MIND THE GAP on Instagram: "The Vaganova Ballet Academy is widely regarded as one of the hardest ballet schools in the world to get into. Selection begins young, often around the age of ten, through auditions that assess physical structure, coordination, musicality, and long term potential. Many apply. Very few are accepted. Russia’s intensity around ballet explains why. Introduced in the imperial era as a symbol of power and modernity, ballet was later absorbed into national culture. Under the