Eileen Flynn, Executive Editor
@eileen_courant
Last summer, I interviewed Senior Ava Edmonds on her preparation for her trip to Russia this summer under the Bolshoi Ballet. When she returned, we talked about her trip.
What was your favorite part about your trip to Russia?
My favorite part about my trip to Russia was probably being able to stay with a host family and get to really experience the culture of Russia in a unique way. First, I got to stay with a family that had two children around my age which allowed me to see the life of a typical Russian teenager. Next, I got to stay with a family with two younger children which was really great.
What did your days consist of in Russia?
During the weekdays I would stay at this boarding school with the 12 other girls in the program and we would practice ballet for 3 hours in the morning, have a lunch break, and take Russian language classes for the rest of the day. Then, after, we would go on group excursions and learn about Russian culture. On the weekends we would stay with the host families and got to take trips and experience a lot of different areas and cities.
Were you fairly independent in Russia?
In the beginning we would do a lot of supervised trips, but as we stayed for longer and became more comfortable we would go out in groups of three and could really do what we wanted which was great because we got to really see what it would be like to live there.
What was the hardest part about going to Russia?
Definitely the language barrier. When we first got there we really spoke no Russian so our conversations with the host families mostly just consisted of nods and hand gestures. That was definitely hard to overcome, but as time went on and we learned more it became much easier.
Was there any culture shock when you got there?
Honestly, not really. We were really prepped on how to act and told to not “act American”, so I went in thinking that things would be completely different there and that I should keep my being American a secret, but in reality everyone was really friendly. They listened to the same music we do and dress the same way we do. Really the only major difference I picked up on was the language.
Was there any conflict that arose from your being American in light of the current political climate?
We did get to witness really rapid inflation while we were there and in light of the sanctions we were actually unable to perform our routine for the public because the government didn’t want an American program being advertised to the citizens, which was definitely a little rough. Other than that, however, I didn’t run into any issues.
What did you learn from this experience and what does it mean for your future?
I mean aside from all of the great things I learned while learning with the Bolshoi Ballet, I really found a passion for Russian language and culture. Next year, when I go to college, I plan to take my dancing with me and hopefully even minor in dance, and after this experience I plan to minor or even major in Russian. It definitely helped me develop my love for ballet and to explore a culture I never knew before.
Is there any advice you would give to someone interested in a similar program?
My advice would be to just throw yourself into it. I went to Russia completely unaware of what the experience would entail or how I would be able to adjust to living in a country where I knew the bare minimum of the language spoken there. However, through this I learned so much about myself and I hope that other people decide to take the risk and put themselves out in the world as well.
