The Vaganova (pronounced vah-GAH-naw-vah) Academy of Russian Ballet is a school of classical ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Established in 1738 during the reign of Empress Anna, the academy was known as the Imperial Ballet School up until Soviet times, when, after a brief hiatus, the school was re-established as the Leningrad State Choreographic Institute. In 1957, the school was renamed in honor of the renowned pedagogue Agrippina Vaganova, who cultivated the method of classical ballet training that has been taught there since the late 1920s. Graduates of the school include some of the most famous ballet dancers, choreographers and teachers in history and many of the world's leading ballet schools have adopted elements of the Vaganova method into their own training.

The Vaganova Academy is the associate school of the Mariinsky Ballet, one of the Worlds leading ballet companies. Students of the school are successful in achieving employment with ballet and contemporary companies worldwide, such as the Bolshoi Ballet, The Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and the Mikhailovsky Ballet.

History[link]

The school was established as the Imperial Theatrical School by decree of the Empress Anna on 4 May 1738 with the French Ballet Master Jean-Baptiste Lande as its director. The first classes occupied empty rooms in the Winter Palace in St Petersburg and the first students were twelve boys and twelve girls. The purpose of the school was to form Russia's first professional dance company, which lead to the formation of the Imperial Russian Ballet, the school becoming known as the Imperial Ballet School. The Imperial Russian Ballet is the direct predecessor of today's Mariinsky Ballet, which remains one of the worlds leading ballet companies to this day, with the Vaganova Academy as its associate school.

Nearly all the early teachers at the school were from Western Europe, including Franz Hilferding and Giovanni Canzianni. The first Russian teacher to join the school was Ivan Valberg. After the spread of ballet in Europe, the development of the school was influenced by a number of other teachers and methods, including Christian Johannson, a student of August Bournonville, and the Italian methods of Enrico Cecchetti, Pierina Legnani and Carlotta Brianza. Other renowned 19th century dancers and ballet masters who taught at and were influential in the development in the school include Charles Didelot, Jules Perrot, Arthur Saint-Léon, Lev Ivanov, Marius Petipa and Mikhail Fokine.

Since 1836 the school has been situated at 2 Rossi Street in St Petersburg. Following the upheaval of the Russian Revolution of 1917, St Petersburg was renamed Leningrad after the communist revolutionary Vladimir Lenin. The Imperial Ballet School was dissolved by the Soviet Government and later re-established on the same site, as the Leningrad State Choreographic School. The Imperial Russian Ballet was also dissolved as a result of the revolution and was re-established as the Soviet Ballet. The company was later renamed the Kirov Ballet following the assassination of the Bolshevic revolutionary Sergey Kirov in 1938. Despite later being given the current name Mariinsky Ballet, the company is still commonly known as the Kirov Ballet by the majority of Western audiences and the company still use the title Kirov Ballet when touring internationally.

Vaganova[link]

Agrippina Vaganova brought perhaps the most important developments in modern Russian Ballet. She graduated from the former Imperial Ballet School in 1897 and danced with the Imperial Ballet, retiring from the stage early to pursue her teaching career following the Russian revolution. As the Soviet Government had not yet re-established the school at that time, Vaganova began her teaching career at the privately owned School of Russian Ballet eventually joining the new Leningrad State Choreographic School in 1920. Vaganova was to become possibly the most renowned ballet teacher of all time and is most noted for authoring "The Principles of Classical Dance", which outlines the training system which she created and which heads the list of numerous works produced by teachers of the school.

Vaganova's students would become some of the most famous ballet dancers of all time and in recognition of her achievements, the school was named in her honour in 1957, six years after her death. There are a number of variations in the name of the school, but the official title in current use in the English speaking world is Vaganova Ballet Academy.

Today[link]

Overview[link]

The Vaganova Academy has over 300 students. Like other similar institutions, competition for a place at the school is very fierce with over 3,000 children auditioning each year, 300 of these being from St. Petersburg. Approximately 60 students are selected annually, with some 25 eventually graduating from the school having completed the full course of training. The school employs approximately 75 dance teachers, 30 piano teachers, 40 academic teachers and 40 accompanists. The Director of the school is Leonid Nadirov and the Artistic Director is former Kirov Ballet dancer and choreographer Altynai Asylmuratova.

Auditions[link]

Auditions for the school begin in June and children must be at least 10 years old to apply.

The audition process is divided into three sections.

• Aptitude: to assess the candidate's proportions, height of jump, degree of turnout and general appearance etc.
• Physical: an examination by a specialist medical practitioner to assess the physiological possibilities of the candidate
• Artistic: to assess the candidate's musicality, rhythm, co-ordination and artistic talent

Training[link]

All students at the school begin by studying a programme of dance training, secondary school level education, French language and piano lessons. As they progress through the school, the programme becomes more intensive, with new subjects being added to the curriculum as the students become more advanced. In the first year, students study classical and historical dance progressing to character dance in the fourth year and pas de deux and mime in the sixth year. At the end of the 8th year of training, all students dance in a graduation gala at the Mariinsky Theatre. The most successful students may be offered a contract with the Mariinsky Ballet company, with the majority seeking employment with ballet companies in Russia and worldwide, including leading companies such as the Bolshoi Ballet, The Royal Ballet and American Ballet Theatre.

Current staff[link]

Vera Dorefeeva[link]

Vera Dorefeeva is a graduate of the Leningrad Pedagogical Institute and in 1987, was appointed Deputy Director of the Leningrad Academic Choreographic School (today's Vaganova Academy). In 2004, she was elected Principal of the school and would established an annual conference for the preservation of the Vaganova method of classical ballet. She has also established cultural exchanges with ballet schools in Germany, France, the Netherlands, USA, Ireland, Greece, Japan and Italy, as well as developing a long term strategy to secure the future of the Vaganova academy as an educational establishment for students of extraordinary talent. She is author of fifteen books and research works on ballet pedagogy and has been honoured with a number of awards, including the Medal "Veteran of Labour", the Order of Vernadsky (Second Degree), and an award for the preservation of Russian culture.^[1]

Altynai Asylmuratova[link]

Altynai Asylmuratova is a graduate of the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. She danced professionally with the Kirov Ballet (today's Mariinsky Ballet), achieving the rank of prima ballerina. As a dancer she was widely considered to be an exceptional artist, with perfect technical schooling. Her noted roles include Aurora and the Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty, the dual role of Odette-Odile in Swan Lake, the title role in Raymonda, Nikia in La Bayadere, Kitri in Don Quixote, the title role in Giselle, and Medora in Le Corsaire. She also danced as a guest artiste with The Royal Ballet in London and with Roland Petit's Ballet National de Marseille. After retiring from the stage, she attended the school of pedagogy at the Vaganova Academy, and was subsequently appointed as Artistic Director of the Academy, with a commitment to preserving the Vaganova method of classical ballet, whilst also searching for new and creative ways of producing the professional ballet dancers of the future.^[2]

Famous Graduates[link]

Gallery[link]

• VaganovaEntrywayCloseUpMay2009.jpg

  Close-up of the main entryway, showing the name plate.

• VaganovaEntrywayMediumMay2009.jpeg

  Medium close-up of the main entryway.

• VaganovaEntrywayLongShotMay2009.jpg

  Long shot of the academy, from across the street (ulitsa Zodchengo Rossi).

• VaganovaEntrywayPanoramaMay2009.jpg

  Panoramic shot of the Architect Rossi Street, toward the north.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website (English)
  • Official website (Russian)
• Photo-essay: Vaganova Ballet Academy

v t e Ballet General information ballets companies glossary history music timeline Ballet terminology Ballet d'action Barre Ballet blanc Comic ballet Contemporary ballet Ballets de cour Demi-soloist Divertissement Narrative ballet Neoclassical ballet Opéra-ballet Pas de deux Pas de quatre Pas de trois Pièce d'occasion Pointe shoes Romantic ballet Turnout Tutu Variation Ballet by genre character classical contemporary neoclassical Ballet by region British French Italian Russian Dancers American British French Russian Technique Balanchine Bournonville Cecchetti Royal Academy Vaganova Ballet apparel dance belt leotard pointe shoes slippers tights tutu unitard Schools The National Ballet School of Canada Stuttgart Ballet Cuban National Ballet School Elmhurst School for Dance English National Ballet School Moscow State Academy of Choreography Royal Ballet School School of American Ballet La Scala Theatre Ballet School Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet Royal Winnipeg Ballet Companies American Ballet Theatre Anaheim Ballet Atlanta Ballet Ballet Manila Ballet Philippines Barcelona Ballet Berlin State Ballet Birmingham Royal Ballet Bolshoi Ballet Boston Ballet Cairo Opera Ballet Company Cape Town City Ballet Carolina Ballet Cincinnati Ballet Cuban National Ballet Dayton Ballet Donetsk Ballet Dutch National Ballet English National Ballet Finnish National Ballet Georgian National Ballet Greek National Opera Guangzhou Ballet Hamburg Ballet Hong Kong Ballet Houston Ballet Iaşi Romanian National Opera Iranian National Ballet Company Joffrey Ballet K-ballet Kiev Ballet Korea National Ballet Company La Scala Theatre Ballet Les Ballets de Monte Carlo Les Grands Ballets Canadiens Los Angeles Ballet Mariinsky Ballet Moldova National Opera Ballet National Ballet of Canada National Ballet of China National Ballet Theater of Puerto Rico National Opera and Ballet National Theatre Munich New Jersey Ballet New York City Ballet Norwegian National Opera and Ballet Oklahoma City Ballet Oregon Ballet Theatre Pacific Northwest Ballet Paris Opera Ballet Philippine Ballet Theatre Polish National Ballet Queensland Ballet Royal Danish Ballet Royal New Zealand Ballet Royal Swedish Ballet Royal Winnipeg Ballet San Francisco Ballet Scottish Ballet Shanghai Ballet Company Spanish National Dance Company Stuttgart Ballet The Australian Ballet The Royal Ballet Tokyo Ballet Tulsa Ballet Universal Ballet West Australian Ballet Ballet portal Did you know? today's news today's article today's biography today's picture recent news 2009 2008

v t e 2 Architect Rossi Street "2 Architect Rossi Street" (in Russian). Encyclopedia of Saint Petersburg. http://www.encspb.ru/ru/adrarticle.php?kod=2803909361&adr=2. Retrieved October 17, 2009.  Organizations Vaganova Ballet Academy Theatrical Library St Petersburg Union of Composers Choreographic museum Most Holy Trinity Church Memorials Fyodor Lopukhov Vera Michurina-Samoilova (Memorial plaque) Marius Petipa (Memorial plaque) Galina Ulanova (Statue)

Coordinates: 59°55′49″N 30°20′09″E / 59.9303°N 30.3358°E / 59.9303; 30.3358

A performance of Giselle, ou Les Wilis

Russian ballet is a form of ballet characteristic of or originating from Russia. In the early 19th century, the theaters were opened up to anyone who could afford a ticket. There was a seating section called a rayok, or 'paradise gallery', that consisted of simple wooden benches. This allowed non-wealthy people access to the ballet, because tickets in this section were inexpensive.^[1]

Ballet Companies[link]

The first ballet company was the Imperial School of Ballet in St. Petersburg in the 1740s. The Ballets Russes was a ballet company founded in the 1909 by Sergey Diaghilev, an enormously important figure in the Russian ballet scene. The headquarters of his ballet company was located in Paris, France. A protégé of Diaghilev, George Balanchine, founded the New York City Ballet in 1948. Today, the Kirov Ballet company (now known as the Mariinsky Ballet) and the Bol'shoy company are two world-renowned Russian ballet companies that tour the world.^[2]

• Bolshoi Ballet:)
• Mariinsky Ballet (formerly Kirov ballet)

Other Russian ballet companies include:

• Ballets Russes, founded in 1909
• Maly Theatre Ballet - now The Mikhailovsky Ballet, founded in 1930s
• Moscow Classical Ballet, founded in 1966.^[3]
• Russian State Ballet of Siberia, founded in 1978
• Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, founded in 1738 as the Imperial Ballet School

There are also a number of companies who have been called, or included in their name, Moscow Ballet.

Methods[link]

There are several methods of ballet in Russian ballet. The most widely used is the Vaganova method, which was named after the very famous ballerina and teacher, Agrippina Vaganova.^[4]

Dancers[link]

Anna Pavlova was one of the most celebrated dancers of her time

Many Russian dancers have gone on to reach worldwide acclaim; notable Russian dancers include:

See also[link]

• Mariinsky Ballet
• Bolshoi Theatre
• Vaganova method
• Brighton Ballet Theater
• Glossary of ballet terms

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Curtis, Glenn E, ed. (1996). Russia: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress.
• Roslavleva, Natalia. (1966). Era of the Russian Ballet, New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc.
• Willis-Aarino, Peggy. (2002). Agrippina Vaganova (1879–1951): Her Place in the History of Ballet and Her Impact on the Future of Classical Dance, Lewiston, New York: Edwin Mellen Press.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ballet of Russia

• Russian ballet
• Russian Classical Ballet and Modern Dance
• Russian Ballet Company
• BBT/School of Russian American Ballet in Brooklyn, NY, USA
• The Russian Ballet Academy of Indiana, a professional Vaganova method school
• Russian ballet today: Who's who in Russian ballet - a professional community website with discussions, video channel, photos etc

v t e Russia topics History Timeline Proto-Indo-Europeans Scythians East Slavs Rus' Khaganate Kievan Rus' Novgorod Republic Vladimir-Suzdal Grand Duchy of Moscow Tsardom of Russia Russian Empire Russian SFSR Soviet Union Russian Federation Military history Postal history Geography Subdivisions Ural Mountains Siberia European Russia West Siberian Plain Caucasus Mountains Caspian Sea North Asia North Caucasus Cities and towns Islands Economic regions Rivers Volcanoes Climate Governance Constitution Government President Federal Assembly Law Foreign relations Constitutional Court Public Chamber State Council Judiciary Politics Elections Political parties Human rights Economy Agriculture Inventions Tourism Banking Central Bank Russian ruble Transport Telecommunications Corruption Demographics Russians Public holidays Languages Religion Crime 2002 Census 2010 Census Famous Russians Culture Architecture Literature Ballet Avant-garde Cinema Material culture Music (Opera) Language Cuisine Martial arts Folklore Internet Sports Symbols National flag Other flags Coat of arms National anthem Category Book Portal WikiProject

v t e Ballet General information ballets companies glossary history music timeline Ballet terminology Ballet d'action Barre Ballet blanc Comic ballet Contemporary ballet Ballets de cour Demi-soloist Divertissement Narrative ballet Neoclassical ballet Opéra-ballet Pas de deux Pas de quatre Pas de trois Pièce d'occasion Pointe shoes Romantic ballet Turnout Tutu Variation Ballet by genre character classical contemporary neoclassical Ballet by region British French Italian Russian Dancers American British French Russian Technique Balanchine Bournonville Cecchetti Royal Academy Vaganova Ballet apparel dance belt leotard pointe shoes slippers tights tutu unitard Schools The National Ballet School of Canada Stuttgart Ballet Cuban National Ballet School Elmhurst School for Dance English National Ballet School Moscow State Academy of Choreography Royal Ballet School School of American Ballet La Scala Theatre Ballet School Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet Royal Winnipeg Ballet Companies American Ballet Theatre Anaheim Ballet Atlanta Ballet Ballet Manila Ballet Philippines Barcelona Ballet Berlin State Ballet Birmingham Royal Ballet Bolshoi Ballet Boston Ballet Cairo Opera Ballet Company Cape Town City Ballet Carolina Ballet Cincinnati Ballet Cuban National Ballet Dayton Ballet Donetsk Ballet Dutch National Ballet English National Ballet Finnish National Ballet Georgian National Ballet Greek National Opera Guangzhou Ballet Hamburg Ballet Hong Kong Ballet Houston Ballet Iaşi Romanian National Opera Iranian National Ballet Company Joffrey Ballet K-ballet Kiev Ballet Korea National Ballet Company La Scala Theatre Ballet Les Ballets de Monte Carlo Les Grands Ballets Canadiens Los Angeles Ballet Mariinsky Ballet Moldova National Opera Ballet National Ballet of Canada National Ballet of China National Ballet Theater of Puerto Rico National Opera and Ballet National Theatre Munich New Jersey Ballet New York City Ballet Norwegian National Opera and Ballet Oklahoma City Ballet Oregon Ballet Theatre Pacific Northwest Ballet Paris Opera Ballet Philippine Ballet Theatre Polish National Ballet Queensland Ballet Royal Danish Ballet Royal New Zealand Ballet Royal Swedish Ballet Royal Winnipeg Ballet San Francisco Ballet Scottish Ballet Shanghai Ballet Company Spanish National Dance Company Stuttgart Ballet The Australian Ballet The Royal Ballet Tokyo Ballet Tulsa Ballet Universal Ballet West Australian Ballet Ballet portal Did you know? today's news today's article today's biography today's picture recent news 2009 2008