Stanislav Issaev studied at the Perm Dance Academy in Russia, and upon graduation, joined the Moscow State Ballet Theatre (Moscow Classical Ballet) as a principal dancer.

In 1980, Issaev was awarded the Gold Medal in the National Soviet Ballet Competition in Moscow and soon after won the Gold Medal and the Award for Extraordinary Technical Skills at the International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria, the world’s most prestigious ballet competition at the time. In 1983, Issaev was presented with the title of Distinguished Artist of Russia, and seven years later, he was awarded with the title of People’s Artist of Russia, the highest artistic  honor in the nation. In 1984, he was awarded the Nijinsky Prize by the Paris Academy of Dance, which recognized him as “the most distinguished dancer in the world.” This is an award that was also given to Alexei Ratmansky, Jiri Kylian, Sylvie Guillem, Pina Bausch, John Neuemeir and Trisha Brown.

During the two decades of his performing career, Stanislav partnered many famous and highly respected ballerinas including Ekaterina Maximova, the Prima Ballerina of the Bolshoi Theatre. Stanislav Issaev appeared in more than 40 countries around the world and was a leading dancer in special galas throughout America, Canada and Spain. During this time, Issaev received keys to the cities of San Diego and El Cajon, and was named an International Honorary Citizen by the City of New Orleans. 

In 1990, he was invited to join the Atlanta Ballet as a principal dancer. Issaev’s teaching career began with coaching for the Moscow State Ballet Theatre, and while dancing with the Atlanta Ballet, he was invited to be a guest teacher for Columbia Classical Ballet. In 1996 he became Director of the USC Dance Conservatory and Associate Director of USC Dance in South Carolina. 

From 1999 Issaev served as the Chair and Artistic Director of the Dance Program of the Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities of South Carolina. In 2015 Mr. Issaev moved to the Washington, DC area to work with the Kirov Academy of Ballet as a Master Teacher/Choreographer.

In 2017 Stanislav Issaev joined CityDance as Ballet Master of its Conservatory.

Over the past fifteen years, students that Issaev trained have won and placed in leading national and international ballet competitions in Jackson (MS), New York (NY), Helsinki (Finland), Rome (Italy), Prague (Czech Republic) and Seoul (Republic of Korea). Students of Mr. Issaev have also gone on to dance professionally with leading ballet companies, including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Cuban National Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, Primorsky Opera and Ballet Theatre (Russia), The Royal Danish Ballet and many others.

In addition Mr. Issaev has been named Outstanding Teacher by Youth America Grand Prix International Ballet Competition in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2011 and 2019.