Millions of mothers around the world are desperate for their daughters to succeed in ballet or gymnastics. But in Russia, it’s a national obsession. The daily stretching, the workouts, the jumping on pointe shoes—all are painful and exhausting routines for young girls, but generations of moms have not eased up, just as their own mothers did not allow them to give up.
OP-ED
Anna Nemtsova: Moms selling photos of young ballerinas online
A ballerina performs in front of a group of tourists at Hotel National in central Moscow on March 10, 2021.
