Irina Sitnikova on Nikolai Tsiskaridze
Nikolai Tsiskaridze was appointed Acting Rector of Vaganova Ballet Academy on the 28th of October 2013 (a move which was not at all controversial and caused no drama whatsoever). He was eventually formally elected as the Rector by the academy’s staff on the 29th of November 2014.
Ever since that fateful day, the academy has held a celebration on the anniversary of Nikolai’s appointment. In 2016, the staff produced a book which looked back on Tsiskaridze’s past three years at the academy. A single copy was printed and presented to Nikolai as a gift, while digital copies became available online.
The book included messages from Vaganova Ballet Academy teachers. I translated some of them.
“Most people are conservative by nature. They are afraid of change and turmoil. Nikolai Maximovich’s sudden arrival at the academy proved to be a dramatic surprise for all of us. However, we soon saw the love and passion with which he threw himself into his role, staying at the academy from morning till late at night.
I consider him a professional of the highest caliber. While working together, I discovered that we have a lot in comment when it comes to our understanding of ballet. Despite our many arguments over the methodology of performing a certain movement or the stylistic nuances of different variations, in the end we always reach an understanding of how to move forward and help the students become high-class performers. And that is our main goal at the academy.
Despite the strict discipline and high demands, the students love Nikolai Maximovich. They try to emulate his neatness and clarity.” - Irina Sitnikova.
