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Ballet star of future steps out in Russia

Emilene White
15/ 8/2007

DUKINFIELD teenager Rachel Hernon is flying high after returning from her first year at a famous Russian ballet school.

Handpicked last year by a top Russian teacher, it's been a fairytale existence since she first flew out to Perm State Ballet School to take the three-year course.

The academy dates back to 1870 and has a reputation as one of the most demanding in the world.

Rachel, 18, is one of just two English girls in her year.

"I've always wanted to go to Russia and I've been at ballet school since I was 11, so I was very excited to be asked," she said. Rachel previously studied at Birmingham's Elmhurst School for Dance and has been taught by such luminaries as Irek Mukhamedov from the Bolshoi and London's Royal Ballet.

Training at the Russian school was "very tough", she said.

In the morning she and the 30 other foreign students get to grips with learning Russian, along with the usual academic subjects.

Then in the afternoon it's dance lessons and rehearsals, often until 9pm.

Rachel gets just one day off a week, which she spends walking along the Kama River or visiting the theatre or ballet.

And not only does she have to contend with gruelling hours, but also a different diet and extremes of temperature.

While she enjoys the Russian food, which consists of "a lot of cabbage and beetroot", temperatures of -40C in the winter are a little harder to get used to.

It gets so cold eyelashes freeze and pupils are not allowed to attend the school if it drops below -28C.

Mum and dad Janet, 50, and Brian, 53, of Maurice Close say they are incredibly proud of her.

"It's been hard because we do miss her, but it's what she wants to do," said Brian.

Janet added: "It just goes to show that if you work hard and you're ambitious things can fall into place and Rachel is proof of that."

When she's more than 2,200 miles away from home, Rachel admits it can get a little lonely. "It's really difficult, but the Russian kids are lovely. They've really accepted us."

The school's deputy director Gogolev Lilija said: "Rachel is a good student and well brought up by her parents, who are owed huge thanks for the good education of their daughter. She has made real progress in her training at Perm and is a diligent schoolgirl with a good character.

"I think when she finishes at our school she will be an excellent ballerina."