Contests, festivals, tournaments

From November to April our girls had a lot of musical contests in which they participated. The twins were playing flutes with their group of girls and took second place in the international festival .

Here they are goofing around on the piano  in their classroom while waiting for the results.

With their group and their teacher, Bayan Beketovna.

On stage receiving the award.

 Veronika and Polina formed a duet which they called Americano and performed at a Russian Talent Festival where they also took second place in the string instruments category with a Sting's song "Shape of My Heart".

Showing off their certificate

 Later they played and sang the same song at the National Contest for young guitarists and won "Judges' Choice" award.

Polina and Sophia took a carving class for the last two years, and this spring their work ended up at some contest as well.

Polina's spoon in the shape of a parrot.

Sophie's spoon with a tree branch and a ladybug.

 At the beginning of March our figure skating coach texted me that all of our girls are urgently needed for the Opening Ceremony of the International Youth Hockey Tournament. So, our girls and a few others from their synchronized figure skating team went. Some girls were leading teams out on the ice, and others were carrying flags of the countries of the participating teams (there were teams from Belorussia, Slovakia, China, Kazakhstan, and two teams from Russia). The girls only had two practices (just like about everything in Kazakhstan, it was a last minute deal) but did very well.

Waiting for the practice to start.

Getting instructions from the tournament organizers in the biggest hockey areana in the country.

Before the Opening Ceremony. The girls in purple t-shirts were the ones leading the hockey teams on the ice (Sophie is second from the left, Lina is fith, and Lexa is last), and the ones in national costumes were carrying the flags.

Flag bearers. Nika is in the national Slovak costume.

The teams were coming out of this big snow lepard (a mascot for the national hockey team).  You can see Lexa there in a purple shirt who was the first one out with her team from Russia who ended up taking the first place in the tournament.

There is Sophie with her team from Slovakia (in blue) and Nika carrying their flag.

Nika

Lina with her team from Kazakhstan (also in blue)

In front of Barys Hockey Arena