Artistic Director , Outstanding Teacher Award Youth America Grand Prix

Uta-Graf Apostol was born in Berlin, Germany and graduated from  one of Europe's most prestigious ballet schools. She rose through the ranks to become  principal dancer at the Hamburg Staatsoper under such well known opera directors as Rolf Lieberman, Gunther Rennert, Walter Felsenstein, Wieland Wagner and conductor Igor Stravinsky. While with the company, Ms. Graf-Apostol toured thought major cities in Europe and performed for French President De Gaulle, British Queen Elizabeth and the Shah of Iran as well as many other dignitaries. During her sixteen years she worked with leading choreographers like Gustav Blank, Harold Lander, Roland Petit and George Balanchine. She danced all the leading roles of the repertoire including Swan Lake, Giselle, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and many of Balanchine's Ballets.