Apogee Provides Awards to Central Russia's Most Gifted Ballet Students and Instructors in Honor of the Region's Historic Artistic Traditions

Honoring Central Russia's historic artistic and educational traditions, Apogee is providing awards and scholarships to the region's most talented ballet students and instructors.

New York, London and Perm, March 9, 2007 (RNWire, eMediaWire, PRWeb, PressBox) - The Apogee Foundation today announced that it is providing five prestigious awards to the most promising dance talent from Central Russia in recognition of the region's historic artistic traditions. The Foundation has named as Apogee Merit Scholars the top male and female students at the Perm State Ballet School, Nikita Chetverikov and Anna Vysochina, and has additionally named Vadim Muntagirov, the top former student of Perm State, an Apogee World Scholar. Muntagirov is currently studying at the Royal Ballet School in London under the terms of his World Scholarship award. Apogee also has selected the top ballet student from Tajikistan, Mukhammad Azimov, to receive the Foundation's Regional Award entitled the Tajikistan Award for Excellence in the Performing Arts.

Sergey Chernayev teaching class at the Perm State Ballet School. Visible in the background of this 2005 photo are Nikita Chetverikov and Mukhammad Azimov (far left and far right), on their first day studying jumping technique with Chernayev. Click image to enlarge

Both Chetverikov and Azimov are students of Sergey Chernayev, who also was Muntagirov's instructor during the formative years of his training. During the eight years the Foundation has run award programs in Central Russia, Chernayev has produced over a dozen Apogee award laureates: more than any other instructor in the world. In recognition of his accomplishments, Apogee also has provided a special Achievement Award to Chernayev styled the Yoel Plakht Honorarium for Excellence in Education. This award is named in honor of Chernayev's own teacher: Yoel Plakht, who was Central Russia's leading ballet instructor for more than two decades.

Apogee Merit Scholarships are provided to students demonstrating extraordinary ability and promise of future distinction as performing artists, whereas Apogee World Scholarships are provided to students who beyond this demonstrate the potential for historic levels of achievement in their fields. Apogee's Regional Awards are provided to the most gifted performing arts students from designated geopolitical regions, and Apogee's Achievement Awards are provided to leading instructors and directors who have consistently enabled performing artists to achieve world class excellence.

Vadim Muntagirov received Apogee Merit Scholarships each year of training with Chernayev, and became the first Apogee World Scholar in Central Russia. Within a few months of being named a World Scholar, Muntagirov won four major international competitions and was named "Hope of Russia" by Natalya Makarova. Click image to enlarge

Apogee World Scholar Vadim Muntagirov said: "It was an honor to train with Mr. Chernayev, and I am grateful for Apogee's support of his work, his students, and the traditions he is passing on to future generations."

Apogee President Kenneth Schneider said: "Such a devoted instructor enabling such gifted students to achieve their potential exemplifies the traditions of excellence Apogee seeks to promote around the world. We congratulate them on being such worthy representatives of these ideals and such successful proponents of this mission."

For more information on Apogee Merit Scholarships and on Apogee's award programs in Perm, please see: http://www.apogeefoundation.org/awareness/
2005-2006/perm_awards_exchange.php

For more information on Apogee World Scholarships and on Vadim Muntagirov, please see: http://www.apogeefoundation.org/awareness/
2006-2007/apogee_world_scholars.php

For more information on Apogee's Regional Awards and on Mukhammad Azimov, please see: http://www.apogeefoundation.org/awareness/
2005-2006/regional_awards.php

About The Apogee Foundation ®
Now in its second decade of operations, Apogee is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the development of human excellence in the performing arts. The Foundation provides financial, preparatory, and promotional support to help gifted artists achieve their full potential and to showcase this potential on the world stage.

Click image to enlarge

Contact
Kenneth Schneider, President
1001 Avenue of the Americas, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10018-5460
The United States of America
+1.646.233.4350 or +1.888.APOGEE.8
Fax: +1.646.292.5101
www.ApogeeFoundation.org

Direct newswire links
RNWire: http://www.russianewswire.com/releases_headlines_details.php?id=9186
eMediaWire: http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2007/3/emw509936.htm
PRWeb: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/3/prweb509936.htm
PressBox (UK): http://www.pressbox.co.uk/detailed/Education/Apogee_Honors_the_Historic_
Ballet_Traditions_of_Central_Russia_with_Awards_for_Five_of_the_Region_s_107401.html