Egle Spokaite

Egle Spokaite

Founder, Artistic Director

Egle Spokaite was born in Vilnius, Lithuania. After graduating from National Art School in 1989 she became the principal soloist of the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theater. Between 1994 and 1996 Egle became a winner of four international ballet competitions around the world (Perm, Russia Gold medal; Maya 94 Sant Peterburg, Russia Bronze medal; Helsinki International, Gold Medal; Nagoya International, Gold Medal). She has bestowed highest National award of Lithuania. During her career between 1989 and 2011 Eglė Špokaitė performed leading classical and neoclassical roles such a “Zizel”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “Swan Lake”, “Copellia”, “Nutcracker“, “Romeo and Juliet”, “Carmen”, “Ana Karenina” and many more at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theater. She worked with the grand masters of the international caliber and prepared classical heritage roles with leading Mariinsky theater pedagogues: Ninel Kurgapkina, Kseniya Ter-Stepanova. Egle collaborated with the most prominent of art figures: Mstislav Rostropovich, Maya Pliseckaya, Gidon Kremer. Performed under the direction of choreographers Gerald Arpino, Georgy Aleksidze, Krzysztof Pastor, Boris Eifman, Alexei Ratmansky, Alla Sigalova, Eva Wicichovska, Kiril Simonov. As a guest artist, she created major roles in Georgian National Opera, Latvian National Opera, Finish National Opera, Karelian Music Theater.

In 2008, Egle graduated from Lithuanian Music and Theater Academy with the degree in choreography and pedagogy (ballet education) and started her teaching career. In 2009, Egle Spokaite co-founded first private ballet school in Vilnius, Lithuania. The school grew over the years to become the biggest ballet school in the Baltic countries, currently counting over 700 students.

In 2012, Egle Spokaite moved to live in Boston and subsequently moved to San Diego. In 2016, she founded the Ballet Institute of San Diego.