Here comes the time of changes

MASTER CLASSES
& YOUNG STARS GALA

Yacobson Ballet Theatre

April 20 – 24,
2017

One of the distinctive features of the Dance Open is its educational programme. For over 10 years the Festival has been giving young dancers a unique chance to participate in master classes held by the leading teachers from the Vaganova Academy and then perform at the Gala and show their skills and abilities. At this Gala ballet professionals and admirers can figure out who of those “small birds” would grow up into “swans” and who of them would be a reason for the world theatres to fight for.
Anna Gordeeva, Novoe vremya

…Rehearsal room. It is cold and there is an echo. Thin fingers, straight backs, stretched out toes… Excel to excellence…

… Endless. Endless ballet class. Or not a class. Rather a duel. With yourself, with your fear, with the clumsiness of your body, with the shyness of spirit, with the weakness of faith… And what if you can’t do that? If you don’t excel? If you don’t transform? And here comes… step, jump, lift off, flight. The space melts away in the mirrors and they reflect for just a moment elven wings, so transparent and light that they don’t seem to exist behind the shoulders of a tiny fluttering, floating and swirling figure. But they do exist for… if there are no wings how could it be possible to dance this way?

This dream, so vivid, bright and real, that repeats over and over again, comes to your mind at the moments of fatigue, when you have no strength to work and move forward… It fills you with a new, fresh energy. This dream comes when it is the time to change, get rid of all the doubts, torments and a huge number of questions to yourself and to the world. When it is hard because you need to make the decision. When quality should again come through quality and your fate waits for you behind the corner and you need to really believe in yourself, grow up and reach out…

Not many people see this dream. Her name was either Matilda, or Anna, or Isidora… He was either Vaclav, or Vakhtang, or Rudolf… Or, maybe this name is yet to be called — in St. Petersburg this spring?

And what if it is your name?

And when this magical dream will become yours too. In between your take-offs and landings, at the next crossroads, before you open a new door, at the most important moments of your life, in the minutes of choice and growing up it will return and reinforce your self-belief.

Your dreams will come true and you will become yourself. One evening, after you finish performing the most complicated role and drown in the flowers and applauses, you will remember about the Rotunda Hall, April master classes and St. Petersburg… And you will experience the same anxiety and joy, hear the hardly audible sound of elven wings, jump and flight… The magic and power of free movement, victory over gravity and the moment of limitless power over your body with the reins of fate in your hands…

It means that it is now the time. Your time to change has come. Don’t loose it. And dance, dance, dance…

2018    2017    2016    2015    2014    2013    2012       

© 2001-2025
All rights reserved.
Association «Dance Open festival».

Festival Team: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tickets: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Accreditaion and Cooperation: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.