Meet Nina Osmanova

As a new and young member of the Mikhailovsky Ballet, in 2009 I won an international ballet competition in Riga, and  as a laureate, I was asked to give a lesson. This was the first time I taught and I really loved it.

My great Vaganova Academy teachers, like Ludmila Kovalova and Irina Chistyakova, inspired me to pass on invaluable knowledge and experience to the next generation.

I prefer to teach advanced students because they have a wide range of movements, that can be worked with and developed.

A technically proficient dancer’s body then begins to move “with the soul” in a natural way. It is of utmost importance that dancers can become expressive, in face and body. Coordination and spacial awareness are also essential for a dancer.

Today students have a high availability of knowledge, but few strive to know more than the minimum, neglecting detail. Social networks form a type of thinking when information is only perceived, but not processed. Unfortunately, this affects the ability of dancers to memorise large layers of choreographic text. The teacher-student relationship is important to maintain and it important to establish a trusting relationship, but nevertheless the subordination and the position of the “adult” and “student” in the classroom is important. The basis of classical dance, elementary knowledge of anatomy and biomechanics of the body, personal experience as a dancer, inner poise and the ability to find an approach to each student is necessary.

My main advice is to be yourself and not settle for anything less.