Hans-Joachim Tappendorff, German born, holds degrees in psychology and pedagogy from the College of Music in Berlin and dance from the Staatliche Balletschule in Berlin. He specialised in ballet and Pas de deux at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in Saint Petersburg, where he also graduated Russian Ballet Teachers degree and Praxis. Professor Tappendorff danced as a soloist at the Deutsches Nationaltheater Weimar in the Corps de Ballet.
He taught at the Vaganova Academy, the Berlin State Ballet School, the Vienna Opera Ballet School, the Royal Ballet School in London, The Australian Ballet School in Melbourne and seminars in Budapest, Glasgow, Brazil, Sydney, Brisbane, etc., also he was Head of the Classical Department and Prorector at Palucca Schule Dresden.