalists for Youth America Grand Prix, Youth Ballet Master 1st, 2nd and 3rd place first position contemporary, Top 10 Junior Contemporary, 2nd senior classical, 3rd senior contemporary, 2nd and 3rd place small ensembles
Ballet Teacher
Liliana Lizalde began dancing at the age of 4. She trained in several genres of dance, from contemporary to ballroom, and her favorite was always ballet. Despite extensive dance experience, most of her time was spent on rhythmic gymnastics. She was a rhythmic gymnastics national champion, awarded 2-time athlete of the year in Region 1, invited to be on the pre-elite national team, and qualified as a junior national team member. Even though she loved rhythmic gymnastics, Lily decided to follow her heart and focus on ballet. At 13, she moved from San Diego to Arizona to train full-time in the professional program at the Master Ballet Academy, where she has since danced in several performances with the Phoenix Ballet Company. Lily has competed and placed in the top 3 at the Youth America Grand Prix and advanced to the NY City Finals several times as a soloist, pas de Deux, and ensemble dancer. Lily was honored to be chosen to compete in the 2018 USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, where she made it through the second round. She was also chosen to compete in the 2018 Beijing International Ballet Competition. Lily loves dance and wants to share her love with her students.
Ballet Teacher and Rehearsal Assistant
Leilani Smith began her dance career at the age of 8 at Georgia’s School of Dance. She began her training in multiple genres, including Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, and Lyrical, but quickly discovered that Ballet and Contemporary were her passions. Under the training of Elena Baltovick and Jessie Leigh Olson, she refined her technique and achieved many awards and accolades. Leilani has been a trainee with Lynch Dance Institute’s pre-professional program under the direction of former Pacific Northwest Ballet soloists, Timothy Lynch and Alexandra Dickson. She has trained with Pacific Northwest Ballet over 4 summers on scholarship and was most recently invited to attend their professional division program. Leilani has also trained at the Miami City Ballet summer program, Alonzo King Lines, and Laguna Dance Festival. She has worked with world-renowned choreographers: Desmond Richardson, Jodie Gates, Karine Plantadit, Sonyia Dawkins, Kirsten Cooper, and Kayla Kalbfleisch. Leilani has won multiple awards and scholarships including 2nd place YAGP regionals Classical, 3rd place YAGP regionals contemporary, Tremaine Dance Convention full scholarship, NYCDA Regional Teen Outstanding Dancer, and is a Laguna Dance Festival Young Artist scholarship recipient. This is Leilani’s first season as a Fresh Congress company member, which is a professional contemporary company based in San Diego CA.
Chinese Dance Teacher and Progressing Ballet Technique Coach
Ying Liu began her formal dance training at the age of nine in her native China. She furthered her dance education at the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, graduating with a BFA in Classical Chinese Dance and Pedagogy in 2006. Ms. Ying is a certified teacher for Chinese Dance Graded Examinations Levels 1-10, Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) Levels 1-3, and is a member of the Beijing Dancers Association.
During her time at the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, Ms. Ying performed in the Spring Festival Gala on the national TV station and the gala for the China-France Cultural Year at the Great Hall of the People. Soon after her graduation, Ms. Ying performed in and assisted with rehearsals for the 2008 Beijing Olympic opening ceremony. She was one of the choreographers and dancers in a lead role in the dance drama “TANG－Lotus Garden”. Ms. Ying was a sought-after choreographer and host for many major events and galas. From 2007 to 2016, Ms. Ying taught Chinese dance at the Beijing Dongcheng Culture Center and the Graded Examination Center of the Beijing Dance Academy in Liaoning Province, China.
In 2017, Ms. Ying relocated with her family to Southern California, where she has been teaching at the Chinese Ethnic Dance Troupe. She actively participates in various cultural events, including the San Diego Chinese American Community’s National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration in 2019, and the San Diego ACCEF (American Chinese Culture and Education Foundation) Spring Festival Gala from 2018 to 2024.
Ms. Ying enjoys teaching and sharing her passion for dance with students of all ages.