After joining the Elite Training Program in 2017, this year our student Lydia will be dancing professionally with the State Theater of Nizhniy Novgorod!

In Lydia’s words:

It has long been a dream of mine to dance in Russia, where there is an incredibly rich culture, history, and understanding of the arts. Five years ago, I never could have imagined that my dream could be fulfilled… But now, here I am, strolling the gorgeous roads of this city where I will be starting my chapter as a professional artist! Needless to say, I could not have made it without the meticulous ballet training I received in OWDF’s Elite Training Program. But the Elite Training Program did not only teach me how to dance. It taught me to observe the arts and the world intelligently; to see beauty in all parts of life, gather it into our dance, and give back to the world. Without this understanding, my life would not be filled with the abundant joy and richness that it is filled with now.What I love most about Program is that it is not only about training beautiful dancers, but raising intelligent, kind artists with the power to make the world a better place. I certainly hope to become such an artist as I start my new journey here in Nizhny Novgorod!

Lydia, ET student from California