Stephanie Murrish-Gaifullin and Daniil Gaifullin are the founding and artistic directors of Ballet Amarillo in Amarillo, Texas. They are still dancing and allowed to do guestings. They have been a partnership on and off the stage for thirteen years.

They have both performed in Russia, Europe, South America and tours within the United States.

Stephanie began her training in New Orleans with Harvey Hysell, Gayle Parmelee, Bella Korvarsky in summer sessions, and one year privately with Maestro Celli, the last student and protégé of Maestro Cecchetti. She was his last student. She trained at the Nutmeg Ballet, and as a result of the 1984 Prix de Lausanne competition, studied on full scholarship at the Stedelijk Instituut voor Ballet, in Antwerp, Belgium. She began her professional carreer with the Cincinnati Ballet, directed by Ivan Nagy, achieving the rank of soloist. Daniil is a graduate of the Bolshoi Ballet School, in Moscow, Russia.

He began his professional career at the age of 18 years old, as a principal dancer with the Donetsk Ballet and Opera in the Ukraine. After being seen as a non--competeing partner in the Jackson Competition, he joined Ballet Mississippi as a principal dancer. Together, in 1992 they joined the Charleston Ballet Theatre, as principal dancers. In 1993 they joined the Sarasota Ballet as principal dancers.

In 1997, they joined the Ballet de Santiago, in Chile, as principal dancers, directed by Ivan Nagy. Their repertoire there included all the principal roles in the ballets, PIAF, ETUDES, OUR WALTZES, Cranko’s ROMEO & JULIET, and Natalia Makarova’s LA BAYADERE.

They have danced the principal roles of the classical repertoire including, DON QUIXOTE, SWAN LAKE, SLEEPING BEAUTY, NUTCRACKER, GISELLE, LA BAYADERE,CHOPINIANA, COPPELIA, PAQUITA, some Balanchine works, and contemporary works from choreographers Fleming Flindt, Stephen Mills, Christopher Fleming, Jill Eathorne-Bahr, James Buckley, Ben Stevenson and Boris Eifman. Most recently Ricardo Bustemante created for them a beautiful pas de deux from his ballet Dvorak-American.

They have been principal guest artists with Vadim Fedotov’s Russian Ballet of America, Mitch Flander’s Griffin Ballet Theatre, Boca Ballet Theatre, and various gala performances, including James Brown, and Gregory Hines. They have also been guest teachers at the summer workshop with Mitch Flander, in Athens, Georgia.

Stephanie was a finalist in the 1987 New York International Ballet Competition. In 2003, she was invited as a guest artist at the 20 th anniversary of the N.Y.I.B.C. She performed in the awards gala, dancing a solo called “FORGOTTEN MOMENT”, choreographed by her husband, Daniil. The piece was reviewed as being “exquisite”.

They live in Amarillo, Tx. and have a wonderful son, Nikolas.

You can contact Stephanie and Daniil by mail, phone or email:

Stephanie and Daniil Gaifullin
3402 S. Lipscomb Street
Amarillo
Texas 79109

Phone: 806.353.3141  or 806.290.4754
dgaifullin@hotmail.com