Exclusive: a unique opportunity to watch the world famous Mariinsky Ballet in their daily class, live on the Telegraph website
In every ballet company, all over the world, the day begins with class. It doesn't matter if you have starred in Swan Lake the previous night, or carried a spear on the back of the stage, you will be expected to turn up and put your body through a series of repetitive exercises that keeps you supple and strong.
The ritual is both punishing and comforting. Dancers arrive dressed in the most peculiar assortment of clothes, and gradually peel off layers as they warm up and drive their tired limbs through the routines. It is this monotony that produces the grace, ease and elegance you see on stage - but precisely because it is such an intimate and stripped back occasion, it is usually also intensely private.
That is why it is so exciting that the Mariinsky Ballet, indisputably one of the great ballet companies in the world, has agreed to allow their early morning class on Wednesday, August 6, to be live streamed via the Telegraph website.
Principals such as Viktoria Tereshkina, and Vladimir Shkylarov will go through their paces alongside rising stars such as the British dancer Xander Parish and the Korean Kimin Kim, and the members of the outstandingly disciplined corps de ballet that forms the backbone of this company.
It is interesting to see any company in class, to glimpse behind the greasepaint and the glamour to see the sheer hard work and repetitive grind which makes onstage greatness possible. But it is particularly fascinating to watch the Mariinsky in action, partly because their dancers are so famous - but mainly because their style is so pure.
The vast majority of recruits to the company comes from the famous Vaganova Academy in St Petersburg; even the new recruits that Fateyev has brought in to increase the size of the troupe, are taught by teachers themselves trained in Vaganova methods. This means that the inflections of their movements are remarkably uniform.
The basics of class are what preserves and extends that astonishing technique. Wednesday's class will be taken by Igor Petrov, an outstanding teacher and coach. If you want to understand how Russian men jump so high - the basics of bending and propulsion that push them so far into the air - watch till the end of the class and see them fly across the room at his command. You won't regret it.
How do I watch?
The broadcast will appear in this article from 10.55am on Wednesday, August 6 and will remain available to view online for seven days.
How will I understand what is going on?
The deputy director of the Mariinsky Ballet, Yuri Fateyev, who is in charge of the company, will talk about the class and its purpose in a live interview with our arts editor in chief and dance critic Sarah Crompton.
How do I turn up the volume?
There are two ways to increase the volume: the first is to turn up the volume on your computer. The second is to turn up the volume on the video itself. You can do this by clicking on the small speaker symbol found in the bottom right-hand corner of the video.
How do I make the video fill the entire screen?
Easy: click on the double arrow symbol found in the bottom right-hand corner of the video.
That is why it is so exciting that the Mariinsky Ballet, indisputably one of the great ballet companies in the world, has agreed to allow their early morning class on Wednesday, August 6, to be live streamed via the Telegraph website.
Principals such as Viktoria Tereshkina, and Vladimir Shkylarov will go through their paces alongside rising stars such as the British dancer Xander Parish and the Korean Kimin Kim, and the members of the outstandingly disciplined corps de ballet that forms the backbone of this company.
It is interesting to see any company in class, to glimpse behind the greasepaint and the glamour to see the sheer hard work and repetitive grind which makes onstage greatness possible. But it is particularly fascinating to watch the Mariinsky in action, partly because their dancers are so famous - but mainly because their style is so pure.
The vast majority of recruits to the company comes from the famous Vaganova Academy in St Petersburg; even the new recruits that Fateyev has brought in to increase the size of the troupe, are taught by teachers themselves trained in Vaganova methods. This means that the inflections of their movements are remarkably uniform.
The basics of class are what preserves and extends that astonishing technique. Wednesday's class will be taken by Igor Petrov, an outstanding teacher and coach. If you want to understand how Russian men jump so high - the basics of bending and propulsion that push them so far into the air - watch till the end of the class and see them fly across the room at his command. You won't regret it.
How do I watch?
The broadcast will appear in this article from 10.55am on Wednesday, August 6 and will remain available to view online for seven days.
How will I understand what is going on?
The deputy director of the Mariinsky Ballet, Yuri Fateyev, who is in charge of the company, will talk about the class and its purpose in a live interview with our arts editor in chief and dance critic Sarah Crompton.
How do I turn up the volume?
There are two ways to increase the volume: the first is to turn up the volume on your computer. The second is to turn up the volume on the video itself. You can do this by clicking on the small speaker symbol found in the bottom right-hand corner of the video.
How do I make the video fill the entire screen?
Easy: click on the double arrow symbol found in the bottom right-hand corner of the video.
