A delegation from the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS), headed by the university’s rector, Grigory Zaslavsky, visited Dakar, Senegal, to conduct a series of master classes in classical choreography. The delegation included Professor Maksim Valukin of the Choreography Department, master’s student Tatiana Osipova, student Irina Averina (workshop of Margarita Drozdova and Maksim Valukin), and dancer Mikhail Portnov.
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“We are very pleased to have GITIS visit Senegal for the second time,” said Slu Akimgereeva, a GITIS ballet department graduate and Director of the Ballet Academy at the Grand Theatre of Senegal. “This visit underscores the agreements reached between the university and the Grand Theatre last year. Last year, for instance, GITIS master’s students and graduates performed excerpts from the ballets ‘Swan Lake,’ ‘Don Quixote,’ and ‘Laurencia’ for the first time ever for a Senegalese audience. My dream of GITIS reaching out to Africa seemed like a fantasy. Thank you all so much for making it a reality!”
The highlight of the program was a concert by the GITIS ballet faculty at the Grand Theatre of Senegal. The event was co-organized by the theatre and the cultural center “Kalinka.” The performance featured masters and students from the Russian university alongside students from the Grand Theatre of Senegal’s ballet academy. In the GITIS excerpt from “Swan Lake,” the academy’s youngest students participated as part of the corps de ballet.
“One of the most gratifying aspects for me was the sold-out performance,” remarked Grigory Zaslavsky, Rector of GITIS. “A large queue formed in front of the theatre an hour before the concert began. This is undeniably positive. The audience included representatives from foreign embassies who warmly applauded our performers. It was a resounding success. During their stay in Dakar, GITIS is also conducting master classes in classical choreography. I met with aspiring ballet students who intend to apply to GITIS’s ballet department. They are eager to come to Moscow, and I sincerely hope their dreams come true.”
