MEET OUR COACHES
OWNER & HEAD COACH OF ACRO TEAM
Tanya was born in Bulgaria where she started training Acrobatic Gymnastics at the age of five. She graduated from the world renowned “T. Kableschkov” sport school where she was 5 times Acrobatic National Champion and 4 times Trampoline National Champion. Her love for sports as well as her talents gave her the opportunity to travel around the world and perform. Upon retiring from competition, Tanya focused her expertise on coaching both acrobatics and trampoline. Tanya has been the head coach of Acro for the last several years and has coached athletes to be State, Regional, and National Champions, even taking her men's pair to the World Championships two years in a row (and counting).
TANYA STOYANOVA
HEAD COACH OF GIRLS' OPTIONALS TEAM
Elena began gymnastics when she was 6 years old and by age 9 she was competing for the Bulgarian National Team. She won the Bulgarian National All Around title 2 times. She competed in many international competitions representing Bulgaria and competed in the 93 European Championships earning a 6th Place prize. Elena also competed in the 95 World Championships where she earned her quota for the Olympic Team in 96, competing in Atlanta.
She has been coaching for 12 years and is confident in her system. Coaching in the United States has been an awesome journey for her, she has had State Champions every year from all ages and all levels. She has also been a part of the TOPS Program and has had many Athletes qualify to the National Testing
in Houston TX.
ELENA TODOROVA
GIRLS JO COMPULSORY (LEVELS 3-5) TEAM COACH
Bio coming soon.
MICHELLE SECEANSCHI
JO COMPULSORY LEVEL 2 & RECREATIONAL COACH
Bio coming soon....
KATYA FREIUK
XCEL DIRECTOR + HEAD COACH & SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR
Bio coming soon.
KATIE WILLIAMS
ACRO TEAM COACH
Back in the UK, Ross was an international tumbler and a professional dancer. He moved to Las Vegas in 2004 to play the principal character of Red Bird in Cirque Du Soleil’s ‘Mystere', a very acrobatic dance character and is thrilled to teach his love of acro dance at AGC.
ROSS GIBSON
ACRO TEAM COACH
Yury is a World Champion and Russian National Team member in the Men's 4 Event in Sports Acrobatics, and has a Bachelors degree in Physical Education, specializing in Gymnastics. His career has taken him all over the world performing with Cirque du Soleil, for International Competitions, and America's Got Talent and Russia's Got Talent with his renowned act Duo Resonance. Yury has over 20 years of training, competitive, and performing experience in Sports Acrobatics, Voltige, Teeter Board, hand balance, and hand to hand.
YURY KUZNETSOV
ACRO TEAM COACH
Marina was born in Russia and started Acro at the age of five. Being part of a National Team she competed in many International competitions and became a World Champion with 4 gold medals. She graduated from college with a Bachelor's degree in Physical Education. She moved to the United States and worked for Cirque du Soleil for 18 years as a performer in the “O” show. After retiring from her cirque career, she became a Gymnastics and Acro coach. Marina coaches Team Acro at AGC.
MARINA SHABELNAYA
PRE TEAM ACRO & RECREATIONAL GYMNASTICS
Meglena was born in Bulgaria where at the age of 6 she was introduced to the sport of Acrobatics Gymnastics. On her first competition she won 3 gold medals and the following year, after a hard training and dedication she became National Champion. At the age of 16 she decided to take a step further towards her passion for Acrobatics, and she moved to the capital city of Bulgaria, Sofia. There she got accepted into CSKA school of sports. Two years ago she fell in love with Acro Yoga and quickly became well know around the Acro Yoga community as Magic Meg. Her love for the sport kept her going and Meglena is now coaching the pre-team Acrobatics Gymnastics program as well as teaching girls' recreational gymnastics classes at AGC.
MEGLENA PETROVA
ACRO TEAM COACH
I was born in Russia, when I was 5 years old my family moved to the Ukraine, that's where my mother took me to try Acrobatics. I fell in love with this sport. When I turned 16 I was chosen to be on National Team for Ukraine. In 1995 I won my 1st Gold medal in World ChampionShip (Wroclaw ,Poland) in women's trio and we took Silver Overall in European Championships same year. In 1997 we won European Championships in Germany. In September 1997 I signed a contract with Cirque "Du Soleil" to be a performer in " O" show. A few years later I become acrobatic coach in "O" show. Currently I'm still performing and coaching at "O" show.
TATYANA MIRONOVICH
TRAMPOLINE & TUMBLING PROGRAM DIRECTOR & TEAM COACH
Alex was born in Russia and began his 15 year-long athletic career in Trampoline & Tumbling, having earned a World Championship title in 2007 with his team, and many other international competitive decorations as part of the Russian National Trampoline (and Tumbling) team from 1999-2009. He began teaching Trampoline & Tumbling in Moscow's Olympic Reserve youth program in 2009, and by 2013 was the Gymnastics Division Head for the Ministry of Sports of Russia and having helped coach World Champions during that time. Alex arrives to us from Lafayette, LA and is excited to be here at AGC to develop the T&T Program further.
ALEX DRAMARETSKIY
AEROBIC GYMNASTICS TEAM COACH
Bio coming soon....
DAVID SABATER
BALLET & CONTEMPORARY DANCE INSTRUCTOR
Hanifa Jackson is a native of Philadelphia Pa. Her formal dance training includes Philadanco!, Pennsylvania Ballet and Alvin Ailey. Hanifa holds a B.F.A. from The Juilliard School. She was last seen in Las Vegas dancing in Cirque Du Soleil “MYSTERE” as a principal character, and on Broadway performing with “The Lion King”. Hanifa has taught at major universities as well as dance schools across the country and is a published children’s book author. She is excited to be joining AGC to help mold and guide the up and coming performing artists. Thank you for having me.
HANIFA JACKSON
BOYS GYMNASTICS COACH
I’m Coach Jeff and am recently married and have 5 children and 7 grandchildren.
My career started in New York where I was on the gymnastics team at Ithaca College. This led me to eventually start my own gymnastics school for 20 years.
I have attended national and international competitions starting in the 1990s, where my former gymnasts went on to Penn State and won the NCAA championship.
I migrated to Las Vegas in 2008 and have 49 years of experience in coaching.
My belief is that the art of gymnastics, starting in early life, helps improve the physical confidence in children. This is especially beneficial for challenged children with autism.
I am privileged to help improve the life rewarding skills for all my kids.
