Delicious desserts for guests of the Martial Arts Academy on Knowledge Day

During a training session in Novogorsk, Alina Kabaeva suggested that Yana Zaikina from Volgograd and her coach, Evgeniya Eliseeva, add an acrobatic element to their routine. The Olympic champion had previously taken part in this move during the Tango performance at the 2010 Alina festival, which was choreographed by Alla Dukhova, the founder and artistic director of the TODES international dance company.  

Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva and Academy coach Evgeniya Eliseeva recalled how Yana arrived from Volgograd to try out.

And Yana managed to pull off a more challenging element!

There was a time when Alina Kabaeva would actually approach Vera Shtelbaums to ask if she could finish up and leave practice. Who would have thought that, so many years later, they would meet again in the training hall!

In Novogorsk, Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva, coach Evgeniya Eliseeva, choreographer Ekaterina Belova, and Yana Zaikina from Volgograd discussed their recovery camp in Turkey and reminisced about the gymnast's victory at the European Championships.

Bolshoi Theatre Principal Dancer Anna Tikhomirova led a ballet master class for the Academy's gymnasts. They worked on plié, tendu, developpe, and attitude, positions, flexibility, backs, and every detail of the movement.

While working on the new hoop routine for Yana Zaikina from Volgograd, Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva and coach Evgenia Eliseeva are paying special attention to the continuity and smoothness of movements.

Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva greeted the gymnasts and coaches of the Russian national team, as well as athletes from Kyrgyzstan, who arrived in Novogorsk for training camp.

Meanwhile, coach Evgenia Eliseeva and All-Russian Board of Judges member Zlata Tulubaeva noted the nuances of the element's execution technique.

During training in Novogorsk, the Olympic champion noticed that Volgograd's Yana Zaikina's ball routine lacked a pirouette into a back balance after rising from the floor, even though the gymnast had all the makings of it.

The Olympic champion demonstrated an interesting catch. The video also features an example of an unusual boomerang!

Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva suggested changing Yana Zaikina's catch on the risk with a ribbon from Volgograd to catch it in a Kudryavtseva element. She also demonstrated how to logically achieve the skill.

The Olympic champion focused on throwing technique and the speed of the element. She then showed the gymnast the best movement to catch the apparatus.

Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva showed Yana Zaikina from Volgograd how to wrap the ball around her routine to keep her movements from becoming static.

They discussed how Masha competed at the tournament and reached peak form, as well as what she needs to work on in her new routines. The gymnast also gave Alina Kabaeva a bracelet as a keepsake!