Iskra Sukarova (Macedonia) lives and works in Skopje . She was a student of contemporary dance at the National Conservatorium Superior in Lyon, France, and in 2002 obtained her Masters Degree at the Laban Center in London, UK. She started her ballet education at Ilija Nikolovski Luj Secondary Ballet School in Skopje, and graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy and Art History with an Archaeology Major. She is an established soloist and choreographer at the Macedonian Opera and Ballet, and she has been awarded an Arts Link fellowship, New York in 1996 and Dance Web grant, Viena in 2000. In 2000, she was given the top title - distinguished soloist of the Ballet, and since 1997 has been the president of the Ballet Committee with the ITI Macedonian Centre. Iskra was appointed Artistic Director of the Macedonian National Theatre (MNT) Ballet in December 2002. Sukarova has carried out a number of choreography projects such as Endless Journey, Four Seasons, Four Moving Pictures, Cub 2, Play Me, and Off at the Tangent. With her solo work “Outside the tangent” in 2003 she was invited to perform at Tanztenzenden, Germany; the 2nd Balkan Dance Platform – Bucharest; and Fivizzano, Italy, where she was awarded the “Golden Dolphin” prize. She has created stage movements and choreography for numerous theatre performances in theatres throughout Macedonia and has participated in modern dance seminars and workshops in Macedonia, Belgium, Austria, Germany, United States, Slovakia, Germany, Greece. She has worked with such U.S. modern dance choreographers as Yoshiko Chuma, Allyson Green, Mia Lawrence, Cathy Weis and others. Iskra Sukarova is also one of the founders of Lokomotiva- Center for New Initiatives in the Arts and Culture in Macedonia, where she leads the contemporary dance program. She is also one of the founders of the Balkan Express Dance Group, as part of Balkan Express Network.