Articles: Seventeen Magazine

[mom2]

Hello everyone,

 

Today I came across this article. What an experience this young woman has had!

 

 

http://www.seventeen.com/fun-stuff/17-buzz...n-kampa?src=rss

 

 

mom2

[Shannonian101]

I currently have an American friend who dances at the Vaganova School in Russia year-round too, she comes back to my studio for the summers when she's home. I wondered why Keenan's name sounded so familiar, but then I realized that she was tagged in a lot of my friend's Facebook pictures of her in Russia at the Vaganova Academy! So I'm glad she has an English speaking friend .

[vrsfanatic]

A lovely article. The young lady also looks lovely!

 

Just to clear up some history, she is not the first American student to be invited to Vaganova Academy. There have been quite a few from Martin Fredmann, former director of the Colorado Ballet, the late Eva Evdokimova (to me dates unknown, but I am guessing in the 60's, but will research if anyone is interested) to my time in the 1990s when there were 3 young Americans. I have read of quite a few since that time. I think the list is getting to be quite long actually.

[mom2]

Thanks for the clarification, vrsfanatic!

 

I had wondered about that point actually!!

 

m2

[Russina]

Here's a link to a 1995 Dance Magazine article about two Vaganova Ballet Academy graduates from the USA (Rachel Rutland and Heidi Knirinen) that I enjoyed reading: http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Vaganova+Bal...ool.-a016985506 I changed the link

 

or

search by the author's name :Valentina Rumyatseva article was April 1995

[diane]

thanks for posting!

 

just out of interest, does anyone know what it costs for a foreign student to go there? Is the tuition free as in some other European academies, and what about boarding?

Just curious.

 

-d-

[vrsfanatic]

http://www.vaganova.ru/page.php?id=184&pid=79

diane here is the link, in English, regarding information for foreign students as well as criteria for entrance to the Vaganova Academy. The new website is quite extensive however if one does not read Russian, difficult!

 

Thank you Russina for your link to the 1995 DM article, however, the link does not lead to the article. I have searched for the article over the years, but I have never seen it online. If you are able to find a link that works I would appreciate it. Both Ms. Rutland and Ms. Knirimen were in the class of Zaknovskaya. Ms. Rutland (Ohio, Makarov Company/Choreographic Miniatures, Ballet Internationale, a modern company in the US) did graduate in the class of 1995. Ms. Knirimen (Florida) was unable to complete her studies at the Academy having fallen in a rehearsal of Snowflakes and suffered a broken tailbone and a debilitating knee injury. An American female also graduated in 1994, Jezzie Measey, class of Zubkovskaya, Makarov Company/Choreographic Miniatures now working in Germany. One American male had graduated from the Academy I believe in 1993 or 1994. I do not remember his full name nor his teacher. I only know his first name. I believe he was from Virginia and also ending up performing with the Russian company in St. Petersburg, The Makarov Company/Choreographic Miniatures after that, I do not know.

 

During those years there were also Italians, a Mexican, Japanese, Koreans, a South African, a Canadian, a Finnish and Australians. Hopefully I did not leave anyone out.

[diane]

Thank you very much for the link! I see that there is a lot of information there; but as I cannot read Russian, it is indeed difficult to find out things.

 

 

there are quite a few dances here in Europe, too, who were trained at the academy.

 

-d-

[dancemaven]

Why is it that every time there is an article about an American attending the Russian school it is always "the first American" . . . . Don't any of these reporters do their research?? There have been several such articles just in the last year that have been linked here on BT4D. The kids don't have to be the 'first American' for it to still be a cool deal.

[vrsfanatic]

I am sorry the link I provided did not lead to the page immediately in English.

 

Starting at the upper left hand side of the home page, in the beige strip of 10 headings, count 5 headings over. Click on that word. Again, on the left hand side of the page, go to the bottom where you will see the word Admissions. This entire page is in English. It is a very informative page.

 

I just checked the link provided above. It does lead directly to the information available in English. Sorry, that is all there is for now, but I will make suggestions that they translate the entire website. I am happy they at least have the website up and running again. It has been down for at least a year.

Edited September 10, 2009 by vrsfanatic

[diane]

Oh, vrs, the link was fine!! It was very interesting and all... Ionly noted that they said nothing about costs.

But, perhaps someone who has been there would know more; and perhaps it is different for everyone. (maybe some get scholarships?)

I know that - for example - where I live the state-supported academies are free of charge tuition-wise, but living is up to the student, for the most part. That is hard on many of the kids and their familes.

And then there are other countries where the state-schools also cost a goodly amount in tuition, not to mention living-costs.

 

I am just curious.

Always curious.

 

-d-

[WAballet]

It actually says $15000 for 10 month

[vrsfanatic]

Terms of the course are from September 1 to June 30. The fee for a full course is 15.000 USD

 

The fee is including also:

• accommodation at the student’s standards-driven residence located in the building of the Academy, equipped with modern services and utilities (two double rooms for contains also WC and shower), ensuring security blanket – twenty-four-hour guard;

• one meal per day at the student’s cafeteria;

• free visits to the ballet theatre performances;

• opportunity to perform on the stages of Mariinsky Theatre, theatre of Hermitage, School theatre of the Academy.

Being in St. Petersburg you may make:

• tours of St. Petersburg and suburbs: Pushkin, Pavlovsk, Peterhof, Lomonosov, Gatchina;

• excursions to the museums – Hermitage, Russian Museum, Ethnographical Museum, St. Isaak Cathedral, Cabinet of curiosities (Kunstkamera), etc.;

• bus trips to ancient Russian towns as Novgorod, Pskov, “Golden Ring”, motor ship trips to Valaam and Kizhi.

 

These quotes are directly from the link.

[diane]

Thank you! I do not know why I did not see that the first time I read through it. :/

 

Now I know.

 

-d-

[swanchat]

$15,000 including housing and a meal is a good deal in our experience....