Theater Studio
with Zhanna Sinelnik
with Zhanna Sinelnik
Explore acting through theater productions, sketches and stand-up, combined with choreography and stage movement.
Book a class 
Ages
10-17 years
Language
Russian
Schedule
Every Saturday
- 16:00-19:00
Prices
1-month pass: €90
About the Author
Zhanna Sinelnik
The Director and Creator of the Studio
Zhanna is a professional theatre and film director, educator, screenwriter and playwright, and the founder and director of the theatre studio.
She graduated from the Directing Department of VGIK (Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography), where she studied in the workshop of Professor Vadim Abdrashitov, and trained in acting methodology under V. P. Poglazov.
Zhanna has over 13 years of experience working with children and young performers in Moscow, Madeira, Lisbon and Cascais. Her work has been recognised at film and theatre festivals, and she is the founder of the Portugal’s largest Russian-speaking theatre community.
At the heart of her teaching is the belief that theatre gives children a space to explore, imagine, collaborate and express themselves freely. Through acting, improvisation and stage work, she helps students develop confidence, creativity and a deeper awareness of themselves and others.
She graduated from the Directing Department of VGIK (Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography), where she studied in the workshop of Professor Vadim Abdrashitov, and trained in acting methodology under V. P. Poglazov.
Zhanna has over 13 years of experience working with children and young performers in Moscow, Madeira, Lisbon and Cascais. Her work has been recognised at film and theatre festivals, and she is the founder of the Portugal’s largest Russian-speaking theatre community.
At the heart of her teaching is the belief that theatre gives children a space to explore, imagine, collaborate and express themselves freely. Through acting, improvisation and stage work, she helps students develop confidence, creativity and a deeper awareness of themselves and others.
BRIDGE THEATER STUDIO
A Space to Create, Connect and Belong
Bridge Theater Studio is a year-long theater program for teenagers in Cascais. It combines acting, stage speech, movement, improvisation, work with text and character, and the creation of a final performance.
The studio approaches theater as one connected practice rather than a set of separate subjects: the body influences the voice, the voice shapes thought, thought leads to action, and action is created through interaction with a partner.
The aim is to help teenagers become more confident, expressive and attentive — to themselves, to others and to what is happening around them — while learning to speak, listen, collaborate and take creative risks.
The studio approaches theater as one connected practice rather than a set of separate subjects: the body influences the voice, the voice shapes thought, thought leads to action, and action is created through interaction with a partner.
The aim is to help teenagers become more confident, expressive and attentive — to themselves, to others and to what is happening around them — while learning to speak, listen, collaborate and take creative risks.
A Place to Belong
For teenagers living through immigration, theater can become much more than an extracurricular activity.
Moving to another country often means adapting to a new school, language, social environment and circle of friends. The studio offers a space where teenagers can feel heard, where their language and experience matter, and where they can meet people with whom they share trust, creativity and a sense of belonging.
At the beginning of the year, particular attention is given to creating a safe and supportive group environment. Participants work on confidence, attention to one another, freedom of body and voice, and the ability to be themselves within the group.
Moving to another country often means adapting to a new school, language, social environment and circle of friends. The studio offers a space where teenagers can feel heard, where their language and experience matter, and where they can meet people with whom they share trust, creativity and a sense of belonging.
At the beginning of the year, particular attention is given to creating a safe and supportive group environment. Participants work on confidence, attention to one another, freedom of body and voice, and the ability to be themselves within the group.
What Participants Develop
Throughout the year, teenagers learn to feel more confident in front of an audience, use their voice and body more consciously, speak and tell stories expressively, and respond more freely to unexpected situations.
Theater also develops the ability to understand emotions, work with a partner, take responsibility for shared work, contribute ideas and experiment without being afraid of mistakes.
Because the work is varied, each participant can find their own way into theater — through words, movement, humor, music, observation, character or collaboration.
Theater also develops the ability to understand emotions, work with a partner, take responsibility for shared work, contribute ideas and experiment without being afraid of mistakes.
Because the work is varied, each participant can find their own way into theater — through words, movement, humor, music, observation, character or collaboration.
Stage Movement with Alexandra Syrova
Stage movement is taught by Alexandra Syrova, a contemporary dancer, choreographer and stage movement teacher. She has worked as a dance teacher in Moscow, performed in Vietnam and Egypt, and completed a two-year program in contemporary dance and performance before continuing her teaching practice in Portugal.
Her classes focus on coordination, body awareness, freedom of movement and individual expression, with particular attention to creating a supportive environment where each participant can feel free to express themselves.
Her classes focus on coordination, body awareness, freedom of movement and individual expression, with particular attention to creating a supportive environment where each participant can feel free to express themselves.
From Studio Work to a Real Performance
The year leads toward a final showing or theater performance at Espaço Aberto. The production is professionally directed, but participants also contribute to the creative process. Their observations, improvisations, personal experiences, ideas, music and visual suggestions may become part of the final work.
The aim is for teenagers not simply to perform assigned roles, but to feel that they have helped create the production.
Whenever possible, the final performance is presented not only to parents but also to a wider audience. A real stage and a real audience give participants an important experience of responsibility, overcoming stage nerves and completing a shared creative project.
The aim is for teenagers not simply to perform assigned roles, but to feel that they have helped create the production.
Whenever possible, the final performance is presented not only to parents but also to a wider audience. A real stage and a real audience give participants an important experience of responsibility, overcoming stage nerves and completing a shared creative project.
HOW THE STUDIO WORKS
A Typical Session
Each session lasts three hours. This gives teenagers time not only to complete exercises, but also to gradually enter a creative state, feel part of the group, experiment, make mistakes, discuss what happened and build on the result.
Every session follows a clear structure, although the exact content changes depending on the needs of the group and the current stage of work on the performance.
Arrival and focus. The class begins with a short group check-in: participants tune in, share how they are feeling, learn to listen to one another and leave school fatigue or anxiety outside the room.
Body, breath and voice. This is followed by physical, breathing and vocal exercises focusing on posture, coordination, freedom of movement, attention, diction and the sound of the voice.
Acting and improvisation. Participants work through acting exercises and games developing attention, partnership, reaction, trust, imagination and stage presence. Individual, pair and group improvisations help them respond to the unexpected, stay present on stage and find expressive solutions without being afraid of mistakes.
Text and reflection. In the second part of the session, the group works with texts, études, characters and scenes from the future performance. Each class ends with a short reflection on what worked, what was difficult and what participants noticed in themselves or in their partners.
This consistent structure creates a sense of safety, while the variety of tasks keeps the work engaging and allows each teenager to find their own way of being in theater — through words, movement, humor, music, character, observation or teamwork.
Every session follows a clear structure, although the exact content changes depending on the needs of the group and the current stage of work on the performance.
Arrival and focus. The class begins with a short group check-in: participants tune in, share how they are feeling, learn to listen to one another and leave school fatigue or anxiety outside the room.
Body, breath and voice. This is followed by physical, breathing and vocal exercises focusing on posture, coordination, freedom of movement, attention, diction and the sound of the voice.
Acting and improvisation. Participants work through acting exercises and games developing attention, partnership, reaction, trust, imagination and stage presence. Individual, pair and group improvisations help them respond to the unexpected, stay present on stage and find expressive solutions without being afraid of mistakes.
Text and reflection. In the second part of the session, the group works with texts, études, characters and scenes from the future performance. Each class ends with a short reflection on what worked, what was difficult and what participants noticed in themselves or in their partners.
This consistent structure creates a sense of safety, while the variety of tasks keeps the work engaging and allows each teenager to find their own way of being in theater — through words, movement, humor, music, character, observation or teamwork.
Areas of Practice
The program is broad and varied. Theater is not divided into isolated subjects, because on stage everything is connected: the body influences the voice, the voice influences thought, thought leads to action, and action is born through interaction with a partner.
Acting and stage speech. Participants work on attention, imagination, stage freedom, action, emotion, partnership and given circumstances, alongside breathing, diction, articulation, pace, intonation, logical emphasis, expressive reading and the meaning of a text.
Movement and improvisation. Stage movement develops physical expression, coordination, spatial awareness, rhythm and gesture. Improvisation teaches participants to react quickly, accept a partner’s offer, create a scene from a simple impulse and become less afraid of making mistakes.
Text, character and stage creation. Participants work with literary and dramatic texts, including analysis, subtext, conflict, monologue and dialogue. Character work includes observation, character traits, the biography of the role and its physical and vocal expression.
The program also introduces the basics of stage composition: how a scene is built through mise-en-scène, tempo, transitions, pauses and the audience’s attention. Collective creation may include études, personal stories, improvised scenes and original texts by participants.
Depending on the needs of the production, the work may also include elements of storytelling, stand-up, microphone work, musical theater or physical theater.
Acting and stage speech. Participants work on attention, imagination, stage freedom, action, emotion, partnership and given circumstances, alongside breathing, diction, articulation, pace, intonation, logical emphasis, expressive reading and the meaning of a text.
Movement and improvisation. Stage movement develops physical expression, coordination, spatial awareness, rhythm and gesture. Improvisation teaches participants to react quickly, accept a partner’s offer, create a scene from a simple impulse and become less afraid of making mistakes.
Text, character and stage creation. Participants work with literary and dramatic texts, including analysis, subtext, conflict, monologue and dialogue. Character work includes observation, character traits, the biography of the role and its physical and vocal expression.
The program also introduces the basics of stage composition: how a scene is built through mise-en-scène, tempo, transitions, pauses and the audience’s attention. Collective creation may include études, personal stories, improvised scenes and original texts by participants.
Depending on the needs of the production, the work may also include elements of storytelling, stand-up, microphone work, musical theater or physical theater.
How the Year Develops
The training follows a progression, but it is not rigid. The age and experience of the teenagers, the composition of the group and the material most relevant to the future production all influence the pace and direction of the work.
Building the group. At the beginning of the year, the main focus is on trust and creating a genuine theater community. Participants work on confidence, attention to one another, freedom of body and voice, and the right to be themselves within the group.
Moving into scene work. The process gradually develops into improvisation, interaction with a partner, études and stage situations. From there, participants move toward more detailed work with character, text, monologues and dialogues.
Creating the final performance. In the second half of the year, a significant part of the sessions is devoted to the production: choosing material, rehearsing, creating scenes and exploring characters, music, costumes and stage language.
Core training does not disappear during the rehearsal period. Voice, movement, acting exercises and improvisation continue to support and develop each participant all the way to the final performance.
Building the group. At the beginning of the year, the main focus is on trust and creating a genuine theater community. Participants work on confidence, attention to one another, freedom of body and voice, and the right to be themselves within the group.
Moving into scene work. The process gradually develops into improvisation, interaction with a partner, études and stage situations. From there, participants move toward more detailed work with character, text, monologues and dialogues.
Creating the final performance. In the second half of the year, a significant part of the sessions is devoted to the production: choosing material, rehearsing, creating scenes and exploring characters, music, costumes and stage language.
Core training does not disappear during the rehearsal period. Voice, movement, acting exercises and improvisation continue to support and develop each participant all the way to the final performance.
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