Videos from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy

[VaRus]

There was an interesting thread in the old forum devoted to discussing the BBC's documentary (shown exactly 2 years ago) "The Bolshoi Boy". It was a story of 15 yo British boy Henry Perkins (who of course was called "a real Billy Elliot" in some papers). He managed to win a place at The Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow. Some of you can remember his mentor Ilya Kuznetsov (a former principal of several ballet companies whose own career was cut short because of injuries) whose teaching methods shown in the film seemed to look somewhat controversial to tastes of some people...

I happened to watch that documentary just a few days before my first visit to VPT. Then I wrote a review in my blog about both those events. Ilya Kuznetsov (as well as Henry's mother) responded, and since then I occasionally get in touch with him. He's now writing his own blog (in Russian, at livejournal platform) where he is very open about his work in the Academy (where Henry is in his last year now). In particular, Ilya makes very interesting and poetic videos about his work. It just occurred to me that some of them may be interesting to those forum members who is interested in ballet eduation. So let me give the link to the latest one titled "One week from Bolshoi Ballet Academy" which provides a great insight into Bolshoi Academy life:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r7-hyaNj_s

Another one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5NcnD0M6-A - and there are many more on youtube.

You can see Henry in these videos! By the way, the film "The Bolshoi Boy" is also available on Youtube - although it is more convinient to see all its 7 parts in Ilya's site:

http://ballet-school.ru/node/109

[ERinVA]

Thank you so much for those links, Valery! Just beautiful. And very poetic, as you say!

[pucka]

WOOOOOOOOW I want to dance like that

[VaRus]

Just to resurrect this thread:

Bolshoi Ballet Academy: rehearsals for the upcoming show (recorded this week!):

http://vimeo.com/9862160 (part 1 - heavy HD video!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWZ9iXCq8V8 (part 2)

[VaRus]

The New York Times about Julian MacKay, 12, from Bozeman, Mont and Joy Womack, 15, from Texas who moved to Moscow to train at the Bolshoi Academy.

Video (8:37): http://video.nytimes.com/video/2010/05/ ... lshoi.html

Article:
"Young Americans Embrace Rigors of the Bolshoi" (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/01/arts/ ... lshoi.html)

"Ask the Dancers: Young Americans in Russia Respond" (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/ ... a-respond/)
"Ask the Dancers: Part 2" (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/ ... rs-part-2/)

Julian: ... As far as ‘Billy Elliot,’ a casting agent came to American Ballet Theater and chose me and my friend to audition, but right now I am focused on my full-time ballet training.

[ERinVA]

A discussion of these two can also be found here: http://www.billyelliottheforum.me.uk/fo ... 234#p36234

[VaRus]

A discussion of these two can also be found here: http://www.billyelliottheforum.me.uk/fo ... 234#p36234

Oh, sorry! Didn't see that thread.

[ERinVA]

That's okay. It is a bit more BETM focused.

[angelenroute]

There was an interesting thread in the old forum devoted to discussing the BBC's documentary (shown exactly 2 years ago) "The Bolshoi Boy". It was a story of 15 yo British boy Henry Perkins (who of course was called "a real Billy Elliot" in some papers). He managed to win a place at The Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow.

I've just watched the original 8 videos and am now very much looking forward to following this topic and the other videos in this thread more going forward (as well as following Henry's career). Thank you so much.

Sean

[phoebe]

Thank you Valery. Wonderful!