As part of its programme to promote the Arts in Portugal, the Mirpuri Foundation organized a classical-dance Summer Course in Lisbon, with renowned ballet dancer Alla Shirkevich.
The aim of the course was to provide young hopefuls with training in classical Russian ballet. Students received training in dance theory, as well as practical tutoring, and around 70 dancers participate in both intermediate and elementary classes.
Alla Shirkevich was a student of the legendary Feya Balabina and graduated as a dancer at the Vaganova Academy of Leningrad in1965. After graduating, Alla became a dancer at the Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet in St Petersburg and, between1965 and 1985, performed solos in ballets such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, and the Blue Danube.In 1985 Alla became an assistant to Professor N. Kurgapkina at the Vaganova Academy, where she stayed until 1990, before leaving to take on a series of a principal dancer roles in Canada, Greece, Russia, Taiwan and Korea. After some years as a consultant to the Russian Ballet Company in St.Petersburg, Russia, Alla was invited, in 2012, to become a Master of Ballet at the National Theatre of Belgrade, in Serbia. Alla retains this position today, whilst also spending time teaching at schools in Sweden, Canada, South Korea, Greece, USA, China and Portugal.
