On the stage of SSU Bldg. 10, a gala concert of the Debut contest was held. The results were summed up in all sections – Dancing, Singing, Drama, Instrumental Performance, Magic, and Media. The audience also saw the best performances and the director's production of the SSU Student Club.
The concert started with a clowning item of Varvara Ananyeva (the Institute of Philology and Journalism) and a promo video of the Debut with a dancing battle by Anastasia Pleshakova (the Institute of Philology and Journalism), the Charming Dolls group (the Faculty of Law), and the All dance group (the Faculty of Economics). The hosts of the evening were Mikhail Zhikharev (the Faculty of Economics) and Arina Kobenko (the Institute of Philology and Journalism).
‘It is the first concert of a new generation. The freshmen who will continue our traditions will take the stage. About 500 students have taken part in the competition, and about 100 of them will receive their awards. Today, new stars will be born!’ Director of the Student Club Mark Pinkhasik addressed the guests and participants of the event and wished them good luck.
Margarita Rybakova (Miss SSU-2023, the Faculty of Psychology), Mikhail Musaelyan (an actor of the Paribashte, the Institute of Chemistry), Anna Chernysheva (a member of the Meridian, the Faculty of Psychological, Pedagogical, and Special Needs Education), and Diana Mingazova (the 2022 Student of the Year, the Faculty of Law) appeared on the stage. None of them understood how they had got there, but the character from the Saw movie from the screen said that they would have to perform together, which had not yet been on the Debut, and they decided to prepare it.
Meanwhile, the concert was gaining its momentum. Polina Yelkhavenkova (the Institute of Arts) performed a dance in the Art Nouveau style, Polina Ulupova (the Institute of Philology and Journalism) demonstrated her folk singing, the audience was immersed in a drama performance about Alexander Pushkin (staged by Vitalii Ageyenkov).
Then, Nikita Yermakov (the Faculty of Law) sang the Far Away song, Maria Sizonenko (the Faculty of Psychology) recited her poem, and the Fateful Crew group (the Institute of Arts and the Faculty of Law) performed a dance to NCT DOJAEJUNG’s song entitled Perfume.
Alongside the performance items, the audience followed the story of four activists who were preparing a new performance. They wanted to come up with an idea that would appeal to both Arts Director Mikhail Vinogradov, Deputy Director of the club Alexander Yefimov, and Director of the Student Club Mark Pinkhasik himself. But the activists understood that it was impossible to please everyone.
And again, creative groups and solo performers were on stage. The audience enjoyed how Albert Stepanyan (the Institute of Arts), the duet of Marina Gaifulina and Veronika Frolova (the Institute of Philology and Journalism), as well as Lily Erokhina sang. The Dancing Suite pleased the guests with a mix of different styles in one choreographic performance.
Plasticity and dynamism, a sense of rhythm and expression were shown one after another by the BAD GUYS group (the Institute of Sports and Physical Training and the Institute of Physics), the ballroom duet of Alexander Mezhonov (the Faculty of Economics) and Valeria Leontyeva (the Faculty of Psychological, Pedagogical, and Special Needs Education). The song Madonna was sung by Irina Plotnikova (the Institute of Arts).
The awarding of the prize-winners of the contest began with the instrumental performance section. The head of the COOLK!DS vocal and instrumental band and the THERE bard band, and the sound designer of the Student Club Norair Petrosyan noted the best. The media workers were awarded by the head of the Great Media Club production, a multiple winner of the Saratov Student Spring in the Media section Roman Isayev.
The participants of the Drama and Magic sections were honoured by Director of the Experiments Territory Svetlana Titova. The best in the Singing section were congratulated by the head of the Time folk stylisation studio, the winner of the 2023 Saratov Student Spring Daria Panakshina. The head of the Look at Them modern dance group Elizaveta Tyabina presented the coveted awards to the prize-winners of the Dancing section. Find the full list of awardees here.
The pay-off was close. The team of activists understood that each of them had already achieved something in the creative student life, however, as the key figures and the original hosts of the event, the participants made their debut only today. It turned out that it was the task. An on-screen character – Billy doll from the Saw movie – came on stage. Vitalii Ageyenkov (the costume designer of the Student Club) hid under the mask. On that day, he himself also acted as a cultural event organiser.
In the end, the students showed a performance (directed by Mikhail Vinogradov) about the motivation and determination to participate in the Debut creative contest. Traditionally, the audience was loudly applauding loud applause while all the groups, bands, and other performers who took part in the gala concert went on the stage. For many of them, it was not just the first university concert, but the beginning of a new stage of life, inextricably connected with the SSU Student Club.
