Студия художественного движения

In English

Studio of Artistic Movements started its work in 1971. The founder of the Studio was Andrey V. Rodionov, who has been a continuous accompanist of Ludmila N. Alexeyeva during 30 years. At the Studio the classes are based on the methods of Ludmila N. Alexeyeva (1890 - 1964), the famous specialist in the area of artistic movements. Alexeyeva's creative work has had a great influence upon the development of dance, plastic and variety art, as well as physical culture of Russia.

The School of Harmonic Gymnastics of Ludmila Alexeyeva started at the beginning of the century and survived till the present day. Proceeding upon predecessors' experience, Alexeyeva was looking for the ways of perfecting her working methods persisenly.

The School finds its roots in Delsart's School, Demeny's Gymnastics, Isadora Duncan's Dance. New gymnastics systems and new dance are being connected with the name of French opera singer Fransya Delsart. He has inspired many schools and many followers including rhythmic gymnastics of D. Dalcrouse to start its work. All these schools gave the new beginning to the movements' culture. There were a lot of followers of the above mentioned systems. The most famous one became American dancer Isadora Duncan. She seemed to reveal again the very meaning of human step, running, light natural jumps, head's and arms' movements.

After Duncan's successful tour in Russia, there were a lot of studios of free dance, rhythmic movements and etc. found. Their aim was harmonic development of a human being, its physical beauty and spiritual enrichment.

School of Artistic movements of E.I. Rabenek (Ellen Tells) was the most famous one. Rabenek was one of the most talented followers of Duncan in Russia. Rabenek went to Germany to study at Duncan's sister Elizabeth. In 1910 she opened Moscow classes of movement. Ludmila Alexeyeva was one of the most gifted students of the School.

In 1913 she began independent teaching and producing. Alexeyeva was persistently looking for the new system of body training corresponding to the new stage of the development of artistic movements. With different titles she has been carrying on this work through her whole life. In order to create a new free dance it was necessary to develop a new technique of dancing training. Alexeyeva was approaching dancing from gymnastics. The gymnastics served as a basis for her Dance School. The selection of exercises aimed to develop a human body harmonically is characteristic for her system of artisic movement.

What is so outstanding about her system of movements?

This is the natural type of movements, when both a body and spirit feels totally free, at the same time it gives the sense of power to control the movements of your own body. This is the natural connection of movement and music. Their harmony is realized by the special approach to the forming of gymnastics material. As a result arises a piece of art, gymnastics etude.

L.A. wrote: «The kind of natural confluence of movements and music, that we woud call 'rhythmic harmony', is absolutely necessery for turning gymnastic exercises into small pieces of art, able to bring artistic satisfaction to the participants». In Alexeyeva's compositions movement is amalgamating with music so much that it seems flowing from music. All training material of her School is represened by both simpl and complicated etudes as well as exercises.

Alexeyeva saw the importance of the keenness of the teacher himself. The leader must be «the Producer of Joy», according to her.

After Alexeyeva's death on 18 November 1964 her pupils (N.M. Alexakhina, I.E. Deviatkova, I.B. Tarasova, A.V. Rodionov) continued to lead the classes.

The leader of the Studio of Artistic Movements Inessa Kulagina came to Alexeyeva's Studio in November 1964. She was learning from Alexeyeva's pupils. In May 1965 she took part in Alexeyeva Memorial concert. In 1971 Inessa Kulagina stated her work at Moscow House of Scientists together with Andrey Rodionov who was Alexeyeva's partner and accompanist from 1927. Long years of cooperative work allowed to realize the very meaning of the present system of movements.

There are four groups in the Studio: children's group, available for all children; group for Teenagers; senior pupils' group (those attending Alexeyeva's School since their childhood); women's group. There are the certain traditions formed up at the Studio, to pass both experience and knowledge on from senior pupils to junior ones. Some of the senior pupils are getting themselves involved into teaching such as Yulia Goncharova, Yulia Lavrova, Irina Zenkevich, Yulia Ardashnikova.

Every year the Studio presents annual concerts. Senior pupils performs on different scenes in both Russia and abroad. In 1993 Isadora Duncan Memorial Festival in Moscow. 1994, 1996 master-class of Inessa Kulagina and her pupils performing in Paris. In 1997 Leader of the Studio, Inessa Kulagina herself took part in the Jubilee concerts for Isadora Duncan's 120th anniversary.

There is a lot of work being carried on at the Studio in order to develop the heritage of Alexeyeva. There is a number of exercises and etudes of artistic movements created for both classes and musical performances. Musicians such as SvetlanaVilenskaya and Evgeniy Julalov have played an active part in this area.