Roza
Lysaya founded the Lysaya Dance School in 1991. Having immigrated
to America from the former USSR, Roza, one of Russia’s leading choreographers
and dance teachers, started from scratch with a small group of kids in the
bay area, with a dream to create a new school, having had to leave her large
and successful dance schools behind in the USSR.
Among her many artistic achievements prior to moving the U.S., she founded
and directed Spirantza, recognized with the top honor of being named
one of the top five children's dance schools in the USSR. But when the USSR
started to collapse, she moved to the U.S., and here, decided to open her
final and most beloved school. Through her extraordinary strength, love, and
talent, Roza led the school for 8 years until her death in 1999 when her daughter
Lotta Lysaya Burton took over as the sole director of the school. Roza had
achieved her dream by creating a new ensemble in the United States, which
has continued to grow and blossom to this day.
