Uspenski was born in St Petersburg and trained at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, the Palucca School of Dance, Dresden, and the Berlin State Ballet School.
Uspenski joined The Royal Ballet in 2002 and rose to first artist, before retiring as a dancer in 2015, due to injury.
[5][6] British Theatre Guide called Dancers: Behind the Scenes with The Royal Ballet "indispensable to balletomanes".
[8] Ballet News in its review of Steven McRae: Dancer in the Fast Lane mentions "Uspenski’s considerable skill in capturing moments of art".
[2] In February 2018, Uspenski received a 12-month community order for "a campaign of harassment against an ex-girlfriend", ballet manager and former dancer Tatjana Novitjenko, including aggrevive messages, sending her a double-ended sex toy and a photo in which her Chihuahua appeared to be drowning in the Thames.