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Top tips for international students thinking about training at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy

Last updated June 2016. I’m now on Instagram if you’d like to follow my career as a professional classical dancer. Upon being offered my place at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, I thought very carefully through my options before making my final  decision. Acceptance would take me a long way from my home, familiarity and family; …

Easter at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy

One of the best things about living in Moscow is being able to celebrate two Easters every year; once to coincide with the one back home in the UK and once for the Orthodox Easter, celebrated here in Russia.  This year the two Easters fell over consecutive weekends so I made sure I filled the …

Winter’s here in Moscow!

17th October.  That’s the day Winter officially arrived here in Moscow.  I’m not sure whether the temperature had dropped a little below zero before then but I was certainly more aware of it after that fateful Friday that brought the first snow to the City!  Temperatures have since been down as low as minus 10 degrees!  As …

First month of second course at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy

I think it’s fair to say that summer is definitely over now; both in terms of the weather and the way that things have picked up with my ballet training here in Moscow.  I was extremely glad to return at the end of August and ready to hit second course running; arguably the hardest year …

Highlights of my second year training at the Bolshoi

I can’t quite believe I’m back home after completing the second year of my training at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy!  I left Moscow in the scorching 30 degrees heat – it’s not so hot and sunny here in England but I am pleased to be back and catching up with all my friends and family …

Getting ready for the first course ballet exam

As the Spring 2014 weather finally arrives in Moscow, so do the exams, which brings a real intensity to my training. My teacher, Revich, has been working us very hard in preparation for our end of first course ballet exam that will be on the 16th May. We’ve been doing run throughs of the exam, …

Springtime celebrations in Moscow – and Lady of the Camellias

The end of February and start of March 2014 really was the time for celebrations; the pancake-eating festival of Maslenitsa (pretty much the same as our pancake day except it lasts the whole week!) was the last week of February and it was soon followed by International Womens’ Day on the 8th March.  Of course, …

14 of My Favourite Places to Visit in Moscow

As I’ve now been living in Moscow for nearly 18 months, and I’ve had chance to see and do quite a lot amidst all of my training at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, I thought I’d compile a list of my favourite places.  So here is a vegetarian, ballet-dancing perspective of the best places to visit in Moscow …

Back to Moscow for a very cold January

So my arrival back in Moscow went extremely smoothly; I arrived on Sunday 12th January 2014 with no complications, ready to start class straight away on the Monday.  I have to admit I was feeling a little trepidation about how my body was going to take the first day back but I was really pleased …

An Introduction to Stanislavsky and a Visitor Arrives

Already October has ended and November 2013 is upon us; really, I don’t know where the time is going! This year I was lucky enough to have my Mum book to visit me half way through this first ‘semester’ but, back in September, the exact date (30th October) seemed a long way off- such a …

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