Ballet dancers from Panama's National Ballet were visited by Russian master Vladimir Issaev, who was thought to be one of the most internationally outstanding and at the same time recognized as a great choreographer, and gave them a master class in the "Vaganova" technique.

At his visit, Master Issaev held an audition for young dancers to invite them to participate in the International Ballet Competition scheduled for January 2020. That's why Gloria Barrios, executive director of the National Ballet of Panama noted that "our dancers enjoyed a great deal of their classes, and that this kind of interchange with international teachers that will feed our dancers and teachers with new opinions because this reaffirms the need for constant renewal that our art has not only at classical but also at the Neoclassical level at contemporary level."

Barrio also noted that "today's dancer should be very complete to dance different types of style to be prepared to receive and renew knowledge from any teacher we invite and that motivates and at the same time is an opportunity for these teachers to see the talent and quality of the dancers."

Since 1991, Vladimir Issaev has been performing specialized training in the Vaganova technique. He was recognized as the most influential Ballet Master by the National Foundation for the Promotion of the Arts in 2000 as his currently Ballet Master and Corographer and Artistic Director at the Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida and Vladimir Issaev's Ballet School in Miami, Florida. He was co-director of Ballet Competition International.

The Vaganova method is a ballet technique and training system designed by Russian dancer and pedagogue Agrippina Vaganova (1879-1951). The training system is designed to involve the whole body in every movement with equal care to the upper body, legs and feet. In its method we give great importance to the force of the lower back and to the expressivity of arms as well as all focused work to do the "pas de deux."

To Panama's first national ballet dancer, Maru Navarro, it was an honor to be instructed again by master Issaev, I knew him, and the class that today shown us is a quite difficult technique, but it's an enriching experience so I thank the National Ballet's teachers for giving us this kind of opportunity to gain this great knowledge.

The also dancer Carla Barsallo expressed her gratitude for receiving this master class, which will help you make appropriate corrections and apply them in your day to day.

To these "master class" the Russian choreographer was accompanied by the Cuban pianist Aly Texas, talented pianist with classical music, with an approach that makes her different from the rest, as each class shows the relationship between the dance-pianist.

Aly has worked at several ballet and dance academies in South Florida, including the prestigious New World School of the Arts, the well-known Conchita Espinosa Academy and the famous Miami City Ballet. He has been an accompaniment for nothing more and nothing less than the Boston Ballet where he accompanied ballet and modern student and company dance classes. He currently works at Vladimir Issaev Classical Ballet School, known as the best Russian school in South Florida.

The Panama National Ballet is an institution that has brought many achievements to the country, established in the 1970s when the National Institute of Culture was established, and first introduced in 1973, its members have shared stage with international dancers, including the famous dancer Dame Margot Fonteyn.