Translated material
Musical surprise
The spouses of the presidents of the United States and Russia visited the art school
US First Lady Michelle Obama, who hosted Svetlana Medvedeva last week, prepared a surprise for the wife of the Russian president. In Washington, the presidents' wives visited the Duke Ellington Children's School of the Arts, and Mrs. Obama invited another Russian guest, prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater Diana Vishneva, to participate in this event. This could not have come at a better time, since at the Duke Ellington School, children not only sing, play musical instruments and practice modern dance, but also try their hand at classical ballet. In addition, the Diana Vishneva Charitable Foundation has just launched in the United States, whose tasks completely coincide with what Michelle Obama is doing. In the near future, the fund will begin work in Russia.The first lady of the United States was truly delighted with Ms. Vishneva's gift - two pairs of ballet shoes in which the ballerina performed. Barack and Michelle Obama's daughters are dancing and, as their mother said, such a gift will inspire them. Introducing the ballerina, who now performs not only at the Mariinsky Theater but also at New York's American Ballet Theater, Michelle Obama said that her presence is an inspiration to the “incredible students who are going to follow in your footsteps.” The First Lady also mentioned the “outstanding work” that the ballerina is doing in America - through her foundation she is promoting the art of dance among schoolchildren.
At the school, named after the greatest jazz musician Duke Ellington, gifted children study for free - they just need to pass an entrance exam. The school students demonstrated a ballet performance to the distinguished guests, danced hip-hop and showed off their vocal capabilities. The performance showed that there are real talents among the children.
After the concert, Svetlana Medvedeva said that there is a similar art school in Moscow and it would be right to establish cooperation between the Balakirev school and the Duke Ellington school. Michelle Obama promised that appropriate instructions would be given to the administrations. Mrs. Medvedeva donated two paintings to the Washington school (a landscape by one of the artists from the Glazunov Academy of Painting and a painting by a student from the Balakirev School), as well as a balalaika.
After the distinguished guests left, Diana Vishneva remained at the children’s disposal. She was bombarded with the simplest questions - how to eat to stay in shape, how much to rehearse, etc. The ballerina, who arrived in Washington during a break between performances in New York (Swan Lake, shown the day before at the American Ballet Theater, received a wave of laudatory criticism), managed to stop by two more Washington schools and meet with children there.
School programs are specific to the American branch of the Diana Vishneva Foundation. For example, the main task of the foundation in Japan, where it already operates, is to help young choreographers and dancers create new performances, and in Russia it is to support artists of the dance genre, including artists who have completed their creative careers, and to promote the opening of dance schools.