Iliana Babadjanova
Ms. Iliana is our ballet teacher who joined Team Kayleigh approximately one year ago. Ms. Iliana serves as an instructor for the Patel Conservatory. She graduated Cum Laude from the Sofia National School of Dance Arts in Sofia, Bulgaria. During the last two years at the school, she was selected to perform in the corps de ballet with the National Ballet and Opera Theater. Upon graduation, she joined the company, where she danced for eight years.
In 1990, Ms. Iliana was the recipient of the highest award at the prestigious Bulgarian National Competition "Anastas Petrov." In 1991, she was invited to teach ballet, coach, and choreograph for the junior sport and rhythmic gymnastics teams in Ascoli, Piceno, Italy. In 1992, upon her return to Sofia, Bulgaria she was appointed as a teacher assistant at the Sofia National School of Dance Arts. That same year she rejoined the National Ballet and Opera Theater as a soloist. Her expertise ranges from teaching ballet technique, classical repertoire, and character dance. Ms. Iliana works closely with Coach Pavel to reinforce the proper form of choreographed movements off the ice to make Kayleigh an even more beautiful skater on the ice.
Pavel Dimitrov
Pavel Dimitrov
Coach Pavel Dimitrov is one of the best coaches in the United States. Pavel began his skating career in his home country of Bulgaria. After skating for the Bulgarian National Team, Pavel attended the Sport University of Bulgaria where he studied and received his degree in coaching figure skating. Since completing his academic programs in coaching he has devoted his professional life to using the knowledge he gained as a skater and the valuable skills he has developed as a coach to teach figure skaters of all levels across several countries internationally. During his European coaching career, he was responsible for coaching individual skaters and pairs teams in the European Championships, the Grand Prix championships, and the World Championships. In 2006, he was the coach for his home country of Bulgaria in the Olympics in Torin, Italy.
Coach Pavel Dimitrov then brought his incredible wealth of skating knowledge and infectious enthusiasm for skating to the United States where he coached for an additional 9 years at the Ashburn Ice House in Ashburn, Virginia. During his tenure in there, his skaters represented the Ice House at U.S. Regionals, U.S. Sectionals, and U.S. Nationals. In 2011, Pavel was again the primary coach of the 2011 pairs team at the Grand Prix championships and World Championships.
In 2016, Coach Pavel moved to Florida to continue his storied coaching career. Coach Pavel's international experience, incredible wealth of knowledge, and phenomenal attention to each detail of each element are second to no other coach in the United States. It is this wealth of experience and knowledge that allows him to successfully teach all aspects of figure skating (footwork, spins, jumps, and artistry) meaning that Kayleigh learns and improves every minute that she is on the ice with him. It is his tireless work ethic, endless enthusiasm, and his contagious love of figure skating that has propelled Kayleigh to the level at which she is currently skating. Both Coach Pavel and Kayleigh always strive to be the best and both will work until they drop to make sure that Kayleigh is the best at each level at which she competes.