How to Decide
Deciding if you want to go to the Bolshoi Ballet Academy is not an easy decision. You have to consider many things before accepting. First, make sure you can afford everything. Not only to you have to think about the tuition for the year, but the travel costs. Plane tickets, luggage, taxis- it all adds up. If you are already financially struggling and would have to sell everything you own and more to come, don't. It isn't worth it. This is not just me saying this, Joy Womack told me the same thing. Chances are, if you got accepted into the academy you are probably getting good training wherever you are at already. Do not feel like not accepting will make you not as good of a dancer or hold you back. If you continue to work hard with strong determination, you will be ok.
Another thing that must be considered is the living environment. The dormitories are located on the third floor of the academy. The rooms are separated into a boy hallway and two girl hallways. There are three lounges where most students stretch and hang out throughout the day on breaks. The third floor also has WiFi, although I recommend getting your own since the academy WiFi is pretty crappy. Both boys and girls have their own bathrooms, laundry, and drying rooms. If you have been researching about the academy prior to reading this, you may or may not have heard mixed reviews of the bathrooms here. The showers are definitely not 5-star hotel showers but they still work fine. Now as for the toilets, just remember this is pretty much a public restroom. The maids here do an excellent job but sometimes you will just have to skip a stall. And on that note, let's move on to food!
I came in 2016 as a vegetarian so I never went down to the dining hall as most of the food here has meat. Generally the meals consist of porridge, bread, soup, salad, and juice. Of course they mix it up everyday but that is the general type of food that they serve. When I came my roommates already had a refrigerator in their room so I was able to buy my own food and store it in there. This year, 2016, I am using a new refrigerator that I bought from a good friend of mine who graduated in the class of 2015. I If you do not want to buy a refrigerator when you come, there is a refrigerator in the dorm kitchen (don't get too excited- this room just contains a sink, hot water, and a microwave) that you can use. Also, if you are vegan you don't have to worry. I am now vegan as well and let me tell you, Moscow does vegan right. There are a few places in Moscow that cater to vegans that I will list at another time. My roommate this year is also a vegan and we love going to these vegan places on our weekend outings.
The last thing that you should also really think about is the weight chart. Yes, it is true that there is a weight chart here. The academy likes their dancers to be slim but you will not be kicked out for not being in the chart requirements. If you are not in the chart requirements though, be prepared to be told to lose weight. The teachers will be completely direct and just tell you, and not always in private. They can tell you in the middle of class from across the room and you have to be able to handle that. They are not only strict about being slim though, they are also strict on how skinny you get. If you are too skinny, they will tell you. This, as well as being over the chart, can effect the grade you get on your exams.
If you are still wanting to find out more information, my roommate from my first year, Tala Lee-Turton, has an amazing website where she gives a lot of great information. I read her blog when I was deciding whether or not to come and it helped me so much. I will put the link down below so make sure to check it out! And remember, consider everything carefully and take your time. In the end the decision all comes down to what you think is best for you.
XOXO,
Louisa
Tala's page: https://talaleeturton.wordpress.com/about/
Another thing that must be considered is the living environment. The dormitories are located on the third floor of the academy. The rooms are separated into a boy hallway and two girl hallways. There are three lounges where most students stretch and hang out throughout the day on breaks. The third floor also has WiFi, although I recommend getting your own since the academy WiFi is pretty crappy. Both boys and girls have their own bathrooms, laundry, and drying rooms. If you have been researching about the academy prior to reading this, you may or may not have heard mixed reviews of the bathrooms here. The showers are definitely not 5-star hotel showers but they still work fine. Now as for the toilets, just remember this is pretty much a public restroom. The maids here do an excellent job but sometimes you will just have to skip a stall. And on that note, let's move on to food!
I came in 2016 as a vegetarian so I never went down to the dining hall as most of the food here has meat. Generally the meals consist of porridge, bread, soup, salad, and juice. Of course they mix it up everyday but that is the general type of food that they serve. When I came my roommates already had a refrigerator in their room so I was able to buy my own food and store it in there. This year, 2016, I am using a new refrigerator that I bought from a good friend of mine who graduated in the class of 2015. I If you do not want to buy a refrigerator when you come, there is a refrigerator in the dorm kitchen (don't get too excited- this room just contains a sink, hot water, and a microwave) that you can use. Also, if you are vegan you don't have to worry. I am now vegan as well and let me tell you, Moscow does vegan right. There are a few places in Moscow that cater to vegans that I will list at another time. My roommate this year is also a vegan and we love going to these vegan places on our weekend outings.
The last thing that you should also really think about is the weight chart. Yes, it is true that there is a weight chart here. The academy likes their dancers to be slim but you will not be kicked out for not being in the chart requirements. If you are not in the chart requirements though, be prepared to be told to lose weight. The teachers will be completely direct and just tell you, and not always in private. They can tell you in the middle of class from across the room and you have to be able to handle that. They are not only strict about being slim though, they are also strict on how skinny you get. If you are too skinny, they will tell you. This, as well as being over the chart, can effect the grade you get on your exams.
If you are still wanting to find out more information, my roommate from my first year, Tala Lee-Turton, has an amazing website where she gives a lot of great information. I read her blog when I was deciding whether or not to come and it helped me so much. I will put the link down below so make sure to check it out! And remember, consider everything carefully and take your time. In the end the decision all comes down to what you think is best for you.
XOXO,
Louisa
Tala's page: https://talaleeturton.wordpress.com/about/
This is good, Lu! Taking time to weigh the pros and cons is a good recommendation.
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