From Siberia to the Grand

You are based in Krasnoyarsk but where were you born in Russia?

I was born in Perm, the oldest Russian city in the Western Urals.

At what age did you start dancing and when did you join the Russian State Ballet of Siberia?

I started dancing at the age of 10 when I went to ballet school, I joined the Russian State Ballet of Siberia two years ago after graduating from the ballet school.

When at your Krasnoyarsk base what does your working day consist of?

I get up at 8am, get myself ready for work, have a little breakfast and go to theatre. At theatre I start training for about one hour and then my rehearsals start. I have a break in the middle of the day and then again rehearsals.

How many hours sleep do you like to get?

Usually I need eight hours to get good sleep.

What kind of diet do you have to keep fit?

I can’t eat too much sweet and pastry.

What do you do to relax in your spare time when you are not practicing?

I prefer to relax resting at home and reading magazines, also I try to get more sleep if I can. I like to walk in the river bank when I have spare time.

Have you toured the UK before – if so how many times and what do you like about British culture?

I toured once in UK and I liked to be in England very much. I do not know much about British culture but everything I have seen was very advanced and versatile.

Can you describe what a typical day on tour involves?

I get up early in the morning and have my breakfast which I prepare the day before, then get ready for going outside and go for a walk. Then I travel to theatre and start doing ballet class, after that there is rehearsal, a short time to get ready for performance and then show starts. I will be performing in all ballets on the tour.

How long does it take you to prepare for a performance and do you have a specific warm-up and warm-down procedure before and after each performance?

Normally I need half an hour to warm myself up before going on stage and I do warm up in my special way, flexing and stretching legs and arms. I also need to keep my muscles warm between rehearsals and between show acts and for that I use wool warmers and sweaters.

Apart from the UK tour, how many months are spent on tour inside and outside Russia and which other countries have you visited?

I did not travel much in my life, I think everything is still ahead, I visited Turkey and Bulgaria recently and I had a great time there with my friends.

If you hadn’t become a ballerina which other profession do you think you would have gone for?

I think I could be a nurse or a doctor, because I feel compassion for people who suffer from illness.

Any useful advice you can give to young ballet dancers here in the UK?

I wish to all young ballet dancers to fall in love with dancing, with everything you do on stage and then the audience will definitely fall in love with you.

• Russian State Ballet of Siberia, Blackpool Grand Theatre, Giselle - Friday, January 8, The Snow Maiden - Saturday, January 9 and The Nutcracker - Sunday, January 10. Call (01253) 290190 for times and tickets.