2006 Photo Contest, Arts and Entertainment, 1st prize
Photographer

Åsa Sjöström

13 June, 2005

Irina Bogdan (16) has been training for eight years and is one of the few students that the teacher thinks will succeed as a professional dancer.

The Theater of Opera and Ballet School is a scene of fierce competition. Moldova is one of the poorest countries in Europe, and many young people see ballet as a means to wealth and foreign travel. Twelve boys and twelve girls aged around eight are accepted into a ballet class every year. They stay for nine years, training a minimum of five hours a day in addition to normal lessons. Each year numbers in the class diminish, as those not considered talented enough are no longer allowed to continue.

About the photographer

Åsa Sjöström

Photojournalist Åsa Sjöström was born in 1976 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Her work is social documentary, with a focus on women and children. Her photographic work has received first ...

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