Award-Winning Writer and Director with 10+ Years of Experience in the Film Industry, AFI Film Directing Graduate Offering Expert Lessons in Writing and Directing Short Films

Yana is a brilliant instructor. Her years of experience come through in her lessons!

Yana has been one of the most impactful additions to my creative life. She has truly transformed the way I approach acting, introducing me to a range of techniques and methodologies, including the Stanislavsky Method, Chekhov’s work, emotional points, and character-building exercises. Through her guidance, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of where my strengths lie particularly in improvisational character work and how to integrate those strengths into my roles. Yana is an exceptional teacher, equally skilled in both theater and film. Any actor would be fortunate to learn from her.

I know Yana as an actress, director and a teacher! She is fabulous, talented and a a real pleasure to work with!! Highly recommend her!

Yana is a talented teacher. She has an impressive acting background and a wonderful sense of humor, which is important. She is kind and empathetic, and she is always ready to answer your questions.

I worked with Yana on several narrative productions and was always impressed by her creative intuition. As a skilled director with over a decade of experience, Yana knows how to help actors deliver their best performances that deeply touch the viewer.

Hello! I attended Yana’s Atkre trainings and also prepared the acting program individually. Yana is a wonderful actress, director and coach. It was very easy and comfortable to work with her, you can see with what inspiration, enthusiasm and responsibility she approaches her work. You can also feel the individual approach and faith in each of your students. An unconditional professional who fascinates with his love for the process and for the profession as a whole. Knows how to set a task and convey material in different ways. Come to her classes, and you will definitely have a new breath and a new perspective on familiar things.

Yana and I worked together on a movie she Directed in which I was playing the lead; the experience was marvelous.
I am often weary of directors who have no theatrical training, so when I learnt of the breadth and depth of Yana's training in the theatre I was astounded. Her knowledge and experience from the acting side make her a formidable director who can switch between the language of an "Actor" to a "Director" seamlessly. On set I would watch her navigate the complexities of putting together a film juggling conversations with producers and her DP, and then turn to me and "hold a space" that allowed for exploration and play shielded from the pressures of set. Her questions were poignant, her direction was clear, and her vision was grand. To come across a director like this is rare. I enjoyed every moment of my time working with her and look forward to having the opportunity to work with her again in the future.

Yana excels in every aspect, from voice&movement training to the most nuanced professional insights. She is a highly experienced and supremely qualified creative professional, and what impressed me the most is her versatility. Not only is she a talented film and theatre actress, but also a skilled film director with collaborations with major entities like Sony Pictures under her belt. Yana possesses comprehensive knowledge and expertise in all areas that actors may wonder about, from the intricacies of Stanislavski's System versus Chekhov's technique, to the art of effective communication with directors and producers. Highly recommended!

I was lucky to work with Yana a lot. Both with the director and with the acting coach.
Yana has a huge acting and directing experience, both in theater and in cinema. Her expertise is at the highest level. It is a great happiness for me as an actor when the director understands what acting is and will be able to give competent hints, direct and achieve the right emotions in the frame. It is more difficult to play on the strings of your soul than on any musical instrument. Yana can find the key to any of your emotions, color it and show it in the best possible way. Kind, open-minded, a great professional in her field. It's impossible not to fall in love. Haily recommended.

I am very glad that I met Yana and took her acting classes.
Yana is very energizing with her energy, humor, and it is very easy to work with Yana and understand the tasks. Yana immediately sees right through you, what’s inside you.
After class, you feel that your imagination, brain and body begin to work much more energetically. And you will begin to understand yourself better as an actress. And, of course, you begin to see your gaps.
I really want to take more classes.

Yana Gladkikh belongs to the intellectual type of artist. This allows her not only to exist on personal organics, but also to control her body, emotions and mental state.
Yana carefully studied her capabilities and variations in her body’s settings.
That is why Gladkikh is excellent at demonstrating and teaching acting skills. Improve its characteristics through individual, pair and group exercises. This practice helps to maintain and improve your tools before work.
I had a lot of fun working with Yana. Not all of the exercises were immediately clear, but as the work progressed, an awareness of their necessity came to light.

Well, Yana is just basically a rock star in acting who will blow up your mind and soul with her energy and help you find something you didn’t see in your own self!