When people look at a dancer on stage, they see drive, movement, energy. But behind this are hours of rehearsals, muscle pain, constant warm-ups and absolute discipline. I have my own ritual of preparing for performances. And it is as clear as choreography.

Three days before going on stage, I completely change my diet: I remove sweets, fatty foods, dairy products. Only light proteins, complex carbohydrates and lots of water. My body should be light, flexible and not tired.
I go to bed early. It doesn’t matter if it’s a weekday or not — I need at least 8 hours of sleep so as not to switch off on stage.

Every morning — gentle stretching. I don’t push myself to the max, I just relax my muscles. The main thing is not to overexert myself.
The day before the performance — only light training. No sudden movements. Just warming up and marking the movements in my head. I even walk around the apartment, as if “living” the number — from the look to the final pose.

Before going on — ten minutes of silence. I just stand with my eyes closed and breathe. It’s like meditation. I say to myself: “You are ready. Your body knows everything.”

You are alone on stage. You can’t think about how you look. You just move. And at that moment everything disappears — worries, everyday life, the phone. Only the music and you.