Big Ballet

Extended version. The famous Vaganova Ballet Academy in St.Petersburg welcomes the most talented and determined young dancers, who are willing to dedicate their lives to ballet. Director's cut.

The Upsala Circus in St. Petersburg is made up of hooligans: children from disadvantaged families which often have behavioral problems. In doing so, it challenges stereotypes about what they're capable of. 

Music is their life. It’s their best friend that cheers them up in difficult times. And it's their gift to others. They perform in the streets and on the trains. They sing in bars, often for free, and dream of a big break. Meet the happy-go-lucky street musicians of Moscow.

London based artist, Alexander James took his entire studio across a whole continent to produce a new collection for an exhibition in Moscow. The new working environment proved to be a challenge in more ways than he could have ever imagined.  Despite the obstacles though, the artist never loses sight of the objective, reaching it though is another question.

Few places in the world still teach fine arts the old way, where form is everything, but the St-Petersburg academy of fine arts is one of them.  It’s the oldest art school in Russia and students from all over the world dream of studying within its ancient walls, they believe it’s a place that sets the gold standard in teaching classic art. It’s not just about technique because they believe great art  is all about love, for yourself, your subject and your medium, and that attitude makes this art school quite unique.

While violence in Gaza continues unabated, local children and teenagers still pursue their everyday interests. RTD follows students of a Gaza City music school who have lived through three major military conflicts since 2008. Despite their experiences, they remain hopeful that peace will eventually come. Until then, they seek comfort in music.

When these people perform stunning and extremely difficult stunts on tightrope it looks like it's as natural for them as walking on the ground. But while learning these skills, they had to learn how to fall.

Inspired by Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace and its opulent ball portrayals, James Brown decides to delve into the Russian ballroom culture. He learns the dress code of a traditional ball, its etiquette and even a fan language: a code that female ball-regulars used to communicate with their admirers.

What started as one man's hobby became not only a model of Russia's railways, but an 800 square metre model of the country itself.  How does this team of intrepid engineers and designers hope to depict life as it really is?

A symbol of St. Petersburg, a UNESCO World Heritage site and an absolute must-see for tourists - Peterhof, also known as the Russian Versailles, could be reason enough to go to Russia, but you have a chance to admire at some of its unique fountains and palaces on RTDoc.

This is more than just a theatre group. The Free Debut Theatre lends a helpful hand to former prisoners by introducing them to the world of performing arts and giving them a chance to leave their past behind. The members of the theatre can re-invent themselves and their lives through acting.

Russia's ballroom boom: children, students, businessmen and even pensioners are doing it. The world's leading coaches and dancers are travelling to Russia to perform, teach and make money. In Russia dancing's a tradition: it has an air of culture and is extremely competitive sport making people sacrifice everything. 

Open your heart to the best of the best of underground art at the 'Burning Man' festival as it takes place in a wooden city its participants build themselves.

They sing with their hands and hear with their eyes. Actors from the Nedoslov Theatre are hard-of-hearing or completely deaf. Most come to the theatre after graduating from the Russian State Special Institute of Arts. RT looks at their lives inside and outside the theatre.

The Nigerian “dream factory”, Nollywood, became the second largest film industry in the world after India in just two decades. Its annual film production even surpasses Hollywood’s. What is its secret? RTD filmmakers travel to Lagos, to see how Nigerian movies are made.

It is the only military unit where soldiers actually have to smile, the only unit where the soldiers' voices are louder than their commanders' and the only one where the servicemen make use of their own personal weapons: their artistic skills and musical instruments. 

Many young girls dream of becoming ballerinas, but only very few are prepared to apply the all-out effort and make the sacrifices that this dream demands. The famous Vaganova Ballet Academy in St.Petersburg welcomes the most talented and determined young dancers, but it makes them no promises.

Pianist Vladislav Teterin’s foundation, 'World of Art', is a very special charity for disabled children. It gives young singers and musicians a chance to shine on stage and to show the whole world that their physical disabilities are no barrier to them developing their talents.

The Moiseyev Ballet is a world-acclaimed folk dance group. Its members are dedicated to carrying the legacy of its great founder to audiences the world over. But in doing so, they have to be prepared to sacrifice their health – and personal ambitions – in order to keep their ballet the best of the best.