Katarina Wester, a native of Stockholm, Sweden, has enjoyed a successful career as a performer, ballet mistress, teacher and choreographer.  Katarina undertook her formal training at the Royal Swedish Ballet School under the direction of Albert & Nina Kozlovsky and Gösta Svalberg.  She also studied at the Bartholin School of Bournonville technique in Copenhagen, Denmark, and at Rosella Hightower’s Conservatory in Cannes, France.

After two years as an apprentice at the Royal Swedish Ballet, she became a principal dancer with the Gothenburg Ballet, performing works under the direction of Maya Plisetskaya, Sulamith Messerer and Birgit Cullberg.  Seven years later, Katarina returned to the Royal Swedish Ballet, where she worked under the direction of such prominent choreographers as Mats Ek, Dame Beryl Gray, and Choo-San Goh.  During her successful career with the Royal Swedish Ballet, she has performed the works of Sir Frederick Ashton, August Bournonville, Jirí Kylian, Maurice Béjart, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, George Balanchine, and many other notable choreographers.

Since her arrival in the United States, Katarina has worked as principal dancer, teacher, and choreographer with the Princeton School of Ballet and the Dance Theatre of Pennsylvania, among others.  With the Contra Costa Ballet since 2003, she works with both the school and company. Katarina also conducts lectures and demonstrations for the Contra Costa Ballet Outreach Program.

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