Formal ballet training doesn’t necessarily mean you will put it in your back pocket once you reach adulthood. Dance is a passion that many have made successful careers of, and the Russian School of Ballet is no exception.

Formal Russian Ballet Training Opens Many Doors and Creates Opportunities

Some start formal Russian Ballet training from a young age and carry it with them, all the way to becoming a Professional Ballet Dancer. And many choose a different path while still using their formal ballet training as the backbone of their futures as dance teachers, arts administrators, dance photographers and choreographers.

How the Russian School of Ballet is Empowering Dancers to Further Their Careers as Choreographers

Two of our very own talented, Level 4 dancers, one of whom already instructs our 3 to 4-year-old students, have been accepted into the Moscow University to study Choreography. They applied at the end of 2018 with support from Rossotrudnichestvo who recently announced their acceptance to study in ballet’s home.

Every year, the government of Russian Federation provides 15,000 places for foreigners to study in Russian universities for free. The competitive selection for study, free of charge within the quota, is arranged by Rossotrudnichestvo representative offices around the world. In the countries where Rossotrudnichestvo is not represented, the competitive selection is organized by Russian embassies or consulates.

Dané Visagie

When she was asked where her love for ballet and the performing arts came from, she says that there is still no feeling for her like when she takes the stage. Ballet has the ability to evoke emotion and tell a story through the emotive art of dance.

As she learns the steps of the ballet like you would the lines in a play, it becomes part of you and you become a part of it, which makes for brilliant ballet and performance. She also says she has a newfound appreciation for music where she can listen to grasp how the right movements to the perfectly fit melodies make for a well-choreographed ballet.

The creativity of bringing such a production together is what inspires her and the excitement of being on stage. Ballet is multidimensional; it moves and changes with the music and isn’t simply a 2D piece of art on display; ballet is dynamic in its creativity.

Talisa Pillay

“The opportunity to create something beautiful” is how Miss Pillay describes ballet and performance and what drives her passion for both. Seeing how she has been actively practising ballet since the age of six, you will realize she has a firmly established love for the art of ballet.

Feeling and understanding how to use your body, every part, even the smallest muscles, under the proper instruction is what brings confidence to her ballet and what you can accomplish with intentional, artful ballet.

The music is also a big part of what she loves about ballet and brings something special to her dancing. She often says she’ll simply listen to it and sit and cry, admiring its beauty and ability to evoke such strong emotion — the expression of music and movement in the form of ballet.

When asked how The Russian School of Ballet has prepared her for her next endeavour, Pillay says she learnt a lot about the technique she hadn’t taken on before. The Russian School of Ballet employs the Vaganova ballet method. This change led to her having a better understanding and control of the “turn out” and other movements, how to use her body, as well as helping her to build stamina from longer classes.

Talisa Pillay and Dané Visagie Have Been Invited to Study Ballet in Moscow

RSB dancers will be studying and learning in Russia’s capital, the birthplace of ballet. Talisa Pillay and Dané Visagie, two twenty-year-old South African dancers, speak volumes of their achievements and the professional training they get from the director and founder of The Russian School of Ballet, Yana Auger.

Yana is excited to see her own students blossom and happy for the duo she refers to as “two talented and diligent students.” Both started dancing as young children, and Visagie described her new opportunity as “every little girl’s dream.” Visagie looks forward to becoming a household name like Michael Flatley, writing, choreographing and performing her own pieces. Dane is starting her own blog, keeping us updated about her new adventure.

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Ready to start on the dance journey? Check out our dance classes.

For more information on how your child can start their journey in dance, contact us at the Russian School of Ballet.