Valery Lantratov, a graduate of the Moscow Academic Choreographic College, has had a distinguished career as a dancer in many dance companies and international tours.  Most recently he has made international headlines for his role as Czar Nicholas II in a production of the new ballet Rasputin, with Farouk Ruzimatov of the Marinsky Theater (Kirov).  In 1997, Russian president Boris Yeltsin named Mr. Lantratov “People’s Artist of Russia”, the Russian Federation’s highest artistic honor.  In 1993 Lantratov formed the Russian National Ballet Foundation and has toured as a solo guest artist all over the world.  The foundation allows him to realize his goal of introducing new audiences throughout the world to some of the finest classical works of Russia.