Chair, Dance Dept.
LA Bldg., Rm. 208
Marygrove College
8425 W. McNichols
Detroit, MI 48221
Phone: (313) 927-1307
E-mail: jivanov@marygrove.edu

Ms. Ivanov-Ericson began dancing in Pittsburgh under the direction of Nicolas Petrov.  She continued her studies at the North Carolina School of the Arts and toured with the North Carolina Dance Theatre.  Upon graduating, she joined the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and was quickly promoted to principal dancer. She danced many roles from the classical repertoire including Odette-Odile in Swan Lake, the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker; Swanhilda in Coppelia, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Frankie in Frankie and Johnny, Pas de Dix and Le Corsaire Pas de Deux. She also danced original contemporary roles for choreographers John Taras, Milenko Banovich and Giles Fontaine. She appeared on WQED TV's Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. Ms. Ivanov-Ericson’s instructors included Fredric Franklin, Vitale Fokine, Ruth Page and Edward Caton.   Her partners have included Alexander Filipov, Gennadi Vostrikov, Dinko Bogdanic, Kenneth Johnson and Sean Lavery.

In 1976, she joined the Chicago Ballet and toured as principal dancer with roles including Aurora in Aurora’s Wedding, Don Quixote Pas de Deux, George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco and Raymonda, Spring Waters Pas de Deux, the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker at Chicago’s Arie Crown Theatre and original roles by Bill Scott and Jim Clouser. She served as a permanent principal guest artist and ballet mistress with the American Dance Ensemble/Ballet Petrov. 

After retiring from her successful performing career, Ms. Ivanov-Ericson settled in the Detroit area and has been a guest instructor at Indiana University, Oakland University, Marygrove College, Dearborn Ballet Theatre, Point Park University, Flint Institute of the Performing Arts and The American Ballet Theatre Summer Program. She served as the ballet mistress for the Michigan Opera Theatre’s production of Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet, and served as an adjunct instructor for the Maggie Allesee Department of Dance at Wayne State University.

Ms. Ivanov-Ericson continues to choreograph and instruct ballet as chair of the undergraduate dance department at Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan.