#ustyuzhanina

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Vaganova Ballet Academy graduates Alexandra Khiteeva, Anita Voroshilova, Daria Ustyuzhanina and Yulia Spiridonova at the Mariinsky. September 2019.

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Vaganova Ballet Academy graduate (class of Professor Marina Vasilieva, 2019), Daria Ustyuzhanina has debuted as Canary Fairy in “Sleeping Beauty” at the Mariinsky.

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Hi! Have you seen darya ustyuzhanina's debut in the cupid and also the handbell dance? (I think that's what it is). I didn't really notice her during her time at vaganova but I'm really impressed from those performances!

I’ve seen the Cupid, but not the Handbell dance. Daria is lovely. I remember being upset when she didn’t make it to the finals of Vaganova Prix in 2016. Also, and I’m aware that this is a strange statement to make, she strongly reminds me of Lily-Rose Depp.

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Ask Responses - Vaganova

A compilation of responses to the Vaganova questions, which came through ask recently. Thank you for asking.

Hello! I saw the show Blue Bird where Anna Sharova and Angelina Karamysheva dance together. I find both of them are very promising dancers! After their performance they proceed to the couch where the lady who hosts the show seems to ask them something and their responses seem to make the judges laugh/amused throughout that conversation. I was wondering if you could kindly translate what they said in the conversation on the couch. Thank you so much in advance!

The hosts asks if it’s true that Tsiskaridze keeps tabs on what sorts of books the students are reading. The girls respond that it’s true, though Nikolai hasn’t actually checked up on either one of them yet. Tsiskaridze interjects to say that he only checks up on the students who are failing.

The hosts then asks what was it like to dance at the Mariinsky, and the girls respond that it’s a great responsibility and that they tried very hard to do their teachers and the academy justice. Both girls also say that they are never fully happy with their performances, though they always do their best.

They go on to talk about how well Anna and Angelina dance together, and the girls talk about their friendship and partnership on stage. Tsiskaridze adds that during the big performances, the girls compete with one another for “the centre”, the central spot in the foreground. And even though Nikolai tells them off for doing so, he thinks that it’s a mark of a future soloist.

Anna dreams of dancing the part of Giselle, while Angelina has her sights set on Kitri.

What did Tsiskaridze say to Kristina Spiridonova during last year's middle school graduation? The video can be found in Anna Shishanova's youtube channel, malipu.

He says she has to eat carrots. Lots and lots of carrots. He usually says this to the shorter students in the hopes that eating carrots will make them grow.

Is it just me or does Darya Ustyuzhanina (6th year student, incoming 7th) look like a younger Evgenia Obraztsova?

Not really.

If you were to cast this year's Nutcracker, which students will you pick for each lead role?

I hope Lana Khalimova returns to the academy and gets to dance Princess Masha. I would also like to see Maria Khoreva and Daria Ionova take on the role. I’d love to see more of Maria Bulanova and Maria Petukhova in the future (maybe the two leading snowflakes) and I’d like Sokolovsky and Zagidullin to dance the part of the Nutcracker Prince. 

How strict do you think Tsiskaridze is compared to older ballet teachers, like his, Petyr Pestov? Do you think Vaganova teachers are "softer" to students nowadays?

If the stories are true, Tsiskaridze is a softy compared to Pestov. Russian ballet teachers have always been very strict and downright harsh, I don’t think this will ever change. Russians have a borderline militaristic approach to ballet education, which is partly why Russian dancers are so damn good.

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Ask Responses - MISC

A compilation of responses to the miscellaneous questions which came through Ask recently. Thank you for asking.

Sorry if this is a weird question, but you know why Darya Ustyuzhanina is listed in Mariinsky's Corp de ballet on their website? I was thinking she had ~2 years to graduation, unless in Russia her name (both first and last) is common...?

That’s a different Daria Ustyuzhanina.

I read the Ballet Insider interview with Alena and I was really surprised she did not get an offer from the Mariinsky! Any thoughts as to why she didn't?

Your guess is as good as mine. It could have something to do with her height, but I’m really not sure. 

Do you think that David Hallberg will return to the Bolshoi in the fall?

He might, eventually, after he builds up his strength and regains his repertoire. He’s still listed as a principal dancer on the Bolshoi’s website.

Hi! Not sure if you know the answer, but was wondering what happens if you leave VBA say at the end of 6th year. Can you still fit into a mainstream high school curriculum easily? It's just VBA obviously places more stress on ballet, would it be hard for them to go to normal school and would they need to be placed in a year lower or something?

Placement-wise, I’m not sure how it works. I think it depends on the high-school and the student in question. By all accounts, VBA’s academic program is weaker than that at a normal school. 

Not every student who gets dropped by VBA quits ballet, though. Many go on to train at other academies and ballet schools. There are also some cases where a student is so smart and advanced academically, that they manage to re-enter the “normal world” without much drama.

Is there any guideline to how short the girls can cut their hair at VBA? It's just so many roles require wigs, but I've never seen a girl with really short hair there!

I think it just has to be long enough for a bun. 

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