Eifman Boris Academy: features, specialists and reviews

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

St. Petersburg, 1738… In the Winter Palace, Empress Anna Ioannovna ordered to allocate several rooms in which the children of palace employees were trained in the art of ballet. This is how the first ballet school in Russia was born, which has survived to this day under the name of the A. Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. For a long time this educational institution was the only training center for ballet dancers in St. Petersburg. Everything changed on September 2, 2013. On this day, the Boris Eifman Dance Academy opened its doors to students.

Intro: the beginning of the story

The idea of creating a new alma mater for modern ballet dancers has been brewing for a long time. The development of choreographic art brought new creative requirements to the agenda. Bold experiments, innovative performances, modern plasticity - for this, ballet dancers were needed who could go beyond the framework of the classical dance school.

The decision to allocate a site for construction was made back in 2008. The tightness of the old buildingThe Petrograd side of St. Petersburg set strict limits for the designers. The building had to be both compact and spacious. The architectural studio "Studio 44" brilliantly coped with the task.

January 2011. The St. Petersburg governor signs a decree on the creation of a new creative educational institution in the city. Construction work began without delay. In May, Boris Eifman laid the foundation stone for the future school. Two years later, the new building received the first students within its walls. "Eifman Academy" - along with the official status of a budgetary educational institution, this name is firmly entrenched in the new ballet school.

Attitude towards creativity: not only on stage

The person who was able to create a new educational institution in the difficult times of the global financial crisis is the famous choreographer, titled ballet master and organizer of the theater business Boris Yakovlevich Eifman (born 1946-22-07). The lines of the official biography and the list of achievements of this outstanding creative person are impressive. People's Artist (1995), Laureate of the State Prize (1998), artistic director of the Academic Ballet Theater, which bears his name … By the age of 45, he had collected an impressive list of awards and regalia. With such baggage, one could “rest on one’s laurels.”

Maybe it would be possible with anyone else. But not with a man like Boris Eifman. The Dance Academy is a logical continuation of his creative biography. Three components of success - diligence,perseverance and talent - led him through life. And the life of the generation of post-war boys was not easy. Little Borya stood out from the general ranks of his peers. At the age of 7, he already created a puppet theater, made performances and even sold tickets. And with the proceeds, I bought a soccer ball for the yard team. At the age of 24, he performed the first choreographic productions on the professional stage. And in 1977, at the Lenconcert, he founded the author's ballet theater with the name "New Ballet". All his creative life he was looking for something new. The Eifman Academy - from the stage of conception to implementation - has become a milestone in the creative life of the choreographer.

The house he built…

The building itself, which received its first students in 2013, deserves a separate description. To say that it meets all modern requirements for the educational process is to say nothing. The educational complex, which houses the Boris Eifman Academy, is a real paradise for future artists. The somewhat heavy external walls of the building are made in the traditional style of brick covered with plaster. However, more than 11 thousand square meters are hidden behind them. m. of internal space, permeated with light and located at different levels. Glass partitions, a complex system of transitions, a broken line of the internal layout - a feeling of a transparent polyhedron that plays with all shades of brilliance.

14 classrooms of various sizes, equipped at the highest level, are designed for ballet classes. The largest one is used forstaging educational plays. Everywhere you can feel professionalism and striving for perfection. Even the flooring - stage linoleum "Harlequin" - perfectly smooth, non-slip and resilient - the best flooring for dancing in the world.

And the Eifman Ballet Academy includes an educational complex for general education classes. There is a boarding school for 135 people, a swimming pool and a gym. The medical center, staffed by specialists and equipped with everything necessary to provide medical care, is responsible for the he alth of students.

September 2013 - first call

It is not known who was more excited on the day the school year began - the guys who became the first students within the walls of the new school, or its inspirer and creator. Honored guests, organizational fuss and troublesome preparation of the solemn day - all this moved into the background. To the sounds of music and the applause of parents and guests of the holiday, students came out - a little constrained and timid. For them, a new stage in life and study began. And they will be the first issue that the Eifman Academy will give way to the big stage. Reviews and reports about the solemn event were not long in coming. City and federal TV channels spoke in detail about the opening of a new ballet school.

Profession training starts from the basics

Any child can start learning dance, regardless of the financial situation of his parents or theirpublic status. The main requirement is the talent and desire to become a ballet dancer. From the first day of its existence, the Eifman Academy has declared its priority the social support of creatively gifted children. The entire educational process is financed from the budget.

Children of two age categories are accepted for training. From the age of 11, you can enroll in a choreographic educational program with a degree in the Art of Ballet. Graduates receive the qualification "Ballet dancer". In addition, there is a recruitment for the education of children at the age of 7 years. This is an innovation in the field of choreographic training, which was introduced by the Boris Eifman Academy. Reviews of specialists who have studied the problem of the early start of teaching dance art are positive. First-graders are gradually preparing for serious classes and learn the world of ballet. The example of high school students also plays a big role.

Educators: A Team for Success

No matter how talented and efficient the project manager is, it is impossible to establish the work of any educational institution without a team of like-minded people. Highly professional teaching staff is the key to the success of a creative educational institution and its students.

Olga B altacheeva, a former soloist of the Opera and Ballet Theater named after S. M. Kirov, Honored Artist of the RSFSR (1983), stood out in the first composition of teachers. She accepted an invitation to become an admissions consultant, and remained at the Academy to teach. Another bright specialist is Nadezhda Tsai. ballet dancer,who spent 13 years on the stage of the Mikhailovsky Theatre. Ph. D. in History of Arts. A talented and experienced teacher.

Today, the teaching staff includes more than 50 teachers who teach children classical and modern dance, plastique, acrobatics, gymnastics, swimming, and music. And also general education subjects - mathematics, Russian and English and others that are necessary for any student.

I would go to the dancers, let them teach me

The life of a student is always subject to a schedule. The Eifman Academy is no exception to this rule. Only the daily routine of students differs from the lives of their peers. These guys know that the scene does not tolerate lazy people and slackers.

The first intake, which took place in 2013, brought 90 people to the classrooms. Although more than 5 thousand people applied for admission to study. A strict commission carefully looks at everything, including appearance and height. Doctors give a conclusion about the state of he alth and physical data. And only after that comes the last stage - the assessment of the dance potential of the applicant.

The geography of the competitive selection was also a match for the scope of Eifman's idea - the entire territory of Russia. From Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to Kaliningrad. And more than half of the guys from families who could never send their children to paid education in the Northern capital. The noble idea of a social educational institution and full state support for talented children has acquired real features.

Distant horizons

Hard work, creativity, talent - these are the three postulates on which the Boris Eifman Dance Academy builds its success. And teachers try to instill these qualities in their students.

In one of his numerous interviews, B. Ya. Eifman complained that every year it becomes more and more difficult for him to look for new artists for his projects. A gap appeared between the number of graduates of ballet schools and the real needs of theaters. Therefore, graduates after graduation can be sure that their talent and skills will be in demand by the rapidly developing choreographic whirlpool. True, the first three years after graduation, young artists will have to work on Russian stages. This is the fee for budget financing of the educational process.

In this day

The transparent structure of the information space of social networks gives a clear and objective picture of the life that the Eifman Dance Academy lives. Reviews and comments about the work of teachers, events, performances - all this is freely available. Magnificent reporting concerts are described, in which pupils show their achievements, and views of talented children. The geography of the search for applicants is extensive and includes cities that are different in number and size - Sestroretsk and Vsevolzhsk are adjacent in the viewing schedule to Sevastopol, Khabarovsk and St. Petersburg.

Another innovation that has entered the practice of the educational institution,– free internship for students of choreographic schools throughout Russia. Teachers conduct master classes and engage in classical and modern dance with those who wish. At the end of the five-day course, a repertoire show is held.

Exhibitions, photo shoots, psychological trainings - one can only envy the busy life of students and marvel at their energy.

Parental custody

There is another category of people who closely and interestedly observe everything that happens within the walls of the ballet school, these are the relatives of the students. Openness in communication, wide and truthful information about everything that happens in the classroom is a distinctive feature that the Eifman Academy is rightfully proud of. Feedback from parents and their discussions help to understand how relationships are built in the context of "family - school". The general opinion can be expressed succinctly - the children like school. And that means parents are happy too. A high level of teaching, modern equipment, a rich program - the school was able to interest the children and establish a dialogue with their parents.

Epilogue with continuation

The Boris Eifman Dance Academy is very young. And not only for the period of its existence, because ballet dancers have not yet graduated from its walls. The school is young with fresh ideas, original ideas and approach to the educational process. Perhaps many years later, graduates will proudly say: “We are Eifmanians.”

And the life of the school will becontinue in their achievements. Because, unlike a theatrical performance, the curtain will never fall after the epilogue in a choreographic school. Every year, new students come to its walls to comprehend the wonderful secrets of ballet.