A small group of members visited the Masters of Ballet Academy on 29 July to see students on their Summer Intensive and prepare for performance at the Lilian Baylis studio at Sadlers Wells on 6 August.
Masters of Ballet was formed in west London in 2017 by former ENB Principal Elena Glurjidze and fellow Vaganova Academy graduate and teacher Olga Semenova. Students train all year in ballet, contemporary and pas de deux in addition to the Summer Intensives. They have two studios and a larger space in a sports pavilion nearby.
The day was led by Elena and guest teacher Denis Matvienko, ex Mariinsky and Mikhailovsky Theatres.
The day started with class led by Denis for 26 pre-professional students (16-19 age range) equally split male and female. The boys then moved on to rehearse the famous solo from Don Quixote. After lunch there was a pas de deux class with both Elena and Denis followed on by the challenging Le Corsaire pas de deux. The afternoon concluded with younger Senior students rehearsing a ballet excerpt from Glinka’s opera Ruslan and Ludmila representing a magical garden.
LBC members expressed their thanks for the warm welcome and the privilege of being able to see students develop their art for the future. It was certainly intensive, even for the audience in the best possible way and we hope that further visits will be possible in the future. The funds raised by LBC go back to the Academy to help support students.
