RIO DE JANEIRO, February 11. /TASS/. Russian female dancer Yuliana Titaeva will participate in the samba schools parade at the carnival in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro for the second year a row.

"[The Rio de Janeiro Carnival] is my Olympic Games. I will go there whilst I have an opportunity to be there," Titaeva told TASS on Saturday.

The official opening ceremony of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival took place on Friday, February 9. The parade of competing samba schools is a traditional highlight of the festival.

Titaeva, the only Russian dancer at the Rio Carnival last year and this year, participates in the festival as part of the Portela samba school, which won the samba parade last year.

"The issue is not in participating once and winning. This is a continuous process of growth and this is an extra experience for me. Furthermore, how could I miss the carnival," Titaeva said.

Winners of the samba schools parade will be announced this year on February 14. The six schools getting the highest marks will show their skills once again at the "Winners’ Parade" on February 17.