"Arabesque", or "Russian Open Ballet Competition Arabesque named after Ekaterina Maximova", is an international dance contest held in Russia. Established in 1988, it is headed by Vladimir Vasiliev, a globally renowned ballet dancer, choreographer and former director of the famous Bolshoi Ballet. Best known across the world for his principal role in Spartacus, he has received the most prestigious dance awards of Russia, France, Italy, USA, Brazil and Japan.

Related: Ballet with a difference: Moiseyev Ballet mixes classical and folk dance

Over the years, the competition jury has included world-famous ballet stars. Since 1994, it has been held under the auspices of UNESCO. Every year, emerging talents from Russia and across the world take part in the competition to showcase their abilities and boost their budding careers.

In this episode, we meet contestants who hope to dance their way to victory. Anna and Ivan are partners both on stage and in life as they are a married couple. Marco is a son of a ballet dancer, striving to continue his family tradition. Hayato and his girlfriend Erica are from Japan. 14-year-old Anna and her dance partner Grigory are the youngest contestants in the adult competition. Although some of them dance in pairs, prizes will be awarded on an individual basis.

Watch this series in Russian