Video

Together with coach and judge Laura Acosta from Mexico, the Russian national team's group exercise gymnasts from St. Petersburg worked on the accents in their five-ball routine.

Academy coaches and judges Ekaterina Lots and Olga Minigalina reviewed Masha's ball routine in detail. Watch our video to see the details in artistry and execution the experts helped to refine!

Every unnecessary movement wastes time and disrupts the rhythm of the routine. Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva showed the Russian national group team from St. Petersburg how to transition immediately into an exchange right after catching the ball. A few repetitions — and the combination becomes noticeably cleaner.

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.