Perm ballet school was formed on the basis of the Leningrad Choreographic School, evacuated to the rear in 1941. With the advance of German troops and the rapid closure of the blockade ring around Leningrad, the Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, as well as the school for the education of the ballet composition of the troupe, together with students and teachers went to evacuate. The traditions of training artists are firmly rooted in Perm, today the ballet college is one of the best classical ballet schools in the country.
From Leningrad to Perm
The summer of 1941 for the entire USSR was the beginning of tests for strength and durability. Belief in victory was strong, so not only industrial enterprises, but also cultural institutions went to the evacuation, their preservation helped not only to withstand the pressure of the enemy, but was an inspiring factor in the war of liberation. The Leningrad Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, sent to Perm in August 1941, began the new theater season in September, setting the tone for the city’s cultural environment.
In 1942, the first concert was given by graduates of the ballet school, among them Yuri Grigorovich, Ninel Kurgapkina, Nikolai Boyarchikov and many other talents already shone. In the same year, the enrollment of kids at the Leningrad School began, and classes began in 1943. After lifting the blockade, Leningraders returned to their city, the remaining students needed teachers and their own ballet studio. So, in June 1944, the history of the Perm State Choreographic School began.
Perm school
The ballet studio was founded in 1944, the next year, as a result of the reorganization, a school appeared. The first room consisted of only three small halls, which was clearly not enough. In 1947, the Perm Choreographic School moved to the old building of the diocesan educational institution on Kommunisticheskaya Street, where it is today. To expand the area built on the third floor. Since 1984, concerts and performances have been given in the educational theater, designed for 286 spectators.
The high standard of professionalism in the work was set by the first director of the Perm Choreographic School - Nonna Alexandrovna Bagina. The artistic director was a graduate of the Imperial Theater School Ekaterina Nikolaevna Heidenreich. Before starting work in Perm, she shone on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater, worked with students of the Maly Opera and Ballet Theater of Leningrad, and taught at the Leningrad Choreographic School. It was she who laid the foundations of the Perm ballet school.
In the year of the 100th anniversary of her birth (1997), a memorial plaque dedicated to the memory of the great teacher appeared on the wall of the Perm Choreographic School. Being a brilliant teacher, she brought up several generations of ballet dancers, some of her students teach the art of dance at the school today.
Modernity
Today, more than 300 students are studying at the Perm Choreographic School, 26 teachers are responsible for their preparation. Becoming a student is not so easy, a high competition (up to 9 people per place) indicates the prestige of the institution. The fame of the Perm ballet school has spread far beyond the borders of the former USSR, students from Japan, the USA, Great Britain, Korea, Sweden and other near and far countries of the world are eager to enter here.
Over the entire existence of the ballet school in Perm, more than 1700 professional artists graduated from it, many of them reached the pinnacles of success in their chosen profession. Pupils and teachers are proud that the first steps in the ballet were Olga Chenchikova, Stanislav Isaev, Elena Vorobyova, Tatyana Predeina and several dozens of eminent professionals in the classrooms of the Perm Choreographic School.
Admission
Recruitment of students is carried out only for one specialty - "The Art of Ballet", qualification - ballet dancer, teacher. Documents are accepted from June 1 to July 15 and from July 1 to 5 (data of 2018), applicants pass several rounds:
- Round 1 - assessment of external, professional, physical data of applicants. The following tests are allowed for persons who have passed the first stage of selection.
- Round 2 - a medical commission, where professional suitability is revealed, psychological and pedagogical testing of applicants is carried out.
- Round 3 - selected candidates present a dance number lasting 1 minute.
Upon admission to the Perm Choreographic School, a package of documents is submitted:
- Birth and citizenship certificates (copies).
- Passport of parents (copies).
- Medical report (form 086-U).
- Photo (6 pieces) measuring 3 x 4 cm.
Students have the opportunity to receive personalized, academic scholarships. Poor students receive financial assistance and privileges. Boarding and meals are provided on a fee basis, according to the prices for 2018, the cost is 8280 rubles per month.
Accommodation
Nonresident students live in a boarding school of the Perm Choreographic School. The residential building is located near the school. Children are given 5 meals a day on a fee basis, students from poor families receive a discount on food. In the boarding school, children are under the supervision of teachers around the clock, nurses are constantly on duty.
The rooms are designed for double or triple occupancy. In the halls there are TVs and sitting areas. In the basement there is a laundry room with attendants; children do not need to do their own washing. Showers are also located here.
Directly next to the school there are several shops where you can buy rehearsal equipment for classes, as well as a playground, bank branches and post offices. The educational institution pays attention to the health of children - regular medical examinations are carried out, treatment and rehabilitation at the resorts of the Black Sea and Perm Territory are possible. Cultural leisure is provided by a preferential system of visiting city theaters and museums.
Reviews of former students
There are four ballet schools in Russia, one of them is the Perm Choreographic School. Feedback on an educational institution engaged in training personnel for the world of culture cannot be considered positive or negative. A lot of reviews depend on personal perspectives. So, children who had to leave the walls of the college because of professional unsuitability are very upset, some of them cannot survive the failure for many years, sometimes all their lives.
No matter how it sounds, the prospects of each student are monitored from the first year of study (10-12 years). Of the entire first year, where up to 15-17 children can study in a class, 4-5 artists sometimes remain to graduate. Those who are not lucky rarely write positive reviews. But based on their words, it becomes clear that diligence or fanaticism in the profession is not always a pass to the world of ballet.
Parent reviews
Children learn in the hard mode of constant rehearsals. Some indicated that the dormitory at eight o’clock in the evening comes off, it is no longer possible to go beyond the residential building. The health status of each student at the Perm Choreographic School is closely monitored. Parents' comments say that children who move from course to course are incredibly disciplined, go to classes with great pleasure and do not imagine their life outside the scope of the scene.
Graduates usually have several offers from leading Russian theaters, and are often invited to work in foreign troupes. The unequivocal verdict of students and parents is to learn hard, pitfalls appear throughout their studies, a lot depends on physical data. Often there are situations when, at puberty, a child’s body, when rebuilding, loses its lightness, flexibility and necessary parameters - this also becomes a reason for expulsion, but nothing can be done.
Graduates who managed to achieve the heights of a career in their chosen business are an example to follow, they inspire students and often come to alma mater to meet with students, give master classes. From the height of the steps they climbed, they are convinced that the rigidity, and often cruelty of the ballet world, is justified, in the absence of prospects it is better to give up a career, and it is easier to do this in childhood. It is difficult for a mature person to relearn.
Helpful information
Perm choreographic school is located at: Gorky street, building 13.
Every year, graduates at the stage of the city Opera and Ballet Theater give a reporting concert of the Perm Choreographic School. This is always a brilliant performance, it becomes a farewell gift to the school and opens the door to a new life for talented artists. The final concert of 2018 was held on May 30, the audience saw excerpts from classical productions and appreciated the skill of young talents.