Leonid Kozlov was born in Moscow, Russia and trained at the Bolshoi Ballet School.  He joined the Bolshoi Ballet Company and quickly rose to the rank of principal dancer.  He performed lead roles in Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Giselle, Le Corsaire, The Stone Flower, Spartacus, The Sleeping Beauty, and La Bayadere.  Mr. Kozlov received a degree from the National Unversity of  Theatrical Studies, in Moscow.  Seeking new challenges and a chance to expand his artistic repertoire, Leonid Kozlov made his daring leap to freedom in 1979.  In America, Mr. Kozlov worked with major choreographers and producers including George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, George Abbott, Glen Tetly, and Alvin Aliey.  Mr. Kozlov toured internationally as a guest artist.  He staged a new production of The Nutcracker for the Australian Ballet, and productions of Swan Lake and Don Quixote for the National Ballet of Chile.  Mr. Kozlov starred on Broadway in the revival, and the national tour of Rogers and Hart’s On Your Toes, directed by George Abbott and choreographed by George Balanchine.  He was invited by Mr. Balanchine to join New York City Ballet, where he worked for eleven years as a principal dancer.  His repertoire included over 30 ballets.  Mr. Kozlov also toured his own productions, bringing major stars of the American dance world to international audiences including China, Japan, Russia, Korea, and Italy.  In 1991, he presented nine performances of Stars of American Ballet to the capacity audiences of 6,000 at the Kremlin Palace in Moscow.  Since 1989, Mr. Kozlov has been Artistic Advisor to the New Jersey Ballet. Mr. Kozlov founded Kozlov Dance International in 1991, motivated solely by his devotion to teaching.  In 2005, Mr, Kozlov founded the Annual Youth Dance Festival of New Jersey, an artistic and educational exchange among young dancers.