"Rhythmic gymnastics can convey these tragic stories." Natalia Usova talks about the Alina-2025 festival

Uzbek gymnast Natalia Usova, Asian champion and World Cup medalist, spoke about preparing for the festival and her image in the production.

"I did not know about Anne Frank before the festival. Irina Zenovka told us, the five girls, about that. She gave us the insight to this story, conveyed the whole pain experienced by Anne Frank at that time.All of us express a single character — Anne Frank. Each of us endeavors to convey this pain, this stress, this fear. We try to deliver all that through our routine. Indeed, it is so fearful — the war in general, it is beyond words. And it is sad indeed that Anne Frank had to sit in a single space with one poor window," Natalia said.

She noted the power of art to tell stories about tragic historical events.

"I think rhythmic gymnastics is capable of converting whatever you can think of, even such tragic stories as about Anne Frank’s," she said.