Natalia SokovikovaThe Brigitte Gauci Borda School of Ballet is organising a series of artistic events throughout the year to celebrate its 25th anniversary, with a major production of the classic Hansel and Gretel planned for November.
This summer, the school will be holding an intensive, two-week course in classical ballet, repertoire and pointe work by Natalia Sokovikova. The course, which is being held in collaboration with Tanya Bayona, starts on July 15 .
Dr Sokovikova will also be giving talks in dance psychology and pedagogy to teachers and senior students.
She is a former ballet mistress of the Bolshoi Ballet. Her past roles include that of ballet dancer in the Buryat Opera and Ballet Theatre and a leading dancer in the Novosibirsk Theatre.
Dr Sokovikova graduated from the Novosibirsk Choreography College and continued her professional education at the Lunacharsky State Institute of Theatre Arts, specialising in choreography.
She went on to train and dance at the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre under the direction of Yuri Grigirovich and was later appointed ballet mistress with the Bolshoi Theatre for two years.
Dr Sokovikova obtained a PhD in psychology at the Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University.
Her visit to Malta will give a start to a long, continuous collaboration, which will result in a performance of the ballet Sleeping Beauty in 2014, with the participation of visiting Russian ballet stars.
This course is open to students aged 10 upwards to professional teachers and dancers. Tanya Bayona is course director.
For more information, call 7934 1755 or send an e-mail to dancebgb@gmail.com.
www.bgbballet.com