I am a costume designer, educator, artisan, facilitator, and fabricator. I have had the good fortune to work professionally in theatrical and film costuming for nearly sixteen years. I designed, drew, painted, stitched, and dressed performers in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, New York, Santa Fe, and even Russia. I was born and raised in the former Soviet Union. My mother is a pianist and an educator, so the love of language, literature, and music has always been the defining aspect of my background. After moving to the United States to attend college, I discovered theatrical costuming during my second year. I finally found a field where my love of reading, research, and character study intersected happily with my love of visual art and hands-on creating. I love theatre because it is a place where people of many different backgrounds come together to create something beautiful.  I love costume design because of the power it has to transform human beings into someone or something completely different. And I love teaching because I love learning, and I can't wait to do more of both!