Russian dance festival at Music Academy on Jan. 24

The group will perform 21 pieces

The Russian dance festival will be held at The Music Academy on January 24, from 7 p.m. The performance, by 14 dancers of the Diamant folk-dance studio, will mark the 19th anniversary of the dance festival, organised by the Russian Cultural Centre.

Maria Trofimova is the director of the folk-dance studio that will perform 21 pieces, including Singa penne from the film Bigil . “Troupes from Russia usually come to the State every January. The artistes are all in the 14-21 age group, and wear costumes that weigh 800kg during the 90-minute-long performance,” said P. Thangappan of the Russian Cultural Centre.

Among the pieces to be presented are

Lezginka , a folk dance of Turkey and the Caucasus;

Narnari , a mainly female Georgian dance; and

Russian Army, in which a pike, used by the Cossacks to fight invaders, is used.

Ms. Trofimova, who has taught dance to students in the U.S. and Russia, will perform a song titled

Tree .

Nadezhda Khromova, the soloist , will perform at least two pieces — Snow Maiden, a combination of an American Christmas song, and Nikiya , from the ballet La Bayadere.

The group will also perform in Coimbatore, Sivakasi, Madurai and Ariyalur. Tickets to the show are priced at ₹300 and ₹500 each, and can be bought at the Russian Cultural Centre. For details, contact Mr. Thangappan: 9962596501.