Aleksey Babayev was born in Moscow, Russia and then immigrated with his family to America at a young age. He began his training at the Academy of International Ballet, under his parents Anastasia Babayeva and Denis Gronostayskiy. After finishing his training at the Kirov Academy of Ballet, he moved back to Russia to work at the Stanislavsky Ballet and was a soloist, with featured roles including Vladimir Lensky in Tatiana by John Neumeier. After three years, Aleksey joined the Philadelphia Ballet, quickly becoming a soloist and performing roles such as Albrecht in Giselle, soloist in Kylián’s Petite Mort, and the first movement principal in Balanchine’s Symphony in C. During his three seasons at Richmond Ballet, his highlights include performing in Jerome Robbin’s In the Night, as Frederick in Ben Stevenson’s Dracula, and as Cavalier in Stoner Winslett’s The Nutcracker. This is his fourth year with the Richmond Ballet.