Master Class Led By A Bolshoi Dancer

Students at Newtown Centre of Classical Ballet were treated to a special master class by their artistic director when Shamil Yagudin, a ballet master of Bolshoi Ballet Company, visited the Sandy Hook studio to teach.

“It was so wonderful that most of my advanced students were able to attend the master class with Shamil,” said Ms Johnston, the owner and artistic director of Newtown Centre of Classical Ballet. “Passing on the teachings of an extremely experienced ballet master is what classical ballet training and its heritage is all about. [Shamil] shares his knowledge and love of dance with students.”

Ms Johnston studied with Mr Yagudin for over 12 years when she was a student of The Marsha Ismailoff Mark School of Ballet. She also partnered with Mr Yagudin’s principal dancers from Bolshoi Ballet Company in Coppelia in collaboration between Mr Yagudin and Ms Mark, Ms Johnston’s mentor. Since opening her own classical ballet studio in 2001 Ms Johnston has continued her studies with Mr Yagudin when he visits Connecticut each summer, allowing her to further her knowledge and what she will share with her students.

Mr Yagudin is a graduate of Moscow Choreographic Institute (The Bolshoi Ballet School) and holds an advanced degree in dance from The Institute of Theatrical Arts in Moscow. He also holds the prestigious title of People’s Artist of the Russian Federation.

Students at Newtown Centre of Classical Ballet study the Vaganova method, which is named for the Russian dancer who created the style. Agrippina Yakovlena Vaganova (1879-1951) was a brilliant dancer with the Maryinsky Theater and an internationally recognized teacher.

The Vaganova method includes, among other beliefs, the idea that a dancer’s arms not only crown the artistic picture of the dancer (expressive, light and supple) but also actively aid the movement of the body in jumps and especially turns. It was the Vaganova method in which stars such as Natalia Makarova, Rudolph Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov were trained.

Vaganova is also the style that Ms Johnston studied.

With this dance format, students may not advance to a new technique until they have mastered all the objectives of a preceding level. Master classes, according to information found online this week, can only be taught to advanced students who have progressed to that level because of the techniques a master teacher will emphasize during his or her instructions in class.

During class, said Ms Johnston, the focus is on technique, precision, musicality and memory.

“It is a highly disciplined class and is designed to further perfect techniques they have learned from me throughout the year in their classes,” Ms Johnston said. “Classes with Shamil further expand their learning experience and enhances the abilities of my students.”