Gifted actor and dancer Valery Nikolaev has choreographed five productions at the Chekhov MKhAT theater. He choreographed the musical My Fair Lady (Moscow, 2000), as well. In 1997 he traveled to Hollywood in 1997 to play in Phillip Noyce's The Saint. Nikolaev graduated from MKhAT, where he studied under the eminent Oleg Tabakov. It was during his studies with Tabakov that he met his future wife, Irina Apeksimova. After graduation, Nikolaev performed with the Chekhov MKhAT theater. Nikolaev is a serious dancer who excels at rock and tap. He trained at a university in Florida, where he received a certificate in tap dancing.