One of the leading ballet masters of Russia and the winner of international competitions, Edvald Smirnov is known for his collaboration with highly acclaimed stage directors, such as Georgy Tovstonogov, Roman Viktyuk and Igor Vladimirov.
Edvald Smirnov was born in Leningrad. He graduated from the Leningrad Vaganova Academic Choreography School and the Choreography Department of the St. Petersburg State Conservatory.
He danced at the Ballet Theatre of Saint Petersburg Conservatory from 1973 to 1976 and then worked as a solo performer and teacher of the ballet troupe from 1982 to 1989.
Since 1989 he has taught Choreographer's Art at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, where he is an assistant professor of the ballet direction department. Besides, Edvald Smirnov is a professor of the Vaganova Russian Ballet Academy.
Always working with top ballet stars, Edvald Smirnov is engaged in choreography of musicals, operas, operettas, drama performances, and films. He has collaborated with Tovstonogov, Vladimirov, Roman Viktyuk, Alexander Kaidanovskii, Sergei Ovcharov, and many other cultural figures. The famous choreographer has repeatedly given master classes for ballet dancers and drama actors in various countries around the world.
Edvald Smirnov staged choreography for shows of the figure skaters, who are  European, world and Olympic Games champions, including A. Urmanov, Yevgeny Plushenko, Maria Petrova, Alexander Tikhonov, and other well-known athletes.
Since 2009 Edvald Smirnov has been the choreographer of the Helicon Opera in Moscow.