New teacher & Christmas Break

Good Evening. I trust that everyone has had a wonderful holiday period as I have. It is always wonderful to be home, even if for just a short amount of time! Also I must profusely apologise for the lack of blogging, I found myself so busy with schoolwork.

 A lot has changed since my last blog as my teacher for the next 3 years, Kovalenko, arrived! Things are so different in class now but I definately think that it is a good thing.

As with most good teachers here, the first month or so you go right back to basics.. which means that yes we did 2 hours of 16 count tendus for the first week. Everything is really hands on, which was a shock at first but now I see that it is the only way that she can get us into the position we want and so that we can feel what she means.

We have now moved on a little, although still spending the whole class at barre building strength and *fingerscrossed* Im getting better. Academically I feel much better, as difficulties I was struggling with earlier are now less of a problem. I have gotten 5′s (A) in all of the tests so far which makes me very happy because it is hard work keeping up at the same pace as the russian students.

 

I have had a great time at home these holidays. I arrived home pretty much right before Christmas so it was straight into the spirit once I got home. A few days after Christmas I attended the wedding of my cousin and it was so lovely to see all of my extended family who I hardly ever get a chance to see so it was great to catch up with everybody. We stayed with family down in BBournemouth for a couple of days up to New Year’s but returning home before the holiday.

Another surprise over the holidays is that my dad returned from Afghanistan in time for me to see him before I go back which has been so nice. We had a second mini-xmas on his arrival so now I am officially christmassed-out!!

And so with that, I shall continue with packing!! Till next time

 

 

1st Course at MGAH (Bolshoi Ballet Academy)

Hey, my apologies for the lack of blogging since I returned to Moscow! I have just been so busy as my timetable this year is a big step up. I am absolutely loving it this year though as it is ‘all go’ and I am always busy.

I have lots of new subjects this year.. mainly academics. My new subjects are; History, History of the Theatre, History of the 20th century, History of the World Culture, History of Ballet, Music Literature, Physics, Geography… and duet (pas de deux).

All of the academic subjects are in Russian which certainly makes them a challenge. Lets just say that I think I use google translate now more than Facebook!! I am really happy with how my Russian is coming along as last week I got lots of compliments on how easy it was for the staff to talk to me, which was of course pleasing.

Duet has been interesting, in a good way. I have an awesome teacher, Ilya Rusharkov, who does kind of scare the life out of me! Today I have my 5th class (this is the first year that all of us have done duet.. ever!) and don’t be deceived to think that we do little basic things.. no way! From the 1st class we were doing lifts, pirouettes -everything.

The academy is very different this year. When we came back the second floor (where the 20 ballet studios are) had been totally renovated, and so we are all dancing in lovely new studios! Also there are lots of new students this year. My class has 2 girls who are new to the academy, and 3 girls who moved from a different class.

I have a new girl in my room, the lovely Rose Vermazen from California. We both get along really well which is great.. partners in crime.

I must get ready for classes so until next time

Summer Fun!

Hello everyone. I trust that everyone has had a wonderful summer, I have a great one! It has been wonderful spending time with friends and family, travelling, relaxing and taking classes at home.

I spent pretty much the whole first month at home just relaxing and catching up with old friends who I had not seen in what felt like forever! I was thoroughly pampered and got given my belated birthday cake in July (my birthday was in April) which was quite funny.

We went on holiday at the end of July which was so so much fun! I once again managed to stay lovely and white as everyone else around me got brown which was as enjoyable as ever, but I had the best time. I made lots of friends and we went with my mum’s twin sisters family also which made it even better.

I decided against doing a summer school or summer intensive this year as I felt it would be far more beneficial for me to take daily classes with my teachers at Bristol Russian Ballet School. I had many reasons for doing this but it was mainly due to the fact that I knew I would be getting good training in the Russian method with Chika and Yury whereas if I was to attend an English summer school they would constantly try to correct the Russian method out of me which would be destructive when I return to the academy!

I have unfortunately been having a lot of trouble from my feet. I have had a ‘grumble’ so to speak from around February which I have been working through as I have no intention of sitting and watching class. Unfortunately it has started to get really bad so I have started to see a physio in Birmingham Royal Ballet in a hope to have exercises to take back with me to Moscow so that it can get better.

When we returned from holiday we went to the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta as it is only a few minutes away from our home. It was a lot of fun and I have never in my life had so many free cereal bars!

Besides shopping trips and a cheeky Nando’s with my mum and brother I have just been relaxing and taking classes. As I mentioned in my previous blog, I was reviewing the book ‘Ballet Beautiful’ by Mary Helen Bowers for Ballet News. I would go into depth here but I have inserted the link below as the full review is there!

http://balletnews.co.uk/ballet-beautiful-tested/

I am going back to Moscow and the academy this Friday (31st August) and I am looking forward to it. I have had a great time at home but 3 months is a very long time for summer holidays. Hopefully my Russian Language won’t have slipped too much as I have been talking with my ballet teachers in Russian and also my Russian friends so fingers crossed!

The academy has been completely renovated so I am really interested to see what they have done with it as it should be really nice! I cant wait to see all of my friends and to be back in Frunzenskaya as it has been too long!!

First Year: Passed and Completed.

Hello! I hope that everyone is doing well, which I would assume so as if you are not already on vacation, it is just around the corner! I have been home exactly a week today (feels like forever!). School officially finished on your last exam.. so for me on the 4th June, but I stayed in Moscow until the 15th to just take classes as I was aware that, much to my frustration, there aren’t any classes for me to take at home.

Exams are all completed and passed! For my Stajor year I had to take exams in; Classical, Historical Dance, Character Dance, Acting, Russian Language. I cannot describe the painful 4 hours waiting after the classical exam for the commission to decide whether I would be able to stay at the academy next year. When my ballet teacher, Maria Giorgevna Ivanova, was telling us our grades my name was last! But the relief when she told me that I was staying was a good feeling. I laugh looking back at how I had worked myself up!

My Historical dance exam was actually quite funny as the time and date had changed and we had only one person from the commission who turned up. (Normally the commission consists of about 6 people plus other teachers and students who choose to watch).

After all of the exams in the academy were over and everyone was starting to go home we all began to have combined open classes for whoever wanted to take class. For these classes we started off having my regular teacher, Ivanova, and then we had Ilya Kuznetsov. It is always great to do class with different students and different teachers as I feel it wakes me up from the day-to-day blur which is s easy to fall into the trap of.

Unfortunately as we had to say goodbye to the past year, we had to also say goodbye to some great friends. I do truly believe though that it is never goodbye as fate always brings people back together, after all, the ‘ballet world’ is freakishly small! It was sad though as I have built some amazing memories with some of the most amazing and talented friends, so I wish them all the best of luck whether they are going into companies or other academies! ))

Next year for me is first course so I will be doing a pretty similar schedule as this year, plus duet. I have done a little bit of duet before but in the academy I must admit that I look at it with more fear than I did in the past! In all fairness to the boys though they are all just on 16 so this is the summer that they will shoot up and (fingers crossed) bulk up too!

This summer I am not down to do any summer intensives or anything so it will be very relaxing. To some that sounds amazing, to me I grimace at the thought! I understand that my body needs to relax and heal, but swimming just isn’t ballet! I am taking a few classes that I am aware of but I am trying to research classes in my area so if anyone knows of any, please let me know!

Keeping me busy though, I am doing a lot of swimming with my dad which is good, but also I am playing ‘guinea pig’ for Ballet News whilst she reviews the ballet book ‘Ballet Beautiful’. I have had  little read through already and am going to trial out the book and see how it goes! It gives me something to do, it should be helping my body, and I am helping someone out by doing it! Triple bonus .

Little else should be happening anytime soon, but I will keep regular summer updates regardless!

Acting Exam.. and the rest to follow!

Hello to all readers! I must first of all apologise for the extended absence, but in all honesty, I am so busy there is little time for me to log on; especially since my internet modem died! Starbucks has become my most popular destination now.

Exam time has come and I am right in the thick of it. I had my first exam on Wednesday, acting, and it was successful much to my relief. I got a 5 which is the top possible mark so it was a great way to start the exams. I have my classical exam on Wednesday coming which is my most scary one as it determines my future here at the academy. When I realise that it is literally 3 days away my stomach knots up! I guess I need to pinch myself, get a grip and do my best damn thing I can. My historical dance exam is the day after my classical exam but I think that once I know the outcome of my classical exam I will be able to relax and do my hardest in the others left. My Nahar (Character) exam is next Monday which is the last of all my dance exams. On top of my dance exams I also have 5 Russian Language exams; grammar, reading, writing, speaking and listening. These start on Friday and continue into the week after, meaning in 2 weeks time I can breathe a far more relaxed breath!

I go home on the 15^th June so I have about a week in Moscow after my exams are over before I go back to England. I have been in Moscow for just over 5 months this time without going home. Although I can’t wait to finally go home and do the stupid stuff you miss when you don’t live there, like just going to Tesco’s and seeing British food and being served in English. It’s seriously those little tiny things that you miss the most. On the other hand I have now laid my roots here in Moscow naturally, and so all of the things I rely on day to day won’t be there. I will miss my friends a great deal. But at home I have my family instead which it has been far too long passed without seeing them. My parents came out here 2 months ago, but I haven’t seen my brothers since Christmas, and I fear that my dog won’t even know me!

Well my next blog will hold the rest of my results so until then!

My Birthday & a very sunny Moscow!

Hello readers! I cannot believe I am saying this, but it is scorching in Moscow at the moment. When talking to my parents, whereas I used to be jealous of the British weather, I can now boast! I have been taking plenty of advantage of the beautiful weather taking long walks down the Moscow River and just staying outside until late as it is bright outside right into the nights. My only worry is that as the weather gets hotter and hotter, I have only winter clothes to wear!

These last two weeks have been full of birthdays! On Sunday I went to the Hard Rock Cafe with a group of my friends to celebrate Orlando’s birthday, amongst an unexpected madness in old Arbatskaya but it was a lovely day nonetheless. My friend Joy’s birthday was also on Friday and several of my friends back home. But tomorrow is my birthday! I’m so excited as I have been staring at the wrapped presents on top of my wardrobe for the past two weeks (I cannot tell you how impressive it is that I havent opened them!) and the suspense is killing me! My little brother Oliver’s birthday is also this week which is a shame we aren’t together for our birthdays..  but it also saves the annual arguments as to which cake is who’s!

This week we have watched the 3rd course’s final exams on the stage. They are the first exams that I have seen at the academy, and lets just say that I am now very worried about my own! They were all beautiful and I felt so proud of my friends which are in that course!

 

 

Parents, Motivation & Insiration.

Hello! I was fortunate to have a visit from my parents last week which was a nice relief to feel normal again for a few days. We had meals out in lots of nice different restaurants including the Radisson Boat Cruise along the Moscow River which was lovely. They were also lucky enough to get permission to watch one of my ballet classes and my acting class which I’m sure would have been an interesting thing for them to see!

I completed my first exam 2 weeks ago which wasnt  ‘my’ exam as such. I was selected by my acting teacher to play a part in the 3rd Course Graduates acting exam, which was quite an honour. The 3rd Course exams are all held on the stage and the whole academy watches, and it was a wonderful experience (despite my role being very small!).

I have had my room to myself this last week as my room-mates, Natalie and Hayley, decided to take a break and go home. As with everything I realised that I must look at the positive in everything so I have really embraced the time to clear my head and to think alone for a while. It will probably feel strange for there to be so much life in the room once they return though as I am now so used to returning to the silence!

One thing I must admit we all need here at the academy is a break! The only breaks we get are Christmas and Summer, which is fantastic for hard work, but painful whilst working through injury. Last week I landed a jump badly and twisted my ankle. In typical ‘Heather-mode’ I havent taken any time off, just have been taking good care of it between classes. But besides this I feel like everyone is just exhausted! The younger kids (1st-5th class) had last week off, which I think is what put the holiday idea in all of our heads! Luckily I think we have a day off in a few weeks so I will use that to re-energize!

Well I hope that everyone at home who did get a spring break rested enough for me too!! The picture on the left is Me with my good friend Mario at Dan’s birthday in Soho Rooms.