Russian Ballet International

For generations, the Vaganova Method has been recognised as one of the great foundations of classical ballet training, renowned for its systematic progression, expressive use of the upper body and meticulous approach to developing technique. In January 2027, Australian dancers and teachers will have the opportunity to explore this methodology when Russian Ballet International returns to Sydney in collaboration with Kalirena Pointe.

The program brings both sides of ballet education together. Young dancers will experience the method through an intensive training program, while teachers and adult learners will be able to examine the principles behind that training through a dedicated Teachers’ Training Seminar.

Russian Ballet International previously presented programs in Australia from 2018 to 2020, before COVID interrupted its visits. Its return begins with auditions on Sunday 18 October 2026 at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts (AMPA), followed by the Summer Intensive from 4–8 January 2027 at AMPA and the Teachers’ Training Seminar on 2–3 and 9 January at Kalirena Pointe.

For Kalirena Pointe founder Tianye Kang, bringing the program to Australia grew from her own experience of discovering the Vaganova Method as an adult ballet student.

“When I started my ballet journey as an adult, I struggled to find clarity in the steps until I took a class with my late teacher, Vadym Domashchenko,” Tianye explains. “The emphasis on the upper body, the beautiful port de bras, the precision, the way the dancers all looked like ballerinas on a music box, was incredibly satisfying.”

Following Domashchenko’s passing, Tianye discovered Russian Ballet International’s online teacher training with Bolshoi Ballet Academy faculty and ultimately completed all seven levels, from Pre-Ballet through to Level 6. Later, her daughter successfully auditioned for RBI summer intensives overseas, with the family travelling to two countries to participate.

“I kept asking myself, ‘Why don’t they come to Australia?’” Tianye recalls. “We wanted to share these profoundly positive experiences with Australian dancers, teachers and ballet enthusiasts. If I had to choose one word for what I hope they gain from these programs, it would be knowledge, or a lightbulb moment.”

Central to Russian Ballet International is its Director, Dmitry Povolotsky, whose classical education began at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow at the age of 10. After nine years at the Academy, Povolotsky received a full scholarship to The Juilliard School in New York, where he completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Modern Dance and Choreography. He later performed with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet for eight seasons and taught ballet and choreography at the Harlem School of the Arts. Today, through Russian Ballet International and the Bolshoi Summer Intensive, he produces international training programs connecting dancers and teachers with Russian classical ballet education.

For Povolotsky, the Vaganova Method is much more than a particular aesthetic or collection of exercises.

“The Vaganova Method is as precise as mathematics and as structural as architecture,” he explains. “Its defining core principle is logical progression, moving meticulously from the simple to the complex.”

He compares the process to constructing a building, where every skill introduced during a dancer’s early training prepares the body for what will eventually follow.

“Every foundational ‘brick’ laid in the lower levels has a specific purpose, designed to safely support the weight of the advanced technique taught years later. Every basic movement directly correlates to the highest levels of classical mastery.”

This is also why incorporating teacher education into the Australian visit is important.

“The Vaganova Method that we are bringing to Australia will be taught to the active dancers and to the teachers as well, encompassing the full circle of learning, with all the smallest details explained and demonstrated,” Povolotsky says.

The Australian program will include two levels of Bolshoi Vaganova Teacher Training. Fundamentals Year 1 will be presented on 2 and 3 January 2027, from 12.00pm to 3.00pm each day, followed by Development Year 2 on 9 January, from 12.00pm to 6.30pm, with a break from 3.00pm to 3.30pm. The seminars offer teachers the opportunity to examine the structured progression of the Vaganova Method and the principles underpinning the development of classical ballet technique.

“Because it is taught at an academic level, it is the perfect environment for those of us who have deep, technical questions that often go unanswered, or are hard to find answers for, in standard classes,” Tianye explains.

For young dancers hoping to attend the Summer Intensive, the first step will be the Sydney audition on 18 October. Importantly, Povolotsky says selectors are looking beyond technical accomplishment.

“We like to see coordination abilities, but most of all a desire to learn, to not hold back and to be prepared to express, ‘Look at me, I’m doing my best in your audition because I love to dance.’”

That willingness to learn is equally important for dancers with professional aspirations. Povolotsky identifies “tenacity, perseverance, the ability to overcome your mistakes, the desire to win and never to give up” as qualities that distinguish those capable of pursuing a professional career, along with strong analytical skills.

His advice to young dancers is refreshingly uncomplicated.

“It is hard to concentrate these days on something you love,” he says. “I’d advise young students to learn to focus, to not be afraid of their failures and always, always point their feet.”

Another important aspect of Russian Ballet International’s philosophy is its non-hierarchical approach to intensive training.

“No one goes without corrections. We do not separate the best students from the rest of the group,” Povolotsky explains. “We want to expose everyone to the best possible instructors and information that the classical ballet world has to offer.”

For Tianye, the benefits extend beyond what happens at the barre.

“For the children, it’s about connection,” she says. “They make new friends, bond with old ones, and even form international relationships with peers they might cross paths with later in their careers. They are building lifelong friendships and future industry networks.”

The partnership between Tianye and Povolotsky is particularly fitting because their relationship began through education. Tianye first encountered Russian Ballet International as a participant in its teacher training programs.

“She saw the benefits, she converted to the Vaganova Method through our seminars and is quite successfully using it to benefit her school and business,” Povolotsky says.

He describes her enthusiasm with humour: “First you think that you are fine on your own, but then you try our teacher training seminars and you convert to the method because you ‘see the light’.”

Behind the humour is a philosophy of making generations of accumulated classical ballet knowledge accessible.

“We hold no secrets,” Povolotsky says. “We want you to understand and use the knowledge accumulated by Russian academies for 250 years.”

After a six-year absence, Povolotsky is enthusiastic about returning.

“We produced very successful programs in Australia from 2018 to 2020.

COVID stopped the programs. We are very excited for our collaboration with Kalirena Pointe and to be back in Sydney!”

For Tianye, it is an opportunity to bring home the training that transformed her own understanding of ballet and had such a positive impact on her daughter. For Australian dancers and educators, it offers the chance to experience another deeply established approach to classical training, ask questions and, perhaps, experience Tianye’s own “lightbulb moment”.

Russian Ballet International Australia 2026–27
Auditions: Sunday 18 October 2026, 9.00am–5.00pm, Academy of Music and Performing Arts (AMPA), Sydney. Three age groups; individual audition times to be confirmed.
Summer Intensive: 4–8 January 2027, Academy of Music and Performing Arts (AMPA), Sydney. Age groups: 9–12, 12–14 and 14+.
Teacher Training Seminar, Fundamentals Year 1: 2–3 January 2027, 12.00pm–3.00pm, Kalirena Pointe.
Training Seminar, Development Year 2: 9 January 2027, 12.00pm–6.30pm, with a break from 3.00pm–3.30pm, Kalirena Pointe.
Bookings and information: Visit Russian Ballet International for program and registration information. Sydney program and booking details will be released as they are finalised, with further information also available through Kalirena Pointe and Bolshoi Australia.