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How to do the moskau dance


That Russian Squat Dance - TV Tropes

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A vital survival skill in the training of all KGB agents.

"Moscow, Moscow, I-don't-know-the-frickin'-words, I-don't-know-the-frickin'-words, ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! HEY!"

— Chuggaaconroy, Let's Play The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

You know the one — the dancers squat down with their arms folded and kick high with one leg and the other, sometimes intercalating more squats up and down between flurries of kicks. If a Husky Russkie is celebrating a victory for Glorious Mother Russia, he is 90% likely to be doing this dance.

This trope's name is one of those cases of mislabeling by foreigners. For instance, its origin is actually both Russian and Ukrainian, and it's not commonly called "Cossack Dance" or some derivate. While it does receive occasionally the names of Kozatsky or Kazatsky, which mean just that, the true name of this stage dance is Hopak or Gopaknote Spelled Гопа́к in the Cyrillic alphabet. which comes from the word hopaty meaning "to hop", so a better translation of its name would be "The Hopping Dance". Similarly, it gets sometimes referred as the Kazachok or Kozachok ("Little Cossack"), but this is a completely different folk dance that also comes from Russia and Ukraine. The squat dance is also a integral part of Russian dances like Barinya, Leto, Trepak and many more.

The dance is commonly depicted with dancers barking "Hey! Hey! Hey!" while squatting, which is another point of mixing things up and thinking that all Russians say "Hey!" while dancing not just like this, but in any other style. On occasions, it can be substituted with "Hop! Hop!"note If actual Russians were dancing, they would shout "Op! Op!" without any h's.

The squat-and-kick move itself is properly called prisyadka (knee-bending) and is just one part of the Hopak dance, but it's the only part known to most non-Russians due to its inherently funny looks and obvious athleticism required. It's indeed one of the more difficult parts of the dance, requiring good balance and substantial leg muscle strength, but of course Mother Russia Makes You Strong. In fact, there is an entire martial art based on Hopak dancing called Combat Hopak. Prisyadka moves can also be incorporated into the shashka dance, performed with the long Cossack sabre and which involves complex evolutions of movement with the sword.

Despite what is stated above about its origins, Norwegians pride themselves by stating that Russian folklore actually learned this from them. The "squat" is essential in the Norwegian male dance ''halling''.

Also, don't confuse this with the "Slav Squat" meme.

Examples:

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     Advertising 

  • The now-infamous "Dancing Cossacks" New Zealand National Party television advert from the 1975 general election campaign featured a line of Russians squat dancing across the screen. The party was trying to imply the ruling Labour Party's compulsory superannuation scheme would lead to Soviet-style communism (they handily ignored the fact that the Cossacks had numbered among the Bolsheviks' bitterest enemies, at least until they were completely crushed by the Red Army).

     Anime and Manga 

  • In Hetalia: Axis Powers, Russia/Ivan mentions this, as well as kicking bullies with it.
  • One episode of The Law of Ueki has this dance done. With cossack hats. As a condition for battling participants to breathe in a special oxygen-deprived environment.
  • In Soul Eater Tsar Pushka's meister utilised it as a martial art - with some break dancing thrown into the mix.
  • In Pokémon Black and White Cilan and Pansage start doing this during the events of A Maractus Musical!
  • Done by Warsman in one Kinnikuman filler. Even stranger, he does it while wrestling someone.
  • The girls of Pravda Engineering High School do it around a campfire in Episode 9 of Girls und Panzer
  • In From Eroica with Love, KGB agent Mischa the Cub is stated to be an excellent Cossack dancer.
  • This is the signature dance of Bones Suzuki and Haruo Sato in Haunted Junction.
  • In The Voynich Hotel, the witch sisters called the Three Mothers originally hail from Russia, and when the youngest goes back home to visit their teacher, they are shown doing the dance when they first reunite.

     Comics 

  • An issue of Topolino, the Italian Mickey Mouse comic book, had Fethry Duck literally kicking Donald Duck's ass this way, as seen on the cover.
  • Nero: Nero does this dance when surrounded by Russian soldiers in Het Vredesoffensief van Nero ("The Peace Initiative of Nero") to make them believe he is one of them. He, of course, fails and the guards want to take him in. Nero then asks them if they can do it better, whereupon all soldiers start doing the dance. Nero then pushes everybody down to the floor and runs away.
  • A jubilant member of a Volgan tank crew is doing this in an East End pub when he is interrupted by Bill Savage wielding a double-barrelled shotgun in the first episode of the 2000 AD story 'Invasion!'.
  • In The Killing Joke, the Joker's entourage of circus freaks includes two men in Russian garb who can be seen doing this dance while he sings about how "I Go Loony". They're less obviously "freak"-ish than playing to how the Joker's philosophy, as written in this book, is informed by an era during which "the bomb" was hanging over everyone's head.

     Fan Works 

  • Naturally, works involving the Discworld equivalent of Russians exaggerate this. In the works of A.A. Pessimal, when a group of "Rus" witches performs traditional dance at the annual Witch Trials, members of Lancre's Morris Dancing side are heard to remark that this is only a ladies' team. Imagine an international against the men?

     Film — Animated 

  • Anastasia: A crowd of extras dance this way during the opening "Rumor in St. Petersburg" number.
  • The Russian puppets in Pinocchio do this.
  • Performed by thistles in Fantasia during the Nutcracker Suite segment. No points for guessing which part they appear in.
  • Boris the Russian goose performs one in Balto (complete with accompanying yells of "HEY!") in an attempt to cheer Balto up. For some reason, it doesn't work.
  • In Rise of the Guardians, North briefly does this across a rooftop before jumping down a chimney to get a tooth.
  • In Return To Never Land, Smee does the dance on Captain Hook's back while giving him a massage.
  • In Allegro non Troppo there's a moment in which the animator and a costumed ape do this dance on the floor.

     Film — Live Action 

  • Elf: Buddy, drunk in the mail room (having mistaken alcohol for syrup), entertains the workers by doing this dance on a table.
  • In The Cossacks, they do this when partying with some Gypsy women after a raid.
  • Spoofed as part of the disco-dance flashback scene in Airplane!, in which Ted Stryker defies the laws of physics.
  • A Shot in the Dark, one of the films in The Pink Panther series, Clouseau is coaxed into joining in a troupe of dancers - and promptly rips his trousers. In the same film, a dancer doing this move is killed after drinking poisoned vodka.
  • Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull features some soldiers dancing happily like this in front of a campfire.
  • The climax of The Man Who Knew Too Little has the titular character stand in for the lead dancer in one of these.
  • Simon is doing the Cossack Dance in the music video of "Christmas Don't be Late" in the film Alvin and the Chipmunks.
  • The Mask - Stanley easily dodges a hail of bullets, transforming into a matador, a Cossack, Vegas Elvis, and a movie cowboy. While he's dressed as the Cossack, he performs this dance to dodge the bullets.
  • The Mamushka in The Addams Family is one of these. The fact that Gordon is able to dance it is one of the tip-offs that he is really Fester Addams (albeit with amnesia until almost the end of the movie), rather than a Body Double taking his place.
  • One of the many dances that shows up in Bedknobs and Broomsticks during the musical number "Portobello Road."
  • The Three Stooges had a famous running gag involving this, wherein somebody would hurt their foot or otherwise hop around in pain rhythmically. The Stooges would then begin clapping in rhythm and take up the dance with multiple variations and vaguely Russian chanting.
  • The Leningrad Cowboys miserably fail to dance like this at a campfire in Leningrad Cowboys Go America. And they're supposed to be Russians.
  • Seen in October when the Bolshevik operatives infiltrate the army of monarchist Gen. Kornilov and make friends. This results in the failure of Kornilov's coup attempt.
  • In Patton, Russian soldiers do this at a party after Third Army has linked up with the Soviets at the end of the war. Patton, who hates the Russians, is not impressed.
  • Vasyl does the hopak dance in Earth (1930), although he does not bust out the squat move.
  • In Downfall, a few Soviet soldiers can be seen doing this as they celebrate their victory in Berlin.
  • U.S. Ambassador Joseph Davies' daughter sees some Russians doing this at an outdoor party in Mission to Moscow and wishes that she could learn now to dance like that.
  • The Human Comedy includes an approximately ten-second glimpse of some Russians when Tom and Diana observe the various ethnic communities celebrating at a town festival. Naturally, the Russians do this dance.
  • The Mysterious Lady: Performed, presumably by peasant entertainers, at the fancy ball thrown for Tania, in pre-World War I Russian Poland.
  • Anna Karenina: They even do it at the opera, or at least they do it at the opera that Anna and Vronsky go to see, which is apparently some sort of Down on the Farm story.
  • War and Peace (1956): Apparently upper-class Russians do the squat dance too, as seen at a drunken party attended by Pierre early in the film.

     Literature 

  • A rare female example: Tib in Betsy-Tacy is mentioned as being able to do this dance, using it as the grand finale of her show dance.
  • Firebird (Lackey) has Ilya use this as a form of exercise (since he's currently playing The Fool he can't do normal version of keeping in shape) and the narration makes a point of mentioning all the various moves part of it, not just the squatting.
  • Tommy's friend attempts it in the novel version of Carrie and falls on his ass.
  • In The Dilbert Principle, Scott Adams mentions "Russian squat dancing," and calls it by that name. In a footnote, he says, "Yes, I know there must be a different name for it. But they should call it "squat dancing."
  • August 1914: The novel recounts the Battle of Tannenberg at the start of World War I, a Curb-Stomp Battle in which an entire Russian army was surrounded and captured by the Germans. Colonel Vorotyntsev watches a Russian wagon train cross a bridge. One carter "even contrived to bounce along the cobbled road in a squatting Russian dance." Besides adding a little bit of atmosphere, this whole passage is meant to demonstrate how crude and half-assed the Russian supply system is; a theme throughout the whole book is how thoroughly Easy Logistics is averted, as Russian soldiers starve for days while on the march.
  • Referenced in If I Fall, If I Die. Will practices sliding across the ice in a squat with one leg extended, a move he calls "the Cossack."

     Live-Action TV 

  • At one point, Drew Carey appeared to be about to do some of this, then his back gave out.
    • Drew Carey appears to know the entirety of the dance in real life, having pulled it off on Whose Line Is It Anyway?
  • Parodied on The Muppet Show: Pig Muppets in cossack costumes dance like this, one of them kicks with both legs at once and hovers in the air for a split second before falling to the floor.
  • Three Sheets included host Zane Lamprey asking a Russian about the dance in the Moscow episode. The Russian explained that they didn't dance like that... but that he knew how to, from watching American movies.
  • Battle Fever J, the third Super Sentai series, had each team member representing a different country and performing a national dance; no points for guessing what Battle Cossack's dance was.
  • Happy Days had an episode with a dance marathon, with Fonzie throwing this out as a challenge dance at the end, allowing he and his partner, Joanie, to win.
  • One season of The Amazing Race had the contestants doing this as part of a Detour. MANY of the contestants, both male and female opted to do this, although not without some pain (or trouser splits!)
  • Mocked in an episode of Hogan's Heroes after Schultz says he'll be sent to the Russian front if Colonel Klink ever does a thorough roll-call and discovers one of Hogan's men is missing.

    Colonel Hogan: (sarcastically) Don't tell me you're afraid of a bunch of guys who dance sitting down?

  • So You Think You Can Dance: Part of the Russian Folk Dance on the season one of its performers (one Jeanine Mason) would go on to win. KALINKA!
  • Russian spy Illya Kuryakin did this briefly in the second-season episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. entitled "The Yukon Affair".
  • Star Trek: The Original Series: Mr. Chekov performs this dance in "I Mudd".
  • The Love Boat episode "Alaska Wedding Cruise" has the boat stopping in Sitka, where a group of Russian folk dancers do the dance.
  • The Good Place: In "Best Self", Chidi and Jason dance this way while the group are marking their final night in the Neighborhood before it's decommissioned.
  • This is one of the many dances that Olive and Otto perform in order to solve a bridge troll's riddle in the Odd Squad episode "Trials and Tubulations". Unfortunately, it's not the correct answer.

     Musical 

  • Fiddler on the Roof during the song "To Life".
  • A bit of this shows up in the choreography for "The Soviet Machine" in the London production of Chess.
  • Act 2 of Riverdance features an elaborate (and awesome) Russian dance number. It starts with Hopek-style dancing and turns it up a notch.
  • Moskau by German band Dschinghis Khan seems to be associated with this in the minds of many. They never actually perform this at any point in the video, though.
  • The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Operatic Society Production of The Mikado includes a musical number that cycles rapidly through several national styles, in which the Russian segment features a group of ladies performing the Russian squat dance with the aid of chairs the same color as the backdrop.
  • In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the squirrels do a Russian squat dance while Veruca does ballet before they kill her.

     Music 

  • Mentioned in Boney M's song "Rasputin". The eponymous mad monk is said to dance the Kozachok "really wunderbar" in it. And the Face of the Band Bobby Farrell performed it on stage for the song.
  • Featured a lot in the Basement Jaxx's music video for "Take Me Back to Your House". Bears get to dance, too.
  • The music video for the song "Energia" by Russkaja features this every time the chorus plays.
  • On Shirim's Klezmer reimagining of The Nutcracker, "The Russian Dance" is appropriately renamed "Kozatsky 'Till You Dropsky."
  • When Hardcore Techno arrived to Russia and was appropriated as the hardbass subgenre, one of the first things to change was replacing the Dutch hakken dance with the Russian gopak dance.
  • Russian Folk Rock band Otava Yo avert this. Even when their live gigs mean that everybody gets up and dances. The video for Sumetskayanote subtitled as Russian Couplets for Fighting features young peasant men engaging in dancing and play-fighting, accompanied by the band's music, and only once gets anywhere near the kozachok. On the other hand, there is this live version. Which has an unseemly amount of squat-dancing.

     Pinball 

  • Gomez and Uncle Fester do this in The Addams Family during The Mamushka, and throw their hands and feet every time a target is hit.

     Professional Wrestling 

  • Alex Koslov dons his hat before doing the squat dance to the head of an opponent in the "victim" position.

     Theme Parks 

  • The "It's a Small World" ride at Disney Land has a Russian puppet doing the squat dance.

     Video Games 

  • Zangief's ending from Street Fighter II, where Mikhail Gorbachev arrives to congratulate him* See? No more scenes like that. That's Why We Are Bummed Communism Fell. In Pocket Fighter he has it as one of his special attacks — he advances while dancing, kicking his opponent further and further back.
    • In Street Fighter IV, when you get to the rival battle as El Fuerte, Zangief does this while introducing himself.
  • In Punch-Out!!, Soda Popinski does this in one of his win animations.
  • Part of the male dwarf dance in World of Warcraft. But not the Slavic-accented Draenei, oddly enough. They dance to "Tunak Tunak Tun", which is Indian. Perhaps because the squat dance would be anatomically difficult with the draenei's goat-like legs.
  • The Jack series of robots from Tekken have something like this in their moveset because they are made in Russia.
  • Beowulf from Skullgirls uses this dance as an attack, while standing on a chair, no less.
  • In The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, a mask can be used to make ReDeads dance in this fashion. Also, the final boss may randomly do this when you fight it.
  • The Soviet Conscript from Red Alert 3 does it as an Idle Animation.
  • Might Guy's Leaf Style Youth Exercise in Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm has this dance as a punishment if Guy cannot do 100 pushups in 5 seconds. He does these pushups while headbutting his opponent's stomach, and if you fail the QTE mashing, Guy will only manage to do 99, will start crying waterfall tears, and does the dance in retreat. He remains in this dance for a bit after the move, leaving him open for hitting.
  • Unpatched copies and the shareware demo of Duke Nukem 3D allow Duke to use both the off hand "Mighty Foot" (kick with left foot) and Emergency Weapon kick (kick with right foot) at the same time. Fans tend to see it as Duke either doing this trope, or imitating Liu Kang.
  • In Rayman 2: The Great Escape, Rayman does this after completing every level.
  • Fable has this as one of the "expression" animations you can make your character do.
  • Russian Dancing Men is a rhythm game for iPhone & iPad based on the flash music vid below.
  • In the second game in the Destroy All Humans! series, while Crypto is in Tunguska, the locals will usually do this kind of dance whenever they are under his Free Love spell.
  • In Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. The Soulless Army, Rasputin does this dance at the start of the boss battle against him.
  • In Super Hero Squad Online, this is Colossus's dance animation. Naturaliski.
  • Dampierre from the Soul Series has this as one of his kick combos. It can be devastating if timed properly, but hilarious if you fail.
  • Team Fortress 2 added it as a taunt as part of the Gun Mettle Update with the name "Kazotzky Kick". If one person starts doing it, then anyone nearby can hit the taunt button to follow suit. The best part is that you can still move around (albeit slowly) while doing it, meaning that it's actually possible to capture the intelligence while doing it just to humiliate the other team, as this video shows.
  • Rash can do this in Killer Instinct, but since he can morph his feet into giant spiked boots, it becomes a lot more painful for his opponents.
  • When Just Dance 2 included Boney M's Rasputin in its repertory, it logically snuck some bits of cossack dancing in the sketch itself.
    • 2014's version of YMCA reused the same dancer and also had him cossack dance in his solo bit.
  • One Piece: Pirate Warriors: Buggy does the dance before activating his first Limit Break, Bara Bara Festival.
  • Viktor from Paladins is an old Russian soldier who naturally has the cossack dance as one of his taunts.
  • The monkey's dancing animation in Ultimate Chicken Horse.
  • In Feel the Magic: XY/XX's "Dance" stage, the Down instruction briefly makes the player character engage in this.
  • Final Fantasy XIV as of patch 5.3 has an emote that is in part based on the dance, called the "Lali-Hop".
  • In Gundam Battle Assault 2, Bolt Gundam does this dance as its crouch kick attack.

     Web Original 

  • Russian Dancing Men, which spawned the game.
  • Someone kindly put a Run–D.M.C. song over footage of one of these.

     Web Video 

  • Epic Rap Battles of History:
    • Rasputin vs. Stalin has the two opponents doing this after the battle alongside challengers Lenin, Gorbachev, and Putin. Stalin, who was not Russian by birth, seems to be having a bit of trouble with it.
    • Che Guevara does the Russian dance in the background of his battle against Guy Fawkes, symbolizing his alliance with the USSR during his lifetime.

     Western Animation 

  • The Footloose episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender had a similar dance.
  • The Futurama episode "A Taste of Freedom" opens with Fry walking in on everyone watching Zoidberg doing one of these in honor of the "Freedom Day" holiday. Fry decides to join in to avoid standing out. Subverts the traditional association with Communist Mother Russia with the chanted lyrics "freedom, freedom, freedom, OY!"
    • Later, a bunch of Uncle Sams on stilts are seen doing the dance.
  • In the Phineas and Ferb episode "The Wizard of Odd", Doofenschmirtz's guards do this dance during their big number.
  • A Woody Woodpecker short where Woody disguises himself as a Russian visitor takes advantage of this dance to position himself to literally kick Wally Walrus in the butt but good.
  • In The Simpsons, a file photo of Homer doing this comes back to haunt him when he's accused of being a Communist after heading into Russian waters with a nuclear submarine he unintentionally and accidentally commandeered.
  • In the Looney Tunes cartoon Hare Tonic, Elmer Fudd is afraid he has Rabbititis, and rushes to see a doctor, who is Bugs Bunny in disguise. Bugs tests Elmer Fudd's reflexes by alternately hitting each knee with a rubber mallet, and alternates between each knee faster and faster until Elmer is doing this dance. Bugs soon joins him, giving away his disguise in the process.

    Elmer: HEY! You're not a doctor, you're that scwewy wabbit!

    • In another Elmer Fudd cartoon, The Big Snooze, Bugs tells him to "Run this way!" to escape. This includes: doing a silly run, running upside-down, hopping like a frog, running upside-down again, yelling "Hey!", doing this dance, and yelling "Hey!" again before repeating.
    • The short Tin Pan Alley Cats has a scene of Josef Stalin kicking Adolf Hitler's butt doing the dance, with Hitler replacing "Hey!" with "Heil!".
    • Funny enough, 1943's Pigs in a Polka (a take on The Three Little Pigs set to Johannes Brahms' Hungarian Dances) has The Big Bad Wolf entering by going down a road doing the Russian squat dance. He even does a hand signal when turning left.
  • In the Popeye short My Artistical Temperature, this is invoked when Popeye gets flung backward through a painting of a Russian man, with his legs sticking out.
  • Done in The Critic by Franklin during a square dance with Ross Perot's running mate James Stockdale.
  • This one of the Goofalototots' main shticks, the one that is based off Wakko from Animaniacs, in an episode of The Mask.
  • In an episode of Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain are subjected to Pavlovian conditioning. Every time a bell rings, Pinky does That Russian Squat Dance, while every time a gong is sounded Brain sings "I'm A Little Teapot" complete with actions.
  • In the Dilbert episode "The Dupey", after Dilbert's Dupey goes through its metamorphosis and becomes an ugly creature, Ratbert declares himself the cutest thing in the house again and does this dance.
  • In Oggy and the Cockroaches, this is the cockroaches' victory dance.
  • In Wonder Pets! episode "Save the Nutcracker", the dance is called The Bear Dance. The Mouse King does it as he makes off with the Wonder Pets' nutcracker, and the Wonder Pets follow suit as they give chase. The Mouse King's guards do the dance while they try to stop the Wonder Pets, who dance right past them.
  • In the Disney Silly Symphonies version of The Grasshopper and the Ants, the grasshopper and a young ant do this dance a few times to the former's fiddle.
  • In The Amazing World of Gumball, Gumball attempts to do this in the episode "The Bros," but his torso's too short and ends up kicking himself in the face repeatedly. (Alternatively, he's stretching his legs long enough to hit his own face.)
  • The Cold Opening to the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Powerless" featured a battle between the "Batmen of All Nations" and the "Jokers of All Nations". One of the Jokers in question was a Cossack Joker, so of course his contribution to the fight was kicking at one of the Batmen in this manner.
  • The intro of Count Duckula has the eponymous character doing this dance while playing a harmonica.
  • One episode of Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi has Ami and Yumi doing this dance during a dance competition that the two of them entered. They are even wearing a corresponding costume.
  • In one episode of Darkwing Duck, Agent Grizzlikof does this dance as an attack against F.O.W.L. agents.

Moscow, Moscow, throw your glasses at the wall, and good fortune to us all, ho-ho-ho-ho-ho, hey!
Moscow, Moscow, join us for a kazachok, we'll go dancing round the clock, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha, hey!
Moscow, Moscow, drinking vodka all night long, keeps you happy, makes you strong, ho-ho-ho-ho-ho, hey!
Moscow, Moscow, come and have a drink and then, you will never leave again, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Hey!

—Dschinghis Khan, Moscow (English version)

 

Kazotsky Kick

Probably the most Slavic dance taunt in the whole game. When you think of the Soviet Union, you think of one thing: the freedom to laugh and love and sing and dance!

If Soda Popinsk...

Alternative Title(s): Cossack Dance, Kazatsky

Is there contemporary dance in Russia?

Is there contemporary dance
in Russia?

RBTH presents five troupes that can compete with those of Pina Bausch and Martha Graham.

Anna Galayda

Russian contemporary dance doesn't have it easy. Ever since its birth it's lived in the shadow of grand Russian ballet and has been forced to constantly prove its right to exist. Many people still think that contemporary dance is Swan Lake, only the ballerinas wear chitons - not tutus - and demi-pointe instead of pointe shoes. They're wrong. Nevertheless, contemporary dance in Russia is developing dynamically, and the best troupes and choreographers are now well-known - not only at home - but also abroad.

The Evgeny Panfilov Ballet, Perm

Through the eyes of a clown, The Evgeny Panfilov Ballet

Despite its residence, Panfilov's Ballet was never a provincial troupe. This choreographer was one of the first in the powerful ballet world to begin staging performances in the modern style. He took off the ballerina's nylon tutus and pink tights, threw out their pointe shoes and forced them to bend their bodies in unthinkable positions and use modern techniques. For Russian contemporary dance Panfilov is not just a pioneer choreographer; he is a magician. He is a showman who shocked his colleagues by transforming high art into a stunning spectacle and raising plain pop culture to the level of virtuosity. A fanatic of his craft, he accustomed Russian audiences to the new art practically by himself. He also took his dancers from an amateur stage to the first state contemporary dance theater.

Salome

His fate is characteristic of contemporary dance pioneers. Until he was 20, Panfilov did not know what ballet was. He tended his garden in his native village in the Arkhangelsk Region, would get into trouble at school, served in the army, and was expelled from military college. Then he entered the Perm Institute of Culture, where he discovered dance.

It took Panfilov's art more than ten years to win the love of the public. In 1988 he gained renown for becoming the only person in history without a ballet diploma to receive the title of laureate from the professors of the jury of the All-Union Competition of Ballet Artists and Choreographers.

From that moment on, each of his premieres became a huge event - first with the Impulse amateur experimental group, and then with the experimental Professional Modern Dance Theater (which with time became known as the Evgeny Panfilov Ballet).


Evgeny Panfilov

During the two decades in which he thrilled Russia, Europe, and America - Panfilov staged around 100 performances. Among them were the minimalist Wait for me and The Flight based on Bulgakov's play, as well as Paradise for Madmen and The Nutcracker.

Parrot Cage ballet performed by The Evgeny Panfilov Ballet. Music Carmen Suite by Rodion Shchedrin based on the opera by Georges Bizet. Choreography by Evgeny Panfilov.

The theater - which for many years has existed without its founder (Panfilov was killed in 2002) - and its leading dancer Sergei Rainik have been trying to preserve Panfilov's best works and expand the repertoire by collaborating with young choreographers.

Provincial Dances, Yekaterinburg

Sepia performance

The most famous Russian troupe was created in 1990. Today it's linked to the name of choreographer Tatyana Baganova, who danced with it from the start and today is its artistic director. And although the dancers successfully collaborate with other choreographers, their style was imprinted by Baganova's performances - well conceived, metaphorical, and very strict choreographically.

As Long As It Takes performance

Like most of her colleagues who are responsible for founding contemporary dance in Russia, Baganova's education was based on the many master classes conducted by Western teachers and the long-standing cooperation with the American Dance Festival. The festival commissioned A Wedding, through which Baganova entered a symbolic dialogue with the ballet's originator Bronislava Nizhinska. Another important Baganova production, Sepia, based on motifs from a novel by Kobo Abe, was also staged for the American Dance Festival.


Tatyana Baganova

Experience No 4. Intersection. Choreography by Anna Abalikhina

Her ability to erect performances like buildings helped her win festivals and be invited by the Bolshoi Theatre. Baganova is the only Russian contemporary dance choreographer to have been commissioned by the Bolshoi to stage a production - it was The Rite of Spring, staged on the 100th anniversary of the first production of Stravinsky's ballet.

The Contemporary Dance Theater, Chelyabinsk

Meetings. Collaborative choreography by Olga Pona and the dancers

Another veteran of the dance movement is a company that is also from the Urals. Since its foundation in 1992, its artistic leader has been choreographer Olga Pona. Coming to contemporary dance with a diploma from an autotractor department of a polytechnic institute, this frail laconic lady creates her performances using energetic, physically aggressive dances.


Olga Pona

The sturdy style of her choreography conceal the dance's lyrical soul, which is particularly appreciated abroad, where the Chelyabinsk dancers perform more than in Russia.

SILK. Choreography by Riccardo Buscarini (Italy)

Pona is not only a choreographer but also a teacher who has reared more than one generation of dancers, and in terms of virtuosity they have no equals in Russia. Many of them have long left Chelyabink and now work in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Yekaterinburg.

Immersions and emersions

For many, working with Pona is a stimulus for their own creativity: Konstantin Keikhel, Ekaterina Kislova, Larisa Alexandrovna, and Maria Greif have become famous choreographers themselves. They work with leading companies and have been nominated for the Golden Mask, which Chelyabinsk productions have already won twice.

Ballet Moscow, a contemporary troupe

OP ART, co-project of Ballet Moscow and choreographers Guy Weitzman and Roni Haver

Ballet Moscow, which today is one of the most interesting and unique theatrical groups in Moscow, was established during the years of the Perestroika. Back then few people could explain what contemporary dance was - many wanted to dance but "not like at the Bolshoi," including the Bolshoi dancers themselves. Some of them even changed their status for a captivating professional adventure.

MINOS. Choreography by Juanjo Arques (Netherlands) Music by Alva Noto (Germany) & Ryuichi Sakamoto (Japan)

The Chamber Moscow Ballet, as it was called at the time, was one of the first troupes in the 1990s to invite teachers for more than short master classes; it began collaborating with European choreographers. The visit of Dutchman Paul Selwyn Norton, who had danced with William Forsythe's Frankfurt Ballet, and his production Break In, which combined movement with the static Japanese art of origami, were like a revolution: Back then cooperating with foreign choreographers was unheard of even for the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theaters.

The Rite of Spring ballet, choreography by Régis Obadia

Since then Ballet Moscow has experienced many transformations and has even changed its name. Its repertoire includes productions choreographed by Frenchmen Régis Obadia and Rachid Ouramdane, Belgian Karine Ponties and Russian master Alexander Pepelyayev - and there's nothing sensational about them appearing together on one poster today, expect for the fact that in Moscow it's possible to see productions by leading contemporary choreographers one after the other.

Dialogue Dance, Kostroma

Punto di Fuga performance

The troupe from Kostroma is the only company out of all the heavyweights of Russian contemporary dance to be formed after the dance fever that raged during the Perestroika. It was established in 2002, when two young drama actors, Yevgeny Kulagin and Ivan Yestegneyev, decided to change their lives.

Kostroma became the company's residence. This old town, which played an important role in the history of Russia, had no significance on the country's theatrical map. For ten years Kulagin and Yestegneyev honed their skills with many master classes until 2011, when their troupe was noticed at Russia's principal theater festival, the Golden Mask. Their debut with Belgian Karine Ponties' Mirliflor immediately received a prize and in the following year Kulagin and Yestegneyev consolidated their success with their own production, Punto di Fuga.


Yevgeny Kulagin and Ivan Yestegneyev.
Code unknown performance

Neurasthenia. Music by David Monso. (France)

Kulagin and Yestegneev's productions combine the choreographer's tenacity with the brutality of the executing style, freely finding their niche in the space where genres meet. The troupe from Kostroma has become a resident at the Gogol Center and participates in performances by the Theater of Nations in Moscow. The dancers also perform at a new art space in Kostroma called STANTSIA.

My Dinner With You by Dialogue Dance featuring the Swiss composer and musician Simon Berz
and staged by Cecile Loyer (France)

Text by Anna Galayda
Edited by Oleg Krasnov
Cover photo: Provincial Dances theater by Yelena Rezvova
Images credits: Kommersant; Daria Popova; Alisa Chernikova
Andrey Shelkunov; Zurab Dzhavakhadze/TASS
Design and layout by Slava Petrakina
© 2017 All Right Reserved.
Russia Beyond The Headlines
[email protected]

Swing In Moscow dance school, poster, tickets, address - Moscow, Shelaputinsky pereulok, 6, Phone +7 999 820 60 20, how to get there, website, metro Taganskaya, Kurskaya. Moscow

Address: Moscow, Shelaputinsky Lane, house 6

Metro: Taganskaya, Kurskaya

phone: +7 999 820 60 20,0005

How to get: 10 minutes of walking from metro Marxistskaya stations, Taganskaya (ring), 15 minutes from Chkalovskaya and Kursk (ring), as well as Ilyich Square and Rimskaya

Swing has many meanings, but above all it is a style of jazz. For people who dance, swing is a dance direction. The variety of swing dances is truly great: from viscous blues to energetic lindy hop and perky sheg. Many of them originated in the "swing era" - from the second half of the 20s to the 40s of the last century and developed along with the music of the same name. All swing dances have one thing in common - endless variability, improvisation and great mood. You will find all this at the Swing in Moscow school. In our halls you can not only learn to dance under the guidance of leading teachers in Moscow, but also engage in individual self-training - practice is never superfluous.

You can practice social swing dancing with or without a partner (there is a regular rotation of partners during the classes). Your age, fitness and other factors do not matter. The main thing is to step into this world of incendiary rhythms and vivid emotions. You will make new friends, and evenings and weekends will be in the "swing style" - in cafes, at concerts, on dance floors, where there is no place for despondency and loneliness. On Fridays, our school hosts beginner's friendly - a swing dance party where beginners can try their hand. Experienced dancers will not be bored either - swing unites everyone!

1. Step from February 6: Monday and Thursday 19:20 - 20:20

Cheerful and fast step dance is suitable for everyone who wants to dance to fast music and improve their mood. Classes with Lyosha Kalinin begin next Monday, February 6, at Taganka. Until February 20, you can join the group. Details and entry: http://www.sim-ds.com/gruppy/novyj-nabor-na-sheg-u-leshi-kalinina-98.html

2. Lindy Hop from February 22: Wednesday and Friday 21 :00 - 22:00

A new set for the most famous and diverse Lindy Hop swing dance by Philip Lekmanov and Kristina Ayad starts on February 22 and everyone can join the group until mid-March. You can start taking your first steps into the wonderful world of hop-hop-lindy hop by signing up here: http://www. sim-ds.com/gruppy/lindy-hop-u-kristiny-i-filippa-novyj-nabor-99 .html

3. Boogie Woogie: Thursday 20:20 - 22:10 (ongoing)

) For you. The new group of Lyosha Kalinin and Natasha Zhukova has already started and pleases with their talent and aspiration. If you want to join it, then this can be done until February 16 inclusive: http://www.sim-ds.com/gruppy/novyj-nabor-na-boogie-woogie-u-leshi-kalinina-97.html

4. Solo jazz: Sunday 17:00 - 18:00 (already running)

: http://www.sim-ds.com/gruppy/solo-jazz-u-leshi-kalinina-novyj-nabor-95.html . This can be done until February 12 inclusive.

All these groups study in the hall on Shelaputinsky Lane 6, which is located 10-12 minutes from the metro station. Taganskaya or Kursk. The first lesson (in the case of boogie-woogie immediately dual) is free. You don't need anything but a good mood and comfortable flat shoes to try it! Age, dance training, leg size, eye color - it doesn't matter! And even the presence of a partner is optional, because. Classes rotate! But if you come together, it will have a great effect on the overall balance))

Swing and always be in a good mood! See you!

How to get to the Swing In Moscow Dance School from the metro station Taganskaya (ring)

You need to go to the city from the Taganskaya station of the Circle Line. Then cross Upper Radishchevskaya Street to the side of the Taganka Theatre. After that, cross the Garden Ring at the crossing with two traffic lights and go left (down the Zemlyanoy Val) until the first turn to the right - Bolshoi Drovany Lane. You need to go through this alley to the end and run into Nikoloyamskaya street. Cross Nikoloyamskaya street and go along Nikoloyamsky lane to its intersection with Shelaputinsky (landmarks on the left side - a school-type building (Medical College No. 7) and a tall white and blue building). At the intersection, turn right and walk a few tens of meters. On the right there will be a barrier to the courtyard, a gray gate and a brown door with a visor and the inscription "ENTRY". Go through this door (checkpoint) and go out into the courtyard, in the courtyard go to the first entrance on the left, go up to the fourth floor, where it will be impossible not to find us

News - Dance school

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Schedule of events November.

01 But I 2022

November 11 — Milonga with Tango in vivo orchestra November 20 — DSM_Challenge 2022 November 26 — Credit party children Detailed information: Tel.: +7 (495)…

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Russian Dance Holidays

26 Oct 2022

Maria Khaitseva and Nikita Laba Championship Rising Stars-1 place PRE-Championship Latin-2 place Congratulations on excellent results

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Congratulations to Mary Korsakova and Dmitry Soldatov

23 Oct 2022

Congratulations to Mary Korsakov and Dmitry Soldatov with excellent results at the official open championship of Russia in Argentine tango 2022 Do you want to learn how to dance Argentine tango and participate…

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Moscow Tango AUTUMN weekend & Cup.

03 Oct 2022

Elena Svetlichnaya and Yaroslav Spirin Congratulations on new victories Do you want to learn how to dance perfectly and achieve high results? Come to our dance school Additional information: Tel.:…

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Schedule of events.

02 Oct 2022

October 7-8 - INTENSIVE October 14 - NEWCOMER PARTY October 20 - HALLOWEEN JUNIOR October 29 - HALLOWEEN BALL

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Happy Lessons.

05 sen 2022

From September 5 to September 11, Kirill Nikolaev Champion of the Open Championship of the Czech Republic in Brno 2014. Active dancer of the “S” class. Champion of the World Ballroom Dance Festival in Germany 2015…

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Our teachers at the training camp of vice-champions of Russia

04 sen 2022

Our teachers Kirill Nikolaev and Anastasia Sereda at the training camp of Russian vice-champions in American smooth Oleg Kharlamov and Tatyana Kudryavtseva. We do not stand still, always…

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The seasons are summer.

22 Aug 2022

Svetlana Kurdakova and Danila Shinkov We share excellent results: In single dance everywhere 1st placeSuper cup — 2nd placeGran-prix silver — 1st placeGran-prix open level —…

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Schedule of events August

01 Aug 2022

Congratulations on the first day of the last summer month. There is still a whole month of summer ahead We are glad to share our activities in August August 5-6 - KIZOMBA classes from ...

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Summer Ball 2022

31 Jul 2022

Our Summer Ball 2022 is over. The most beautiful participants, the best performances, the hottest Saturday evening in every sense Many thanks to all participants for…

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Prestige Cup 2022

20 Jul 2022

Friends, we continue to delight you with great news from the Prestige Cup 2022. Maria Khaitseva and Nikita Laba 1 place Championship International Latin Silver Full Final Championship…

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Happy Lessons

02 Jul 2022

from July 4 to 10 Yuri Batyrev The main direction is ballroom dancing (La, St) - master of sports, multiple absolute champion of the Ural Federal District; - winner of the Moscow Cup under the European program; -silver…

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Schedule of events

30 Jun 2022

Friends, today is the last day of the first summer month. June was very eventful and really warm. Moving on, we are excited to share our upcoming events with you…

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American Smooth

02 Jun 2022

“It is impossible not to fall in love with this style at first sight and from the first movement,” says Anastasia Sereda, American smooth teacher.

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