A class act: in the studio with dancers from the Bolshoi Ballet

Hundreds of people entered our competition to win the chance to spend a morning watching dancers from the Bolshoi ballet at work in the studio. We had 12 winners (listed below) and six of them, plus guests, took up their prize on Wednesday (28th July). Some of them were fresh from seeing the company perform Serenade and Giselle the night before ( read the Guardian's review here ), while others were looking forward to the following evening's triple bill that included Petrushka They were met at the stage door by Judith Mackrell, dance critic for the Guardian. After a quick cappuccino in the coffee bar (complete with temporary signs in Russian to make life easier for the visiting company), it was off to the studio, five floors above the stage, where they took their seats beside the grand piano. As the dancers drifted into class, Judith explained the importance of how a ballet class is structured and the role the ballet mistress and pianist both play in shaping it. As she said in her recent article about the company : "As the dancers perform in cities as far apart as Hong Kong, Turin and New York, the daily ritual of class and rehearsal provides a crucial constant in their whirling lives. And it's as much in the studio as on stage that you can see the traditions of the company in action." Class begins with a warm up at the barre... Then a short rest... Before moving on to some floor work... And at the end, a final stretch out. Almost an hour after it started, class was over and the dancers (and Extra members!) made way for rehearsals with the company's artistic director Yuri Burlaka. Afterwards, we got some reaction from our winners: "It was a unique opportunity to see their morning class, and to see them working close-up in the studio was just fantastic." "Thank you very much for the opportunity to see the Bolshoi class. We both really enjoyed it. " "I absolutely loved it, thank you!" "You were able to see how much hard work goes into it, it's not all about glamour." "It was a brilliant morning and a real thrill for both of us to have such a fantastic opportunity. Much appreciated!" The winners are: Sarah Wall Janet Scott Jennifer Lewin Scott Mathews Colin Timmins Sheilagh Murray Charlotte Mason Jennifer Eeeley Louisa Trivett Charlotte Leeson Chris Garratt Louise Dominian