Irek Mukhamedov Photo: Daria Klimentova © Klimentova in reviews Oaks in reviews Hollingsworth in reviews Mukhamedov in reviews Christopher Hampson Ballet.co Diaries Ballet Masterclass Website

Daria Klimentova, and some very well known dancer friends, gave a series of masterclasses in Prague this summer. Here is Daria's diary of what happened over the two weeks...

Sunday 3rd August 2003

Muppet (Ian Comer - Daria's husband) left at 5 this morning to get to the airport for the first arrivals, Chris (Christpher Hampson) left at 7 for the second wave, and I was about to leave at 8 to get to the bus station to meet a student when she phones me to say that she has arrived already. Tell her to take a taxi to the hostel and will meet her there.

All goes very smoothly all day with teachers Agnes Oaks, Greg Horsman and Amy Hollingsworth all arrive on time, and all the students as well with no problems except Brian, a student from Central School, whose luggage got to spend another night in Vienna. Chris offers to lend him some T-shirts for class.

Monday 4th

Mup and Chris leave very early again to meet the students at their hotel and hostels, then walk everyone through the magnificent Old Town Square to the National Theatre studios next to Charles Bridge, about ten minutes. Myself and Chris take the first classes, then Agnes and Greg take the solo work, after lunch the students split into four groups, Myself and Greg take pas-de-deux with two groups, Chris takes creativity and Amy puts the final group through their paces in modern.

Daria Klimentova
Photograph © Milan Fara

At the end of the day Vaclav Janecek gives them a welcome lecture on Prague and the National Theatre, followed by a lavish reception with strawberries and champagne, salmon hot and cold, all meats and fruits and breads beautifully laid out in Studio 2, put on by the CESKA SPORITELNA Bank as a welcome to the Masterclass Event from Prague. Lots of press and dignitaries and Directors of the National Theatre, and a great time was had by all. The students all seem very excited, and 18 different nationalities all talking and having fun together is a very warming sight. And Brian’s luggage arrives.

Tuesday 5 – Saturday 9th

Into the routine now, class is taken by a different teacher each day, followed by solo work, then pas-de-deux, modern and creativity by the four different groups each day. Each evening a different teacher is interviewed and some clips of their work are shown on video, followed by a Q & A session. This turns out to be very popular.

Greg Horsman
Photograph © Daria Klimentova

Wednesday and Thursday see us invaded by a Czech Television film crew who are making a documentary for Czech Television about the Masterclasses. They seem to be everywhere, interviewing teachers and filming classes, but never actually getting in the way, very professional.

Saturday sees the last day for Greg and Agnes, very sad all around. They have fallen in love with Prague, have worked very hard but had a great time; lots of restaurants, shops and concerts have been explored. Tom arrived half way through the week from Japan to join Agnes, and I think we will be seeing these two again in the future.

Agnes Oaks
Photograph © Daria Klimentova

Sunday 10th

Airport time again today, this time Mup and Chris decide to do it slightly differently, Mup goes to the airport and meets, sends them onto Chris at the hostel, and I stay at the studios for the teachers. Again very smooth except for Alitalia striking and Natasha getting delayed 3 hours in Rome. Still Irek Mukhamedov and Andria Hall arrive on time and I whisk them off to dinner. Mup stuck at airport waiting for Natasha, lovely. Still 7 students leaving and 15 arriving with only one delay, not bad!

Monday 11 - Wednesday 13th

Chris and myself again take the first classes followed by Irek and Andria for solos, then after lunch pas-de-deux with Irek and myself, with Chris and Amy swapping about as usual. TV crew in again to film and interview Irek. More press to talk to Andria , myself and other teachers and Directors from throughout the Czech Republic and Slovakia in to observe classes. We only have Irek until Wednesday because he is still in On Your Toes at the Royal Festival Hall in London, and I could only get him out for 3 days, but he has been very popular and the students have been very excited working with him.

Masterclass students
Photograph © Daria Klimentova

He also has had a great time, shopping and dining in some of the most fantastic places, another one won over by Prague, who will definitely be returning.

Yat-Sen Chang who is taking over from Irek misses his flight and has to get the next one, so once again Mup is late at the airport.

Thursday 14 - Sunday 17th

Students all went to see the Laterna Magicka company performing Wonderful Circus, a bit dated now, especially the music, they should perform their latest shows which are fantastic.

Chang is wearing out the boys in their virtuosity class, but they seem to be very into it. Pas-de-deux is always very popular, and Chang and I have decided to do Don Q with them. A crowd of our students were walking through the Old Town and were given tickets to the Premiere of Sean Connery’s latest film, The Extraordinary League of Gentlemen, and were shocked that they actually went to see it with him! Later Natasha is having a quiet dinner by the bridge when Sean walks in and sits down to dinner with his entourage at a nearby table, how cool is that?

Irek Mukhamedov
Photograph © Daria Klimentova

Last night party, I got a firm to supply some nibbles and lots to drink, and Muppet and Chris took their favourite roles as barmen. They had had a lot of practice from A Christmas Carol, and kept the party in full swing. There were lots of tears and swapping of address’s etc throughout the evening, and I believe they all went on to a club afterwards. A very happy and pleasant crowd.

Finally on Sunday they all made their way to the airport or station or bus station for the journey home in a fleet of mini buses. And we get to put our feet up.

It has been a wonderful two weeks for all of us, students and teachers alike, and we will definitely be returning next year, the National Theatre have given us the dates of the 9th - 21st August 2004. Look out for next year’s ads...

Next Year it all happens again!