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from Park Cities People February 2023

by People Newspapers

Senior Living

A RUSSIAN PRIMA BALLERINA’S TEXAS TALE

Olga Pavlova trains young dancers at The Dallas Conservatory

CLOCKWISE: Summer Brown, Anna Funakura, Avonlea Hilton, and Sophia Rose-Centurioni won first place in ensemble in the 2022 Regional Youth America Grand Prix in Dallas. Former Pavlova Professional Coaching student Anna Funakura is a trainee with the European School of Ballet in Amsterdam. Summer Brown, a Youth America Grand Prix ambassador and multiple international ballet competitions winner, is a San Francisco Ballet paid trainee. Avonlea Hilton is a Pavlova Professional Coaching student. Olga Pavlova.

RHI LEE, COURTESY YAGP, MARLEN ALIMANOV, SHELLEY DALEBOUT

By Josh Hickman

Special Contributor

One might wonder what a former prima ballerina for the Bolshoi Ballet is doing teaching in a private studio in Dallas.

The famed Olga Pavlova, a former principal dancer in the Imperial Russian Ballet and the Moscow Classical Ballet, eventually found her way to Dallas via her art.

“In 2003, I made a big leap across the ocean, and I stayed,” Pavlova explained, recalling how she accepted a contract from the now-defunct Metropolitan Classical Ballet. “I love it here.”

She was at a turning point in her professional career as a prima ballerina, which lasted an astonishing 30 years.

“All professional ballet instruction in Russia begins at 10 years old,” the Moscow native said, though she started ballet lessons at 6.

Having traveled to more than 50 countries with touring companies, Pavlova had visited the U.S. many times before her move.

She recently declined a job offer due to several circumstances, but the deciding factor was a relocation.

Education is the best investment, and I think classical ballet is one of the best things for young girls to study. Olga Pavlova

“I love Texas,” she said. “I love Dallas.”

Pavlova began teaching at The Dallas Conservatory in 2013, for which she choreographed the first Nutcracker.

Six years ago, she started teaching a private group in the mornings.

“Some students look for a big school with many resources,” she noted. “Those who are looking for private, elite, worldclass training are coming to me.”

She began her solo Pavlova Professional Coaching in 2020 and, during the pandemic, actually gained students. “I had already taught on Zoom, so I was prepared.”

Via Zoom, some dancers received coaching from as far away as Austria, France, and Australia. Now that in-person training has resumed, dancers still seek her mentorship — some coming from Austin and California.

“I work not on quantity but on the quality, the quality of each individual student,” she said. “In a big school, your teachers can change often, sometimes every day. But for a solid foundation for a future career, I think one teacher is better.”

One of her students was recently recruited by the San Francisco Ballet as a paid trainee, while two others were accepted as trainees in Amsterdam.

Preparing students for the Youth America Grand Prix is a priority. Part of a global competition, its judges are the heads of prestigious ballet companies.

“Students who win get contracts, and the younger ones can get scholarships from the really big schools,” Pavlova said. “It’s a big deal for the little ones and a great opportunity for them to make a step forward.”

She also imparts her knowledge of ballet history, music history, costuming, and acting, giving her students a firm foundation for a life on the stage. Her class is only four students at present, all in their middle teens, though the age range can be 12 to 17.

“My doors are open,” Pavlova said of the future. “I would be happy to see more clients who are ready to be committed. My students trust me, and their parents trust me. It’s important for the parents to support the students. And they see the results.

“Education is the best investment, and I think classical ballet is one of the best things for young girls to study.”

AT A GLANCE

Pavlova Professional Coaching The Dallas Conservatory, 7979 Inwood Road, Unit 201 pavlovaballet@yahoo.com www.pavlovaballet.com Insta DM: @olga.pavlova.ballet

HP Grad Talks Cadet Experiences

By Chloe Ching

People Newspapers

McClain Matter isn’t a typical “Yuk” (West Point slang for “sophomore”).

The U.S. Military Academy cadet has already spent four years in college.

The Highland Park High School grad spent one year at Purdue University and then another at Vanderbilt University before turning his focus to duty, honor, and country on the West Point, New York campus. “A lot of people go to West Point and never get to experiMcClain Matter COURTESY ence regular college, but I have, so I don’t have any regrets because I get to look at and compare both experiences,” Matter said.

His grandfather served in World War II, and his father served in Vietnam. Continuing this tradition of service, though, was anything but simple.

The application process includes a nomination from a member of Congress and a fitness test in addition to the standard, rigorous college application that consists of academics, leadership, and essays.

“My family has a history of military service, so I thought it would be a very rewarding experience,” Matter said.

He noted that the culture of West Point pushes students to form deeper relationships as they constantly interact with one another.

“I’m always around my three roommates, so it makes you closer to people than you could have ever been,” Matter said.

With 17 career options for cadets to consider, Matter aspires to go into military intelligence, but that decision must wait until his senior year. That’s when cadets are evaluated and assigned based on their applications and the needs of the U.S. Army.

“West Point has made me more open to challenging experiences,” Matter said. “And that carries into my everyday life.”

Cadets face a packed, busy schedule with more tasks than seem possible.

A typical day starts at 6:30 a.m. and might not end until midnight or once studying concludes.

“West Point will teach you to fail,” Matter said.

On a campus filled with students who received straight A’s and served as team captains in high school, cadets must learn how to cope with not being the fittest person or always getting the highest grade, Matter said. “Everyone is always giving their best at everything, so the competition is really fun.”

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