What was the mood like for the young athletes and their parents as they arrived for the new free early development groups auditions at the Alina Kabaeva Sky Grace Rhythmic Gymnastics Academy?

During a control training session at the Zhemchuzhina Central Gymnastics Center, Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva and Russia’s Honored Coach Natalia Lashchinskaya advised Mariia Borisova from St. Petersburg on how to more accurately time her ribbon routine to the music.

The athletes talked about familiar elements they saw on stage, which ballet legends they know, and whether they could imagine themselves performing a part in a ballet.

Diana Kotlovskaya from St. Petersburg acts as our correspondent. The gymnast will take you on a tour through the halls of the Minsk Rhythmic Gymnastics Palace and show you everything that usually stays off-camera.

Together with Academy coach Olesya Kovaleva, gymnast Jojo Tawinun from Thailand is working on her expressiveness: adding fluidity, accents, and freedom of movement.

Following the control run-throughs, Academy judges Olga Minigalina, Ekaterina Lots, Olga Frolova, and Zlata Tulubaeva evaluated the gymnasts' performances. The specialists explained why it is important to project energy to the spectators and judges, how the presentation affects the overall impression, and what technical nuances require attention to avoid losing points. Honored Coaches of Russia Veronika Shatkova and Inna Bystrova also took part in the training session.

During the training session, Honored Coach of Russia and national team choreographer Veronika Shatkova helps the gymnasts work on their lines, shoulder and arm positioning, expressive gaze, and smile — the details that make a performance truly alive and artistic.

Under the guidance of their coaches, the gymnasts worked with clubs and ribbons.

During the control training session, Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva noted the progress made by the Russian national group exercise team from St. Petersburg in their ball routine and shared warm memories of her choreography classes with Honored Coach of Russia Veronika Shatkova.

During the control training, Ekaterina Lots, Olga Frolova, Olga Minigalina, and the coaches analyzed the Russian national team's run-through in detail. The judging panel highlighted one of the most important elements of the composition — the accents, which must be clearly visible during the performance.

A video featuring Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva, fans, coaches, choreographers, and judges.

During the control training session at the Zhemchuzhina Center of Rhythmic Gymnastics, Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva spoke with Mariia Borisova from St. Petersburg about how important it is to divide attention across every aspect of the routine, never forgetting either the artistry or the technical component.

During the control training session ahead of the World Championships, our gymnasts received very special support — young spectators in the stands cheered for Mariia Borisova from St. Petersburg and the Russian national group exercise team.

They explored the exhibition and learned interesting facts about the history of the sport.

During the training session of Maria Borisova from St. Petersburg, Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva, together with judges Olga Minigalina, Olga Frolova, and Natalya Lashchinskaya, reviewed the execution of her risk with a ball. After several successful attempts, Masha received another assignment — to perform the risk one more time, but this time for herself, in order to lock in the feeling of the correct execution.

Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva, together with coaches Irina Gusarova, Natalya Lashchinskaya, and Olga Minigalina, gave Mariia Borisova from St. Petersburg tips on how to better feel the music during her routine. However, the judges' opinions were divided on one of the elements, so she had to perform it one more time. Watch the video to see if Masha managed to convince the strictest judge — her personal coach, Irina Gusarova.