Local dancers, Sophia Allen, Melanie Anderson, Audrey Robinson, and Maddy Tucker of Kirkland recently visited St. Petersburg, Russia as part of a study and cultural tour hosted by the International School of Classical Ballet, where they are students. The dancers took classes at the Vaganova Ballet Academy and attended a performance at The Mariinsky Theatre. The Mariinsky is one of the world’s leading ballet companies and where Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker made its debut in 1892. The students also enjoyed touring St. Petersburg and experiencing the grandeur of the Russian Imperial Court and Russian cuisine.

The young dancers were part of a group of 13 students who study classical ballet as part of the International Ballet Theatre’s (IBT) professional development program. For more information on the International Ballet Theatre and its performances, visit www.interballettheatre.org,