Meet Max Nedolechko

20.07.2019

Meet Max Nedolechko

This name is familiar to every member of the NucKids project. Max is a brilliant dancer and the best friend of the children. Following his advice many of the project participants decided to dedicate their lives to the stage and went to study choreography in colleges and univesities.

“When I was choosing which road to take after the 9th grade, Max suggested I try out for an arts degree and study choreography. I decided to follow his advice, because I have long wanted to dance and stage performances as good as Max does”, says Vladimir Khalturin, participant of Nuckids 2015, 2016, 2017, and a team leader of Nuckids 2019.

For 25 years Max has been working with children, staging choreographic performances for Junior Eurovision, Muz-TV, Golden Gramophone, MUSICBOX, and other awards. He is one of the founders and leaders of the StreetJazz dancing group. He has worked with many Russian pop stars, such as Philip Kirkorov, Christina Orbakayte, A-Studio, Fabrika, and Hands Up. A year ago Max opened his own dance school “Not Just Dancing.”

Among other things, Max is the choreographer and tutor of the project. Every day he has close contact with the participants and like no one else knows that “Nuckids is the best project in the world” (quote from a song).

Why are you coming to the project for the tenth time?

Nuclear Kids isn’t just a project for me any longer. It’s one big family. Every year its members look forward to meeting each in order other to create something new. For the past 9 years, I’ve spent my summer at the project instead of vacation, and I’ve never come back home tired, as it happens after normal work. I come full of energy, positive emotions and joy. After all, the emotions that overwhelm the audience when we are on our tour with the show are worth all the work done.

Max, what’s charging you at the project?

It is the kids’ energy and the idea of creating something completely new. Thanks to sincere emotions and desire to work, we create a musical that gathers a lot of spectators during the tour. And what’s most important – we do it in such a short period of time. All my colleagues and friends are always surprised when I tell them that we manage to stage a professional musical in just three weeks, year after year.

What do the kids teach you?

Even though I have been working with children for 25 years, every time I find new threads or new strings of their personalities, which then help me communicate with them. Each child is different, each has its own story, its own character, and its own opinion. And it is important to understand them all as separate creative human beings. Understanding each child allows you to involve everyone in the workflow. But you need to constantly be learning in order to get this feeling: train your thoughts daily to maintain professionalism and monitor the condition and mood of the children to set them up for work. That’s what the teacher’s profession consists of. But I don’t like to call myself a teacher. We go through fire and water together more like comrades or friends.

Do you keep in touch after the project ends each year?

Certainly. It’s simply impossible not to because there are many other events in addition to the summer project such as the Day of the Atomic Industry Worker, the Man of the Year Ceremony, the Winter Fairy Tale project. We meet regularly several times a year.

Do they come to you for advice?

Yes, and it happens regularly. Someone always calls, writes, and asks questions. Just recently I talked with the dancers about their participation in dance shows on Federal TV channels. Communication happens all the time, and it brings a lot of joy.

Who is more difficult to work with – adults or children?

Adults are much like children. They show their character and try to get attention as much as the children do. But it also depends on a person. I do not want to say that working with children is just fun. It is very difficult work. As I have already noted, each child is an individual with whom we learn to work. So they’re quite the same.

Why did you decide to open your own dancing school?

When you know how to do something well, you want to share your experience. I have always wanted to share my skills and knowledge with children, so I opened my own school. Everyone is welcome to join us in September!