Collaboration between the Bolshoi Ballet Academy and the Italian city of Urbino

Sila Avaakum taking pics of students of the Bolshoi Ballet Academy
in the beautiful city of Urbino.

The Bolshoi Ballet Academy of Moscow chose for the second consecutive year the Italian City of Urbino, World Heritage site of Unesco, to carry out its Summer Course. We learnt about this collaboration and wanted to know more. We hope our readers will enjoy this article as much as we did learning and writing about this interesting initiative.

Carolina Masjuan

Some years ago I met Francesca Bottacin, Doctor in Art History and Professor at Università degli Studi "Carlo Bo" of Urbino, thanks to the Summer Course and Galas that Ibstage organizes each August in Barcelona. 

Francesca Bottacin, Vilberto Stocchi, Luciana Savignano
Emanuele Burrafato. Photo by Paolo Bianchi

She was giving lectures to the talented students following this course that during three weeks gathers the most relevant dance teachers: Anna Maria Prina, Piotr Nardelli, Elías García, Xiomara Reyes, …  impossible to mention all of them (please find link here), finishing with two outstanding Galas with ones of the best dancers in the world such as Daniil Simkin, Marianela Nuñez, Vadim Muntagirov, Alicia Amatriain, Lucía Lacarra, Anastasia Limenko, Evgenia Obratzova, Kimin Kim, Gonzalo García, Ashley Bouder, Tiler Peck, and a never ending list of the very best...

So, we had the chance with Francesca to share thoughts and talk about our passion. When she explained me about the Bolshoi Academy course in Urbino, I immediately felt interested to know more. And at the end it seemed to me that it would be worth to write an article and share it in our web Ballet y más.

For two consecutive years the famous Academy of Dance of the Bolshoi of Moscow chose the Italian city of Urbino as the venue for its summer courses. This year they were present in the city from 17 to 28 July.

Sila Avvakum making a photograph
of a ballerina in Urbino.

This year, the City of Urbino, together with the "Carlo Bo" University and its spin off Lingua Ideale, Italian language center and culture for foreigners, in synergy with the Russian Ballet International, wanted to enrich this initiative with further cultural content involving the whole city, with the aim of enhancing the prestigious presence of the Academy of Moscow and its pupils from all over the world.

Monday July 17, in the meeting room of Palazzo Ducale (formerly the Winter Garden) to inaugurate this second edition of the Bolshoi summer school and to welcome the dancers, there was an exceptional guest: the étoile of the Scala, Luciana Savignano, who also trained at the Bolshoi and who presented her biography "L'eleganza Interiore" (Gremese Editore, Rome) on the occasion of this venue. To present the book, together with the author, was the dancer and historian of dance Emanuele Burrafato.

The conference was introduced by Irina Pyatkina, who was étoile of the Bolshoi and currently is a teacher at the Academy and Honored Artist of the Russian Federation.

For official greetings, there was present Vilberto Stocchi, rector of "Carlo Bo", Maurizio Gambini, Mayor of Urbino, and Vittorio Sgarbi, famous italian Art Critic. The meeting was coordinated by Francesca Bottacin as scientific director of project and Dmitry Povolotzky from Bolshoi Ballet Academy and Director of Russian Ballet International.

Sila Avvakum shooting inside the theather in Urbino.

Monica Ruggeri, as responsible for cultural activities and events of Lingua Ideale, also took part in the initiative as it also did Counselor Marianna Vetri, who has believed in this project because of the high cultural value it brings to the city and at the University of Urbino and who followed with enthusiasm its realization.

Vilberto Stocchi, Emanuele Burrafato, Luciana Savignano,
Maurizio Gambini, Francesca Bottacin, Irina Pyatkina and 
Dmitry Povolotsky. Photo by Paolo Bianchi

As presented during the inauguration ceremony, interesting activities took place in this edition: the presence in the city of the famous Russian dance photographer Sila Avvakum and the new collaboration between Bolshoi Ballet Academy and FIMA (organizer of the Festival of Ancient Music of Urbino) carried out with the participation of the National Gallery of the Marche.

As far as Sila Avvakum participation is concerned, it has to be outlined the Dance Photography Exhibition of her work; Sila being the official photographer of both the Stanislavskij (before in Mariinsky) and Ibstage. Urbino, the amazing city with such a great cultural heritage was the perfect environment to appreciate her shots. Sila herself was truly moved to see her photographs on those palaces, gardens or theaters, especially in wonderful painter Rafael birthplace.

Please find a link to a video where you can learn more about and watch a bit of the wonderful spectacle gathering dance and live antique music. A gem.

Sila Avvakum and students of the Bolshoi Dance Academy
Summer Course inside the house where Rafael was born in Urbino.

When a city, its citizens, are truly interested on Art and the cultural organizations on it share this passion, then great things can be accomplished. We congratulate everybody involved on the organization of such an event and encourage others to follow this example.