MARINA KALININA, born in Moscow, Russia, graduated from the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet Academy. While a student she danced as a soloist in Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella. Marina start her professional career with very prestigious dance companies, Igor Moiseyev and Beriozka where she danced for 25 years, performing as a soloist in over 60 countries of the world. After immigrating to the USA in 1981 with her husband Alex Kalinin, the two performed on stages from New York to Las Vegas and Australia to California as members of the Kalinin Dance Company. Reviewer Jacqueline Erickson from Australia wrote,
"The stage lights up with this love match."
Ms Kalinina start teaching ballet classes in 1990 for Southland Ballet Academy of Orange County and has continued until present. Some of her students have started professional careers with prestigious ballet companies including American Ballet Theater, San Francisco Ballet, Joffrey Ballet and New York City Ballet. Ms. Kalinina began teaching for Peninsula School of Performing Arts in 2006 and continues to teach and coach young dancers training for professional careers.