The Russian method: Alexandra Gérard's legacy

Behind the Atelier du Mouvement lies an exceptional training: that of Alexandra Gérard, nurtured by the Russian school of ballet. What that changes for the pupils.

Training at the source

Behind the Atelier du Mouvement lies an exceptional training. Alexandra Gérard, State-qualified, trained at the Moscow Choreographic Institute, with Margarita Smirnova, a prima ballerina of the Bolshoi. Training at the source of the Russian school is not a line on a CV: it is receiving directly, from a dancer who lived it at the very highest level, a standard and a way of doing things that pass only from person to person. Discover her full path, which also took in the studio of Carolyn Carlson, a great figure of contemporary dance.

What is the Russian school?

The Russian school of ballet is renowned the world over for its rigour and the elegance it produces. It rests on clear principles: impeccable placement, precision of gesture, a cultivated musicality, a keen sense of line and of the carriage of the head. Nothing is left to chance, nothing is rushed. This tradition has trained some of the greatest dancers in history, and its reputation comes down to one thing: it builds foundations of rare solidity, on which everything else can rest.

What the method brings to pupils

This tradition puts the emphasis on fundamentals built in order, without haste. You advance step by step, you consolidate before adding. It is demanding, sometimes slow, but that is precisely what gives dancers a reliable technique and a fine stage presence. These qualities serve not only in ballet: a pupil trained this way will learn modern jazz or contemporary far faster, because their body already knows how to place itself, listen to the music and hold itself.

Rigour in the service of pleasure

High standards do not rhyme with severity. At the Atelier du Mouvement, this rigour is never an end in itself: it serves the joy of dancing and the flourishing of each pupil. Constraint, rightly understood, does not confine, it frees. It is because you master your footing that you can then dare, interpret, give yourself over to the movement. Pupils are not drilled, they are guided, at their own pace, towards greater freedom. Kindness and high standards advance together.

From beginner to competition

This transmission benefits everyone, whatever the starting point. The beginner finds a clear, reassuring framework; the experienced pupil, endless scope to refine their technique. For those who want to go further, the school prepares dancers for competitions in ballet and modern jazz, and offers a competition class by audition. The same high standards, adapted to each person's wishes and ambitions.

A standard that reassures parents

For a family looking for a school, the teacher's training is the surest criterion. A State-qualified teacher trained at the source does not simply have pupils repeat steps: they know the child's anatomy, know at what age to introduce each difficulty, and never expose a young body to a premature movement. Going onto pointe, for example, is only considered around age 11 or 12, after assessment. It is this informed caution, as much as the prestige of the Russian school, that makes such training valuable.

Enjoying it in Nantes

This heritage is within reach on the rue des Perrines, in the east of Nantes, on an Allegro Harlequin floor built to the standards of the Paris and London opera houses. Whether you are a curious beginner or an experienced dancer, from the youngest age to adulthood, you can discover it in ballet. The first taster lesson is free, all year round. It is the best way to feel, right from the barre, what makes this school special.