We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ekaterina Yachmennikova a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ekaterina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

When I look back at my professional career and my background in sports and ballroom dance, I clearly see a driving force that has always been inside me: the courage to take risks, even when the path forward seemed impossible.

The first time I truly embraced this was when I inspired my family to move from Kamchatka to Moscow so I could continue my dance training. We had no place to live and no jobs waiting for my parents, but we started from scratch. Just a year and a half later, I became both a national and a world champion in the junior age group.

The second turning point came when, at only 16 years old, I moved alone to Italy without knowing the language. There, I danced with the national champion, earned the Italian national title for two consecutive seasons, and won silver medals at the World Championships. I learned Italian, built strong professional relationships, and performed for five seasons as a teacher and professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars Italy.

The next leap came when I met my second half, and together we decided to take another risk—moving to the United States. From owning and running ballroom dance studios, we grew into producing one of the largest classical ballet tours in North America, presenting over 150 shows annually across the U.S. and Canada.

I am proud that throughout every stage of my journey, I have carried with me this spirit of risk-taking and determination. It has been my compass, always pushing me to grow, achieve more, and create something bigger and better than before.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Born on January 9, 1988, in Vilyuchinsk, Kamchatka, I began ballroom dance at age 2½ and quickly transitioned into competitive dance by age 6. At 11, my family moved to Moscow, and two years later, I became Junior World Champion (10-dance) with Alexander Ermachenkov—an achievement that earned us the Exercise Prize for our contribution to dance in Russia.

From 2004 to 2008, I represented Italy, becoming a four-time Italian Champion. Partnered first with Gabriele Goffredo, we twice became Youth Latin Vice-World Champions. Later, with Andrea De Angelis, we placed 4th at both World and European Championships in the 10-dance, and earned high placements at the International Under-21 Circuit, Dutch Open, and Blackpool Festival.

In 2009, I joined Dancing with the Stars Russia. Between 2010 and 2011, representing Ukraine, I secured national titles, two World championships (IDS A/IDU), and a European championship under WDC Latin.

Since 2012, I’ve appeared on Ballando con le Stelle in Italy, partnering with celebrities including Michele Morrone, Sergio Assisi and others across multiple seasons. As an international coach working in Russia, Italy, Spain, Austria, and Ukraine, I’ve guided many students to top-tier competitions and titles.

I graduated from the Moscow University of Culture in 2015 with a focus on cultural program production. I co-founded We Dance Production, Inc with Michael Art and served as a producer at Classical Arts Entertainment, Inc expanding the North American ballet tour together with Artem Yachmennikov as the Artistic Director to over 150 performances in the 2024–2025, and 2025-2026 seasons. My We Dance Program now connects youth ballet students from 50+ North American studios with professional productions.

Fluent in four languages, I continue to channel my passion for dance into inspiring audiences and nurturing the next generation of artists.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Together with my husband, who served as the Artistic Director of the Ballet Department, I launched WeDance Academies in Melbourne, Florida. We began with just 40 students in our first season, and within two years, our success allowed us to open a second location. The WeDance family quickly grew to more than 250 students enrolled in ballroom, ballet, and contemporary dance programs.

During those years, I took on both teaching and administrative responsibilities across both studios. This experience taught me the value of embracing modern digital solutions—using software and management portals that streamlined operations, minimized human error, and created systems that supported scalable growth. By delegating tasks effectively and building structured processes, we were able to enhance the quality of service and focus directly on the needs of our students and families.

Managing two thriving dance studios for five years was one of the most significant projects of my career. It strengthened my leadership, organizational, and business development skills, while also allowing us to establish a strong and lasting cultural presence in the community.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I have always felt that arts and culture cannot exist without support—support from government, from audiences who follow and cherish artistic projects, and from families who dedicate their time and resources to raising well-balanced human beings. These efforts are not just about entertainment; they are about nurturing people with creativity, energy, and a sense of healthy values.

For me, society cannot truly thrive on comfort and technology alone. We need the lessons and the inspiration that come from practicing sports, from dancing, or from simply sitting in a theater and experiencing a performance. The soul, just like the body, needs to be exercised. And this is why I believe it is so important that we, as a society, continue to value and support the arts—not only for what they create in the moment, but for the deeper role they play in shaping who we are.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.classicalarts.net
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ekaterina_vaganova?igsh=OXpjcndsbTZkdGxx&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AETPqjwWW/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@classicalartspresents?si=UIKk7qjuZMp3JQwe
• Other: https://linktr.ee/ekaterina_vaganova?fbclid=PAQ0xDSwMTXxdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABpwHGs56rSS_S97CD79ex2lxspZkcSmg6wR-EEl2SWl0nUlzbuy7XNNTf_7d8_aem_8dX1nIKLDOptgD71I0nk0w

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