08/18/2026
✨ WELCOME TO THE NSD FAMILY, MAXIM TCHERNYCHEV! ✨
We are thrilled to welcome Maxim Tchernychev to the Next Step Dance faculty as one of our newest Ballet Teachers!
Please join us in giving Maxim a HUGE NSD welcome! ✨
Get to know Maxim and his impressive career below!⬇️
Mr. Tchernychev was born in Russia, at the age of ten he began his training at Novosibirsk State Ballet Academy. In 1988 as a part of a Russian delegation he participated in International Youth Festival in North Korea. Right after graduation in 1989 Mr. Tchernychev was invited by Y. Grigorovich ( director of Bolshoi Ballet) to join Bolshoi Ballet Theatre in Moscow. He was working with such distinguished teachers and coaches as Asaf Meserer, Mikhail Lavrovsky, Yuri Vladimirov and Boris Akimov. Mr. Tchernychev performed with Bolshoi Ballet Theatre throughout Russia, England, France, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Egypt, China, Hong-Kong, Japan and the USA.
In October of 1993 he was invited to perform before Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at the Dominion Theatre in London.
In December of 1994 at end of touring the USA, Mr. Tchernychev decided to stay and continue his dancing career in the US. He performed as a principal dancer and guest artist with several ballet companies. He also staged ballets and taught master classes
in ballet schools and companies throughout the US. His principal roles included Swan lake, Giselle, Don Quixote, Coppelia, The Nutcracker, Paquita, Romeo and Juliet and Carmina Burana and many ballet and contemporary pieces that was choreographed for him. Critics have praised him for his dancing and its energy and “thrillingly masculine style”, last five years of his dancing career Mr. Tchernychev performed as a principal dancer and a ballet master with San Diego Ballet.
In 2001 Mr. Tchernychev founded San Diego Academy of Ballet and began his career as a coach, teacher and choreographer. Two of his students was awarded Tony Award for their performance as a Billy Elliot in the “Billy Elliot” musical on Broadway.
His students are receiving contracts in leading ballet companies, as well as scholarships to a leading world ballet schools. He has being awarded, nationally and internationally recognized for his teaching and for his choreography. In 2016 Mr. Tchernychev founded California Professional Ballet Program in San Diego.
In 2018 contracted to choreograph “Romeo and Juliette” for San Diego Lyric Opera. In 2021 Mr. Tchernychev joined Elite Classical Coaching program, as a ballet master. He teaches Intermediate to Advanced levels, technique classes, mens classes, pas de duex, pointe, variations and character classes. Mr. Tchernychev have been consulting and collaborating with fashion designers in Russia and in US.
