The Bolshoi in Brazil

In a studio near the Morro Alto River in southeastern Brazil, a group of children are in a dance class in the city of Joinville. Listening carefully, they follow the instructions as they stretch and prepare for their lesson. It looks like a normal dance class, except for one surprising difference. Their teachers are Russian, and they come from the world’s most famous dance company, the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow.

These students are at the Bolshoi Theater School. The students range in age from eight into their teens, and they practice their movements for hours every week. To study here requires true dedication. Some students sleep, eat, and go to school at the institution. It is a disciplined life, and all students wear the same black-and-white dance uniform.

If the students look confident, it is for a good reason. Only about 300 new students join the program every year. All applicants need to audition before they can enter the school. This is a question of ability, not money, because the majority come from low-income families. The Bolshoi gives these young hopefuls the chance of a lifetime. They get this opportunity because the school receives sponsorship from Brazilian businesses who want to establish a connection with this prestigious organization.

To many of us, it may seem strange that the school is in Joinville and not in a more obvious location like Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro. In fact, the school is here because the area has a long dance tradition. The city holds a major dance festival every July. The festival is over 30 years old, and it is now the biggest in South America. The Joinville school’s director is Brazilian, but he is also fluent in Russian, so it was easy to make connections with the Bolshoi’s directors in Moscow.

Running the school also has clear benefits for its Russian owners. The Bolshoi is more than a dance company. Over 200 years old, the Bolshoi has always been a major cultural presence in Russia. The word “Bolshoi” actually means “grand” in Russian, and the dance company also sees itself as an ambassador for Russian culture around the world. Opening a school in Brazil is just one way of developing close links with other countries. Dance uses no words, so it speaks an international language.

Look at the underlined words in the extract below:

‘The city holds a major dance festival every July.’

Choose the correct sentence with the same meaning.