Learning with passion

"The Fifth Element"

In the new creative season at the JINR Cultural Centre "Mir", the choreographic group "The Fifth Element" starts its work. We met with the Director Varvara Gorlanova, to present the new studio and to invite everyone that wishes to become a part of it.

Varvara, please, tell us about yourself, how did you come to choreography?

- I'm from a small town in the Tver region. I graduated from Music School with a degree in piano, I didn't even think about dancing, I dreamed of being a pianist. But in the 8th grade, I saw a dance performed by girls my age on the stage of our local Cultural Centre. It was love at first sight. My mother took me to the Cultural Centre and I was accepted into a group that had been studying for a long time. But with my desire and persistence, I achieved that I began to perform on stage as a member of main team of the ensemble. And even then, I knew that my life would be bound with dancing. After 11th grade, I went to Tver. I received education and worked in my profession. At the moment, I am a teacher-choreographer, stage director, with 16 years of experience working with children.

Let's talk about dance. What does it mean to you?

- A person that has found something he likes is a happy person, for he gains an extraordinary opportunity to know his abilities, understand and reveal himself. Dancing gives me a feeling of endless happiness. Here I want to be useful and necessary, namely to teach dancing!

Did the idea to create "The Fifth Element" originate in Dubna?

- Yes, this year, I moved to Dubna with my family. Here, the soul rejoices. The city is particularly calm and peaceful. Beautiful nature, clean environment. Everyone's love for the city manifests itself differently. The city inspired me to create a dance school-studio called "The Fifth Element".

The name is meaningful and I suggest you to decipher it!

- Dubna truly personifies the four elements - earth, water, air and fire. You come into contact with them every day and feel great energy from them. When you walk along the streets and alleys, you feel its support and tower of strength. You experience the same thing when you watch the riot of waves on the dam, the flow of water or when you walk along the banks of the Volga or the Dubna River. But we can also talk about the existence of a fifth element - dynamics, movement.

Your point of view is that the fifth element is dancing?

- Exactly. Through movements and body language you can feel like water, wind, earth and fire. When you dance, you feel the eternal rhythm, music.

In your opinion, what are the benefits of dancing?

- Sooner or later, parents are faced with the question: which section to send their child to, because they need to take care of his physical development. Moreover, in the age of digital technologies, children become less and less mobile and it affects their health. Currently, there is an increasing need for parents to solve problems such as total boredom, difficulties in communicating with peers, lack of self-confidence, determination and poor health. First of all, parents are interested in the benefits of training and in this regard, dancing is one of the best options. This is artistic and aesthetic, intellectual physical development, as well as development of personal qualities, communication skills.

Are you going to lead several groups? What area will they be?

- Yes, there will be two groups. I invite children aged 3-5 years to practice developmental choreography that includes rhythm, stretching, ground gymnastics, pop and classical dance. Choreography for children aged 3-5 years is aimed primarily at the all-round harmonious development of the child. A playful attitude, interesting activities and a selection of cheerful melodies will help your child to stay in a good mood. Teenagers aged 10 years and older are invited to the second group as the main staff of the studio. Dance or sports training required. Classes include an in-depth study of modern, stylized and pop dance techniques. We are going to create a repertoire (dance production), to travel to competitions and to participate in concerts.

The dance base will be useful even if the child wants to go to sports or is involved in it, after all, coordination of movements, spatial perception, flexibility and endurance are needed everywhere. Thus, athletes and gymnastics coaches that have been collaborating with me for a long time understand the obvious need for choreography.

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We invite everyone to join "The Fifth Element" team. Classes will be held at the Cultural Centre "Mir". Everyone can come to a trial lesson, meet the teacher, learn different elements and discover the wonderful and graceful world of choreography!

Eleonora YAMALEEVA,
Member of the Union of Theater Workers of the Russian Federation
Photo from V.Gorlanova's personal archive