Irina Sitnikova / Vaganova Ballet Academy (St. Petersburg) Russian Ballet Technique 22-26 Aug 10-11:45h English 65 EUR Irina Sitnikova was a soloist with Moscow State Classical Ballet and the Mariinsky Ballet (Kirov). She has been teaching classical dance at the Vaganova Ballet Academy since 1997. Irina Sitnikova was a jury member of the Prix de Lausanne 2005. Throughout its history, the Vaganova Ballett Academy has endeavored to preserve the best traditions of the classical heritage. The syllabus developed by Agrippina Vaganova (1871-1951) at the beginning of the last century has become the foremost approach to teaching in Russia; world-renowned dancers and stars such as Rudolf Nureyev and Michail Baryshnikov were trained in this method. In Russia, ballet has been maintained at the highest level of excellence to the present day. The Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow and the Kirov Ballet (now known as the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Ballet), the two leading Russian companies, are ranked among the finest in the world. www.vaganova.ru Photo: Natasha Rasyna