The Ensemble's Children's Ballet is a winner of the New Year's Festa International Festival in Artek

The New Year's Fairy Tale International Festival, held in Artek this winter, brought together children's creative groups not only from all over Russia but also from abroad. The purpose of the festival is to introduce children to the traditions of celebrating New Year's Eve and Christmas in various countries and regions.

The event was organized by the Commonwealth Foundation for Support of International Children's and Youth Initiatives, which was founded by Artec children of different generations. The participants of the Festival had to pass a rigorous selection process. The Children's Ballet of the Academic Ensemble of Songs and Dances of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation successfully passed this test and became the winner of the Competition. The young talents were awarded a trip to the Artek International Children's Center, where they spent the 15th camp (from December 26, 2021, to January 15, 2022).

The creative life of the children's team at the Yantarny camp in Artek was extremely interesting and eventful. In addition to festival performances, the children participated in various workshops (theatrical, musical, or artistic), educational programs, master classes, creative meetings, sports events, and flash mobs.

In the very first days of their stay at Artek, the participants of the Children's Ballet of the Academic Ensemble of Songs and Dances of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation presented several choreographic performances to the Artek directing and production team, which were specially prepared for the New Year's camp. The young dancers showcased the spirited Russian dances "The Moon Is Shining" and "Poteshki," as well as the genre sketch "Russian Fair" featuring skomorokhs, peddlers, and a bear. They also performed the stunt Cossack dance "The Dance of the Terek Cossacks" and a specially choreographed dance to the song "The Black Sea."

Despite the fact that the Festival was held in difficult conditions of the fight against the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, and all the events were not mass-scale, the children managed to introduce their art to all the camps of Artek at the fun festival "City of Masters," which took place on the Palace Square of Artek and in the sports and recreation complex.

The children of the Children's Ballet Ensemble celebrated the New Year 2022 with the chimes and fireworks at the foot of Mount Ayu-Dag in the Yantarny camp.

By presenting their new friends and counselors with the best dance performances from their repertoire, the young dancers helped to create an unforgettable festive atmosphere in Artek, a sense of joy, and a desire to reach new heights in their creative work.

In addition to the vivid impressions, the children also gained new knowledge and skills at Artek. "Football as a Lifestyle" was the name of one of the sports programs offered at Yantarny (attention!) for girls. Several members of the Children's Ballet brought home certificates for successfully completing this program. Many children returned from Artek with handmade crafts from various workshops. Some members of the children's group also gained valuable knowledge in the field of information technology.

The end of a camp session is always a special event for the Artek campers. A film called "Meeting Before Parting" was made especially for the online broadcast of the closing ceremony of the 15th New Year's Camp in Artek. The traditional folk Christmas festivities, woven into the film's storyline, were reflected in the lively "Poteshki" dance performed by the Children's Ballet on the Pushkin Square in Artek. The film was also adorned with scenes shot on the seashore, where young dancers performed in white and blue costumes that fluttered in the wind, representing the waves of the sea.

By tradition, each camp session ends with a theatrical performance – a romantic story about the Artek rose, which is kept close to the heart. Roses – always fresh! – are given by the boys to all the girls of Artek, and the phrase “Let’s raise the roses up – let’s show the roses to the stars” that is said on the last Artek evening makes the farewell to friends even more touching, sensitive and profound.

In addition to the Diploma of the International Festival "New Year's Extravaganza," which the children's group was awarded by the Executive Director of the Commonwealth Foundation, A.V. Makarov, for their "contribution to the development of international festival traditions at the Artek International Children's Center, for preserving and promoting the cultural traditions of their people, and for creating conditions for friendship and cooperation among children from different countries," the Children's Ballet also brought other awards from Artek. For "fruitful cooperation in organizing and conducting creative events, and for active participation in the life of Artek as part of the 15th Artek New Year's Fairy Tale camp," the Artek management awarded the Children's Ballet of the Ensemble of Songs and Dances of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation and the ballet masters, Honored Artist of Russia Alexander Nikolaevich Kozhayev and Elena Aleksandrovna Kozhayeva, with commendations. A.N. Kozhayev and E.A. Kozhayeva also received certificates from the Executive Director of the Commonwealth Foundation, A.V. Makarov, for their "fruitful cooperation and active participation in the implementation of the thematic educational program "International Program 'New Year's Extravaganza at Artek' MDCC", for their contribution to the development, preservation, and promotion of the culture of celebrating New Year's Eve and Christmas, for creating conditions for children's friendship and cooperation, for popularizing choreographic art, professionalism, and personal contribution to the development of children's and youth's creative abilities."

The memory of performances at the best venues of Artek, of strong friendship, of a wonderful magical New Year's fairy tale, will certainly be remembered by the artists of the Children's Ballet for the rest of their lives. Whatever the young messengers of peace become later, their lives and their work will undoubtedly contribute to the prosperity of friendship and understanding between nations.