Dance instructor brings Russia to Central Texas

BY MARTHA UNDERWOOD
Herald Staff Writer

Music, young hearts and muscles are soaring as two male Russian ballet teachers teach a clinic for area students at Newcomb School of Ballet in Killeen this week.

"Ballet is a sublime form of art," said teacher Valeri Salnikov, originally from St. Petersburg, Russia and now director of Lynchburg City Ballet in Virginia. "It connects the visual with music."

People go through revolutions and wars, but still express themselves through dance, he said.

"Russian ballet is the best of international experiences incorporated together," said Nikolai Semikov, of Lynchburg, Va. "But Russians are hard workers. We are still the best at a very old tradition."

Kristen Hadjis, 12 of Copperas Cove, agreed. "I'm getting technique from the Russians and strengthening muscles and posture," she said. "They're the best in the world."

History and culture are themes common in ballets, and are picked up in clinic afternoon sessions. Called character dances, the students are learning Greek, Spanish and other folk dances.

"Other styles are grafted into ballet," said Salnikov, such as the Spanish and oriental dances in the Nutcracker Ballet.

Especially popular with the younger students, the Greek character dance had them all chattering like the movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding."

"The Greek one was a lot of fun," said Katrina Huckerby, 9, of Salado, "but I really liked the (Irish) River Dance, because I liked the tapping."

"All classical ballet has character dances," said Renee Gillenwater, director at the Newcomb School. "They had fun, and it's part of dancing. It should be joyful."

Jessica Black, 14, of Killeen agreed. "Its fun, but it makes you very tired," she said. She and other strong dancers stay for two hours of advanced steps and partner dancing after the younger students leave.

"Ballet takes a long time to study before becoming a professional," said Semikov, 45, who started Ballet Arlington in Fort Worth five years ago.

His military father pilot died of heart trouble when he was a boy, and his mother, struggling with cancer, enrolled him in a St. Petersburg ballet academy with a dormitory, he said.

"After two months, I loved it," Semikov said. "I knew I never want to be without (ballet)."

The Kirov School was academically challenging and provided a unique education, he said. Courses included gymnastics, fencing, athletic style, makeup, dress, music appreciation and piano playing, as well as more traditional history, culture and other academic subjects.

"If we did not understand how music works, we would never be able to create good choreography," Semikov said.

These are neat teachers, very patient," Gillenwater said.

In the mornings, the instructors lead their 18 charges in rigorous exercises in form, step and carriage set to classical music, for which Russian technique is world famous.

"It's the time to perfect little things like arms and walk," said Amy Scheffer, 21, who has never had a male instructor before. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for this kind of teacher."

Salnikov got into ballet while staying after a music lesson on a Russian squeeze box, which he said is like an accordion, only smaller. "A ballet teacher stopped by and asked if I'd like to try," he said.

Salnikov was accepted into a ballet school and given free passes to any arts performances in St. Petersburg. "My life began at age 10," he said. "I saw plays, opera, symphony and professional ballet."

"St. Petersburg is the northern city of paradise," he said, referring to its art, architectural and cultural treasures from all over Europe.

Since ballet schools were government supported, each child in his class of 10 boys and 11 girls worked hard toward becoming a professional, Salnikov said, or knew he would be fired.

He also graduated from the Kirov. The two guest instructors did not know each other before this week, because Semikov had graduated before Salnikov started.

Salnikov said he appreciates his career because it gave him a way to travel. "I learned thinking, human communication and what America is good about," he said. "I'm not a rich person, but I have a (good) life."