"I have my own opinion!" Ballet dancer of the highest category Gennady Lednev talks about men judging  rhythmic gymnastics

A ballet dancer of the highest category, coach Gennady Lednev, works on the judging panel at international competitions as part of the "Dynamo for Russia’s Children" festival.

The judge told us about his vision of rhythmic gymnastics.

"I’ve been doing rhythmic gymnastics since 2013. That is, of course, I fell in love with it. I have been working with children for a very long time. It is very close to me in spirit, you know? Classics and gymnastics are practically the same thing, because I believe that gymnastics originated from classics. Most of all the elements are classical movements. Initially it was difficult for me, because in classical music everything happens a little differently in terms of music and artistry. But now that the rules have changed, it has become much easier to understand," he said.

Gennady Lednev shared the details of judging.

"And I mostly judge only the artistry. And I can say that not everyone treats me well when I’m judging, because I have my own opinion. I see it all a little differently. And I judge more objectively than, say, a group of women. Everyone pushes their own girl forward, and I evaluate objectively. And sometimes there are discussions and clashes, but this is normal. This is judging, so everything is as it should be," Gennady said.

He also appreciated the performances of the tournament participants and told which of the Academy students he paid special attention to.

"I know many of the children from Sky Grace. Many are from Novosibirsk. For example, Medvedeva. She studied with us for a long time. I still know and remember her as a little girl. Now she has grown a lot, both emotionally and physically. She’s developed quite a bit. Let’s say, if we take girls from Minsk, they are very strong, very tall and beautiful. Emotionally well developed and physically too. If we take adults, masters and candidates , yes, they already show much more. But with the rule change is still more difficult, because with the technique increases and sometimes they forget about the artistry. The little kids also tried very hard today. Really well done," he said.