Dancing with the Moscow Ballet - A Wonderful Opportunity
Time for Kids devoted its entire December 20 issue
to Moscow Ballet's children's casts!
 Dancing with the Moscow Ballet is an unforgettable experience for the many children nation-wide who have had the opportunity to dance with the company's professional Russian cast over the years. Since Moscow Ballet's first U.S. tour, local children have been chosen by audition in each performance city for roles in The Great Russian Nutcracker. On average, 60 children are selected per city. By the end of Moscow Ballet's 11th Anniversary Tour in 2003 the company will have given more than 45,000 children a chance to perform along side top professionals. "It was really exciting to be dancing with professionals and to see them work up close," says Beth Disharoon, who won a role in a 1993 Moscow Ballet production in Baltimore, Maryland. Disharoon and her friend Laura Halm, a fellow student from the Children's Dance Division at Towson University, were thrilled to be cast together. The girls had been dancing together since Disharoon was seven and Halm was six years old. Disharoon and Halm both went on to study at Julliard. Halm is currently a senior and Disharoon graduated this May. Her goal is to join a touring dance company. "It was wonderful to be dancing with Laura and watching the professionals at the same time," says Disharoon. "I was in a student Nutcracker at the same time and it was a totally different experience. Watching the professionals and how they went about performing helped me to see that this was something you can do as a career."  Even students who do not pursue a professional arts career say they benefited from their Moscow Ballet experience. "Besides the obvious poise and
grace and love of dance, working on a production
like that of the Moscow Ballet builds a sense of community and teamwork," says Gloria Lang,
director of the Chilren's Dance Division at Towson University. "It teaches self-discipline and how to work with a group of people towards a common goal."
Julie Agetstein appeared in three of the company's productions from 1994-1996. She says the productions were always the "highlight of the year." Agetstein, who is now working on a PhD in Psychology at the University of Maryland, says the experience helped her study skills. "A lot of discipline goes into working on that kind of a production," she says. "You have to learn how to manage a rehearsal schedule and still keep on top of your school work. You learn a lot about yourself." Have you danced with Moscow Ballet during its 10 years touring the U.S.? We'd be interested to hear what you're up to. Contact us at smi@nutcracker.com.
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