Zina Mamedova class at Danceworks?

[L_One]

Greetings! Our family will be traveling to London from the states next June and my daughter is interested in taking a few drop-in ballet classes for maintenance. She's training in a Vaganova-based program here in the states and found Danceworks and Zina Mamedova's class in her search for London classes. I'm not able to find much information out about the class, aside from the fact that it welcomes younger students. My daughter is 14 and has trained with Russian teachers for years, including this summer with the Bolshoi Ballet Academy's United States summer intensive (which has teachers from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow come over to teach for the summer). For those familiar with this specific class offering, would Mme. Mamedova's class be good for my daughter?  Thank you in advance for your assistance!

[LinMM]

I know somebody who attended Zina Mamedova's classes for a while after training initially in Brighton in Vaganova style and the advantage is that they are "drop in" so you can go when you have the time and money etc.

But there are other Russian classes in London with a high degree of excellence which may be worth approaching to see if your daughter could attend for a few classes ....and in the appropriate level etc ...AND/OR which also run summer schools which could suit you for a week or two of classes in the summer.

For example

Natalia Kremen School

Masters of Ballet Academy School

London Russian Ballet School.

All of these classes are easy to reach by public transport though maybe not quite so centrally located as Danceworks

 

Hope this is helpful.

 

[swanprincess]

I've only been to Zina's classes a few times but love them; they seem to have a very long barre with lots of Demi pointe work, and lovely centre enchaînements.

 

London Russian Ballet School also do excellent drop in classes!

[L_One]

Thank you LinMM and swanprincess for your feedback! We're staying at the Park Plaza Westminster and it looks like the London Russian Ballet School isn't too far away so I will definitely look into the other offerings as well. Best wishes for a Happy New Year!

[Amelia]

I would strongly recommend Zina Mamedova's classes. She is not just a Vaganova Academy graduate but she was trained there by Elena Shiripina, a Vaganova’s pupil and one of the best teachers at the Academy. Zina’s experience and knowledge is of a very high calibre.

[CeliB]

My DS (currently dancing with the Bolshoi) would personally recommend both Madam Zina and Evgeny at the London Russian Ballet School. He trained Vaganova from aged 12 (in the UK, USA and St Petersburg).

[L_One]

Thank you Amelia, how wonderful that she was trained by Mme. Shiripina. 

 

CeliB - Thank you so much for the personal recommendations as well. I've been watching your son's journey via your posts here and on Ballet Talk for Dancers, such an amazing and inspirational story. My daughter is a fan of his and so these recommendations will probably hold more weight than anything else I tell her hehe.