In an old ballet studio in the provincial town of Ulyanovsk, twenty young girls are lining up in bikinis.
Each of them, age eight to 18, dreams of living the glamorous life of an international model.
The lucky ones were told to step forward, the not-so-lucky stood crestfallen at the back.
After a successful audition, Dasha heads home hopeful.
Her family lives in the simplest of homes surviving on 20,000 roubles a month, or approximately 650 US dollars. Dasha's opportunity inspires her mother Lidya to dream of a better life.
Lidya Shurmakina, mother of aspiring model, said, "Of course we want her to become more financially independent. If she decides to help us out - great. It would be a helpful addition to our family budget."
But the pursuit of fame and fortune is only the bright side of the story.
Ruslana Korshunova is originally from the Republic of Kazakhstan. She strutted the runways for Marc Jacobs, Nina Ricci, and DKNY. In 2005, British Vogue hailed her as "a face to be excited about."
Then one day she committed suicide due to extreme weight loss, being overworked, and a desire to leave the industry.
But still, young Russian girls dream of the glamorous jetsetting lifestyle of a model.
