Our "Summer with the Stars" Intensive will:

• feature master classes with ballet stars like Evgenia Obraztsova;
• take place from August 3-15, 2020
• be located in the birthplace of Russian ballet, St. Petersburg, Russia
• offer a unique opportunity to learn the authentic Vaganova technique along with acting, variations, character, and pas de deux classes

Find out more

2020 Summer Teacher Training in St. Petersburg, Russia

Our annual Teacher Training program in conjunction with our Summer Intensive will be taking place August 3 - 15, 2020 in St. Petersburg, Russia. This program will give the chance to a limited number of teachers to observe ALL classes, ask questions, and learn critical details of the Vaganova Method. Our directors Ekaterina Shchelkanova and Anton Boytsov, both distinguished graduates of the Vaganova Ballet Academy, are dedicated to providing a deep and comprehensive understanding of the Vaganova methodology for all students and teachers. Teachers can also observe as Summer Intensive students take class from ballet stars like Evgenia Obraztsova (prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theatre).

To apply, please complete the Application Form (please print form, complete, and scan or photograph) and email to ekaterinaowf@gmail.com along with your resume. Application forms will be accepted until the program is full. We offer a limited number of openings to ensure the best experience for participants.

Tuition

Accepted teachers can choose from the following tuition options:

FULL TEACHER TRAINING PACKAGE–2 weeks of classes, hotel accommodation, and excursions: $2500

TEACHER TRAINING CLASS + EXCURSION PACKAGE (No hotel accommodation): $1500

A special group rate is available for teachers and their students who may want to come as a group for our Teacher Training / Summer Intensive Program. Please contact ekaterinaowf@gmail.com if you are interested.

Payments for accepted applicants can be made here: PAYMENT LINK

Hotel Accommodation and Visa Support

Living arrangements for students, teachers, and parents of our 2020 Summer Intensive will be available at the Best Western Plus Centre Hotel.

The Best Western Plus Centre Hotel is located in the historical heart of one of the world’s most beautiful cities, Saint Petersburg. Saint Petersburg has all the ingredients for an unforgettable travel experience: lavish architecture, an extraordinary history and rich cultural traditions that have inspired and nurtured some of the modern world’s greatest literature writers, musician, and visual artists. Situated in the middle of corporate, cultural and social life in the center of the northern capital at the famous crossroads of Nevsky and Ligovsky Prospects, the hotel is just steps away from the city’s main attractions. (Images and Text from Best Western)

In order to make your travels safe, smooth, and easy, Visa Support is provided by the Best Western Plus Hotel for the cost of 1500 rubles per person. Visa Support is only offered to Summer Program participants staying at the Best Western Plus Hotel. The Visa Support includes a Foreign Traveler Entry Permit and a Tourist Voucher registered with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. To obtain Visa Support, follow the steps of the following link (where you can select the appropriate language): VISA SUPPORT.

Please note that all students, teachers, and parents are responsible for making their own travel arrangements.

Our unique approach described by past participants

We asked our participants to describe their experiences with our program:

" I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the OWDF Teacher Training Program in July 2016, and fell in love with the program and with the teachers, all who shared their incomparable knowledge with absolute devotion and passion. One year later, I had the privilege of inviting Ekaterina and Anton to Costa Rica to work with my students. Watching them teach is without doubt the BEST experience ever! 

Today, finding a credible teacher to pass on the Vaganova style is a challenge. Teachers at OWDF offer systematic analyses on the study of each movement, and their individual approach makes it possible to get REAL answers to our questions! I admire OWDF for bringing us close to Vaganova's impeccable training standards. Learning from them is an honor for anyone who respects Vaganova's centuries of tradition and the importance to preserve its place in the culture of the world. " 

- Maria Jiménez, San José, Costa Rica

I had a fabulous experience! St. Petersburg was new to me, but I felt immediately at home. Ballet was the link. The hours in the dance studio, watching and relearning the beautiful syllabus that Vaganova created made me love, all over again, the great Russian dancers of the past. Vaganova synthesized and amalgamated all the prevailing styles of her time into a harmonious blend. What genius! Thank you Ekaterina and Anton for bringing her alive! Now, back home, I am bringing that spirit into the studio and sharing it with the next generation.

- Elizabeth Fisk, participant of our 2019 Teacher Training program in St. Petersburg, Russia

"I've taken the ... courses that [another major program] provides in NY, during three consecutive summers... it's very interesting, but very different from what you did. I loved them both, but your intensive is like having the feeling you are in the cradle of dance. We can observe the artistry, the philosophy. Having Kolpakova is a plus. And Safronova... directly from Agrippina!! And Elena, And Semenov . . . [The other program] is strictly technical, very useful for learning to create combinations, but lacks the artistic insight you show... Your program is more complete.” 

- Teacher from Argentina

Click here to read an article one of our 2019 Teacher Training participants wrote about the program.

VIDEO AUDITION

Auditions for our 2020 "Summer with the Stars" Intensive are made by video audition only. The deadline to submit your audition for the 2020 Summer Intensive is April 30, 2020. We welcome dancers as young as 11 years old to professional dancers to train, grow, and learn with us. Please follow these steps to submit your video audition:

1. Pay the $25 audition fee by clicking here.
2. Print, complete, and scan or photograph the Audition Form by clicking here.
3. Create a 10-15 minute video including the following:

• The applicant stating his/her name, age, and reason for pursuing ballet training;
• Short combinations at the barre, on one side only, of the following: Plié, battement tendu, rond de jambe par terre, grand battements;
• Center work: Adagio, petite and grand allegro, turns.

Finally, please send your Audition Form and video link to ekaterinaowf@gmail.com.Those who submit a video audition can expect to hear the results of their audition in two to three weeks.

For students as young as eleven years old who are at an advanced beginner level through professional dancers wanting to perfect their technique and perhaps explore teaching, this program presents a rare opportunity to train with master teachers and receive coaching as it is taught at the Vaganova Ballet Academy of St. Petersburg, Russia. Ideal students have a passion for dance and for learning. Past participants have come from many countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Sweden, UK, and the United States. We are delighted to say that some of our Summer Intensive students became our Elite Training students and are now dancing in professional ballet companies in St. Petersburg and Moscow! We are very proud of them!

APPLICATION FOR TEACHER'S TRAINING

Please complete the Application Form (print form, complete, and scan or photograph) and email to ekaterinaowf@gmail.com along with your resume. Application forms will be accepted until the program is full. We offer a limited number of openings to ensure the best experience for participants.