On October 30, Russia celebrates Coach's Day.The Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy and the Sky Grace International Association congratulate all mentors who have dedicated themselves to raising athletes!&nbsp;Being a coach is a calling. You know how to find an approach to every trainee, notice potential, and help realize it. Thanks to your daily work, patience, and love for what you do, victories are born.&nbsp;We wish you inexhaustible energy, sound health, and new professional heights! May your athletes win and always remember the lessons you taught them with gratitude. Happy Coach's Day!

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Academy Life

On October 30, Russia celebrates Coach's Day.

Happy Coach’s Day!

<blockquote>«Thank you to all the gymnasts who participated in the festival! Our show brought together the top talents in contemporary Russian rhythmic gymnastics, including members of the Russian National team, as well as world and European champions. I would also like to thank the gymnasts from India for agreeing to perform at our festival, you truly delighted us all!&nbsp;I extend my gratitude to Bolshoi Theatre soloist Daniil Potaptsev, guest dancer Ildar Gainutdinov, the dancers from the TODES dance theatre, and Alla Dukhova herself, as well as the performers from the Flying People theatre! Your participation brought such vibrancy and uniqueness to our show; it was an absolute pleasure to watch you on stage!&nbsp;The dedication shown by each of you was clearly evident throughout your performances, and that is a special source of joy and pride. Thank you!»</blockquote>

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Alina Kabaeva

The Alina festival took place on October 29.

Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva expressed her gratitude to all the performers and gymnasts who took part in the festival in Mumbai

Daniil Potaptsev, a first soloist of the Bolshoi Theater, performs the role of Ivan Tsarevich in the new stage interpretation of The Firebird ballet at the Alina 2026 festival. He told how this production differs from the classical performance:<blockquote>"What I like about this production is that it brings together sport, contemporary dance, and, of course, classical ballet. Ultimately, I realize that my part serves as a kind of bridge between styles between sport and art. So, it turns out to be a rather responsible task. В классическом спектакле In the classical performance, Ivan wears boots there, and he barely has any choreographic moments where he can really show what he can do. Meaning, he only has various adagios where he walks around; it's more of an actor’s role."</blockquote>Daniil shared why he finds it unusual to work on a gymnastics carpet:<blockquote>"It's harder to perform it here, of course, because it's still unusual for me. First of all, there's the gymnastics carpet, and second, working with gymnasts has its own specifics because we have duets together. I probably wouldn't be able to do it if I had spent my whole life working in just one specific discipline. And suddenly I had to master classical dance duets in just a couple of days. It is tough, of course, but I try to help somewhat. I'm in a bit of a pleasant shock in terms of how the girls work. Rhythmic gymnastics is truly admirable. I am very glad because everything is handled with super responsibility; everyone is trying so hard. I watch the run-throughs and see that the girls always practice at full strength, they do everything and give it their all. Even right now on the carpet. It is never empty. I just wish to enjoy the show. That's the most important thing, for the viewers to be happy, because all of us are working hard here only because you are there."</blockquote>

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The Alina Festival

Daniil shared how this production differs from the classical performance and why it feels unusual for him to work on a gymnastics carpet.

"A bridge between sport and art." First soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre, Daniil Potaptsev, talks about the 2026 Alina festival

Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva congratulated the winners of the AEON Cup Club World Championship: Yana Zaikina from Volgograd, Mariia Borisova from St. Petersburg, and Sofia Ilteryakova from Moscow .The girls arrived in Mumbai straight from Japan to take part in the Alina Festival.<figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/372/b88/372b8852e71edbdbf35abe113c8c59cf.jpg"></figure>

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Alina Kabaeva congratulated Yana Zaikina from Volgograd, Mariia Borisova from St. Petersburg, and Sofia Ilteryakova from Moscow.

Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva congratulated the winners of the AEON Cup Club World Championship

Ahead of the festival, Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva was welcomed in India.She was given a tour of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre.<figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/255/d91/255d91ece7011f7ffa7f0a34a1ddfa02.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/409/103/409103c01ffd81e689e76586cac33eab.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/e63/c02/e63c028f7c0ff6f7abd87cb1a2cbe576.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/a35/77b/a3577b9ac29285153dbeb6d7ead2236d.jpg"></figure>

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Ahead of the festival, the Olympic champion was welcomed in India.

Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva visited the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in India

The International Step to the Dream tournament will take place in Yerevan on October 29 - November 1.Athletes from the Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy will be participating - Alisa Shunina from Volgograd, and Diana Sobyanina and Diana Kotlovskaya from St. Petersburg.

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Competitions

Alice Shunina from Volgograd, Diana Sobyanina, and Diana Kotlovskaya from St. Petersburg will perform.

The Academy gymnasts will take part in the international Step to the Dream tournament in Yerevan

The symphony orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia is taking part in the Alina festival in Mumbai.After the rehearsal, Maria Krushevskaya, the first harpist at the Bolshoi Theatre and a laureate of international competitions, shared how the work was progressing:<blockquote>"When I was little, I really loved watching rhythmic gymnastics. I was actually very fascinated by this sport specifically because of its beauty. Apparently, because I was doing classical music, beautiful art was close to my heart. And I remember Alina Kabaeva exactly when she became an Olympic champion; I was following her back then. So this is very interesting to me. In principle, we are basically just doing our usual job. We play what Stravinsky wrote, from A to Z, uncut, without any changes, so everything is the same as always in our field. Basically, there are no differences. But when I look over there, it's actually really interesting, I see a synthesis with classical ballet, because there are literally classical pas that I recognize, the kind I sometimes see when looking at the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. And at the same time, there are completely classical elements of rhythmic gymnastics itself, and I was especially interested in the apparatus work: ribbons, balls, hoops. The way they connect it all is truly a synthesis of arts, I would say, it's not gymnastics in its traditional form. It's a blend with ballet."</blockquote>She shared her impressions and noted what is important in rhythmic gymnastics:<blockquote>"I think the project will be a huge success. And I believe the audience members who get to see it will be absolutely thrilled. So I am very glad. I am always for new movements and merging things into a new wave. I have always liked this sport precisely for its artistic inclination, that it's not just about executing some physical elements cleanly and beautifully, which is simply physically difficult. It's also about expressing your artistic inner self. How you feel about the music, how it correlates with the music. How you portray it, that's what matters. That is why it's always interesting to have this exact component: the artistic performance, rather than just a cleanly executed element."</blockquote>Maria also compared how this sport is similar to music:<blockquote>"We have a technical component where everything simply has to work out cleanly, yes, all the notes must be played at the tempo they are supposed to be, all the leaps. But the most important thing is still to convey the mood, to convey the meaning, probably, behind the musical idea, the composer's meaning and plus, absolutely, your own attitude towards it. That is important."</blockquote>

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Maria Krushevskaya is the first harpist at the Bolshoi Theatre and a laureate of international competitions.

"I see a synthesis with classical ballet." Maria Krushevskaya, the first harpist of the Bolshoi Theatre, talks about her participation in the Alina festival in Mumbai

Who is creating the Alina 2026 Festival? Behind this vibrant show are people who merge different art forms and help participants express themselves in a new way.Their approach, experience, and creative signature shape the artistic world of the Alina festival.Meet the festival's choreographers and staging directors — Irina Zenovka and Aleksandr Mogilev.Read the cards to learn more about the people behind the choreographic part of the show:<figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/cd2/4ed/cd24ed7d359f7eaf1decb298b6447ff7.jpg"><figcaption>Irina Zenovka Choreographer‑director of the 2026 Alina festival — Honored Coach of Russia, choreographer for the Russian national rhythmic gymnastics team.&nbsp; — Has been working on productions for the Alina festival since 2009.&nbsp; — Participated in the production of the routines “Heroes of the Rear”, “Flowers”, “Courage. A Warrior Named Zoya”, “Heroes of Sport” for the Alina‑2025 festival. What else in interesting - She performed for the USSR national team in group exercises.&nbsp; - Since 1996, she has been creating programs for gymnasts on the Russian national team.&nbsp; - Her mentor was Dmitry Begak, a soloist at the Bolshoi Theatre. "I’m so happy to be working with everyone; I’m really enjoying it."</figcaption></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/be0/ecc/be0ecc5b3ca56a2710fbc7c313d23440.jpg"><figcaption>Alexander Mogilev&nbsp; Choreographer‑director of the 2026 Alina festival — Choreographer, dancer, artistic director and director of “ETO,” a Russian contemporary dance company.&nbsp; — Winner of the TV project “Dance” on Channel One, laureate of the “Soul of Dance” award.&nbsp; — Has been working on productions for the Alina festival since 2025.&nbsp; — Participated in the production of the pieces “Young Guard” and “Swallows. Heroes of the Siege” for the Alina‑2025 festival. What else in interesting — A member of the jury for the “Big and Small” project on the Russia‑Culture TV channel, a member of the jury for the “ARABESQUE” ballet competition.&nbsp; —&nbsp;Founder and director of the Russian contemporary dance festival “PROBA No.” and the “Man the Dancing” competition‑award for contemporary choreography. "My task is to preserve the girls’ individuality while ensuring that everything runs smoothly and, at the same time, that their full potential is showcased."</figcaption></figure>

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Behind this vibrant show are people who merge different art forms and help participants express themselves in a new way.

Who is creating the Alina 2026 Festival?

Costume designer Elena Litvinenko spoke about creating stage outfits for the 2026 Alina festival:<blockquote>"About 100 costumes for the festival. First, we tailored the leotards for everyone, because it's impossible to finish one costume from start to finish all at once. We made the leotards first, then the skirts for everyone. But on average, if you calculate it per costume, it probably takes about two days. Many details, a lot of trim, and lots of crystals. In other words, they are all going to shine, sparkle, and shimmer."</blockquote>Она поделилась деталями создания костюмов действующих лиц:<blockquote>"Ivan's costume turned out to be the most intricately painted. It needs to look completely radiant for us. It features both hand-painting and crystals. And perhaps, it is likely to be the most labor-intensive one in terms of painting. The Firebird skirt is more of a prop than a skirt, actually. We tentatively called it the Firebird skirt, but it's actually a stage prop that cannot be assembled in Moscow; it has to be set up right at the venue provided to us."</blockquote>Также Елена отметила помощь индийских коллег:<blockquote>"We are very grateful to the Indian side for providing us with such wonderful helpers who are giving us invaluable assistance. They are all so friendly and responsive, doing everything and eagerly taking on whatever we ask them to do. Our task is to make the costumes as beautiful and spectacular as possible to create a real sensation."</blockquote>

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She explained how much time goes into crafting these stage costumes and how Indian colleagues have been assisting the Russian team.

Costume designer Elena Litvinenko speaks about creating stage outfits for the 2026 Alina festival

The Alina festival is being held in Asia and staged within a theater setting for the first time. A team of Russian and Indian specialists is collaborating to address technical challenges and prepare the stage for the show, step by step.Technical Director Georgy Nechuneev explained how the festival stage in Mumbai is built:<blockquote>"This festival is taking place in Asia for the first time, and for the first time on a theater stage. So usually, we build a large venue from scratch. It is either a kind of a sports center or a pavilion. This time, it's an actual theater, a ready-made venue with an orchestra pit. We develop the full terms of reference, discuss the possibilities, and determine whether something is doable or not. When we are told that yes, it's possible, we try it, and then we begin to move forward step by step, building up the festival technically. Our video engineer communicates with the host side's video engineer. So, we discuss certain processes right in the course of the installation itself. Translators are helping us. Plus, the technical language, it is something we understand. Sometimes yes, it is enough to show a couple of words, and everything becomes clear right away."</blockquote>The specialist shared the details of the installation of the main set piece — a large circle that will move in different directions:<blockquote>"Right now, the assembly of the circle is underway. This is the main piece of the scenery. The circle consists of two segments that will move apart to the left and right, as well as move up and down. Right now it is all being set up."</blockquote>

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The speacialist explained the installation of the main set piece, a large circle designed to move in various directions.

Technical Director Georgy Nechuneev speaks about creating the stage for the 2026 Alina festival in Mumbai

A rehearsal of the Alina festival took place in India.On October 29, a show inspired by Igor Stravinsky’s ballet "The Firebird" will be held in Mumbai.<figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/942/1e7/9421e7ea48ec03093dfdecfddfbd58c4.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/ff9/239/ff9239934ea0cecf5518d6f33227472d.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/4a5/f97/4a5f971fece131fd01edeed5e9003177.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/2bc/541/2bc541d21edd98a62dfb6b7618bc611e.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/e58/c49/e58c497a2b677b1b94c72ffe3534344a.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/914/525/914525a14f4c0e46136572a5554c0ae5.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/0cd/495/0cd495141f9d4969c86db61bcce05b0d.jpg"></figure><figure class="image"><img src="https://skygrace.ru/static/files/images/editor/b38/e48/b38e484deb9c3ff122f6b47ae0f1d091.jpg"></figure>

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On October 29, a show inspired by Igor Stravinsky’s ballet "The Firebird" will be held in Mumbai.