The class began by the main pool, early enough for the island to still feel quiet.

Mats were placed around the water. The music came later. Before that, there was just movement being prepared for, bodies warming up, and the kind of focus that changes the mood of a space quickly.

At Villa Nautica, Ildar Gaynutdinov led a morning dance masterclass that brought a different rhythm to the resort.

Ildar Gaynutdinov is a Moscow-born dancer and choreographer known for his work with MuzArts and the Russian Dance Theater of Alla Dukhova “Todes”, as well as appearances on major dance competitions and international stages.

His career moves across stage, television and choreography.

He won the eighth season of Everybody Dance! on Ukraine’s STB TV channel in 2015, later choreographed the show’s ninth season, and reached the finals of Dances on Russia’s TNT network in 2017. He has also appeared at World of Dance Polska, Dance Revolution and the Eurovision Song Contest.

That background gave the session a clear sense of discipline.

It was not just a poolside activity. It felt closer to a class led by someone used to performance, timing and detail.

The masterclass combined stretching, movement and dance-based exercises, allowing guests of different levels to take part in a guided session shaped by Ildar Gaynutdinov’s performance background.

The session moved gradually.

It began with stretching, then shifted into movement exercises that asked for more control. Nothing felt rushed. However, the class still carried energy, especially as participants became more comfortable with the pace.

For beginners, it offered a way in. For those with more experience, there was enough technique to stay engaged.

That balance mattered.

The class did not rely on spectacle. Instead, it used the setting lightly, letting the pool, morning air and open space sit around the movement rather than overwhelm it.

Villa Nautica’s main pool setting gave the masterclass an open, social atmosphere, matching the resort’s more active and lifestyle-led character.

Villa Nautica works well for this kind of event because the island has movement built into it.

The pool is not hidden away. It sits at the centre of the day, close to where guests naturally gather. Because of that, the masterclass felt visible without feeling staged.

It also matched the resort’s mood.

Villa Nautica is not the quietest island in the collection, and it does not try to be. Its energy comes from dining, water, music, activity and people moving between spaces. A dance class at the pool made sense there.

By the end, the space had changed.

What began as a quiet morning beside the pool became something more physical, more focused, and more alive.

For Villa Nautica, it was a small reminder that island life does not always have to move slowly. Sometimes it just needs a beat.