Watching ballet can be quite misleading – ballerinas tend to look so floaty and graceful that you would never guess all the hard work behind the act.

Daily practice, training, stretching and bleeding toes are part of the routine, but according to students of the Olivia Dow School of Russian Ballet, who will be putting on their annual show on Sunday, it’s all worth the pain.

“We have to work hard to make it look as if it’s all easy,” said Martina Zammit, 20. “Unfortunately we get bleeding toes all the time, but when you take part in the show it’s such a huge satisfaction,” said Jessica Farrugia, 20. Both have been dancing since they were mere tots.

Discipline is a keyword in ballet and Olivia Dow, the school principal for the past 17 years, strongly believes that it is a skill which will serve all children who learn ballet throughout their lives: “Not all the girls will become prima ballerinas, but they will take what they learn with them wherever they go in the entertainment sphere,” she said.

This year’s ballet production entitled ‘Woodland Toys’ will be held at Sir Temi Zammit Theatre, University of Malta on Sunday August 1, 2010 at 7pm. The story moves around a woodcutter, the caretaker of the woods, and promises a visual feast of flowers and fairies which the Russian Ballet students will bring to life.

The ballet school coaches the famous Legat System traditionally followed by the Russian Classical Ballet. This method, which focuses on Russian teaching techniques was originated by Nicolai Legat, balletmaster of the Russian Imperial Ballet. His wife, Tatiana Nicolaevna Legat, coached Oliva Dow in her student years in Edinburgh.