Girls follow demonstrations by Albert Diep and Anastasia Milyachenko from the Ukrainian National Children's Ballet. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]

Girls aged 3 to 10 clad in pink leotards and pointe shoes pull themselves up as straight as they can in a bright dance studio lined with mirrors.

They're following demonstrations by 15-year-old Albert Diep and 13-year-old Anastasia Milyachenko, both from the Ukrainian National Children's Ballet.

Their teacher, Natalia Rzhevska, walks among them, raising their heads and adjusting the curves of their arms.

"I didn't expect Chinese children to be learning ballet at such a young age. They are thrilled at what they saw. They are aspiring dancers," Rzhevska says.

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