Evgeny Kulagin (b. 2 August 1981, South Ural, Russia) is a director, choreographer, and performer working internationally across theatre, opera, and contemporary performance.
He studied at the Academy of Arts and Culture in Chelyabinsk (1998–2002) and began his artistic career as an actor and choreographer at the Kostroma Drama Theatre, where he performed in more than 50 stage roles while also working in film. In 2002, he co-founded the Dialogue Dance School and Company together with Ivan Estegneev, later establishing the STANTSIA art venue in Kostroma. The company became a leading centre for contemporary dance in Russia, receiving three Golden Mask National Theatre Awards and touring internationally with over 30 productions.
From 2014 to 2022, Kulagin was resident director and choreographer at the Gogol Center in Moscow, collaborating extensively with Kirill Serebrennikov and contributing to major productions in Russia and abroad. During this period, he also taught stage and camera movement at the Moscow Film School and co-founded the physical theatre laboratory DialogLab.
Since 2017, he has developed an extensive international career in opera, working with leading houses including the Vienna State Opera, Bavarian State Opera, Komische Oper Berlin, Paris Opera, Zurich Opera, and Dutch National Opera. From 2022 to 2025, he was Choreographer in Residence at Thalia Theater Hamburg, further expanding his work in contemporary theatre.
Kulagin’s practice is characterised by a strong integration of choreography, theatre, and opera, developed through long-term collaborations with leading directors and institutions across Europe.