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The Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet is a school of
classical ballet Classical ballet is any of the traditional, formal styles of ballet that exclusively employ classical ballet technique. It is known for its aesthetics and rigorous technique (such as pointe work, turnout of the legs, and high extensions), its f ...
in St Petersburg,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...
. Established in 1738 during the reign of Empress Anna, the academy was known as the Imperial Ballet School until the
Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
era, 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 pedagogue Agrippina Vaganova, who cultivated the method of classical ballet training that has been taught there since the late 1920s. 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 The Mariinsky Ballet (russian: Балет Мариинского театра) is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russ ...
, one of the world's leading ballet companies. Students of the school have found employment with ballet and contemporary companies worldwide, such as the Bolshoi Ballet,
The Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded ...
,
American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, it is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. Through 2019, it had an annual ei ...
and the Mikhailovsky Ballet.


History

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 Jean-Baptiste is a male French name, originating with Saint John the Baptist, and sometimes shortened to Baptiste. The name may refer to any of the following: Persons * Charles XIV John of Sweden, born Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte, was King o ...
as its director. The first classes occupied empty rooms in the
Winter Palace The Winter Palace ( rus, Зимний дворец, Zimnij dvorets, p=ˈzʲimnʲɪj dvɐˈrʲɛts) is a palace in Saint Petersburg that served as the official residence of the Emperor of all the Russias, Russian Emperor from 1732 to 1917. The p ...
in St. Petersburg and the first students were twelve boys and twelve girls. Nearly all the early teachers at the school were from
Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
, including Franz Hilferding and Giovanni Canzianni. The first Russian teacher to join the school was Ivan Valberg. After the spread of ballet in
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...
, the development of the school was influenced by a number of other teachers and methods, including Christian Johannson, a student of
August Bournonville August Bournonville (21 August 1805 – 30 November 1879) was a Danish ballet master and choreographer. He was the son of Antoine Bournonville, a dancer and choreographer trained under the French choreographer, Jean Georges Noverre, and the ...
, and the Italian methods of Enrico Cecchetti,
Pierina Legnani Pierina Legnani (September 30, 1863 – November 15, 1930) was an Italian ballerina considered one of the greatest ballerinas of all time. Biography Legnani was born on September 30, 1863, in Milan and originally studied with famous ballet da ...
and
Carlotta Brianza Carlotta Brianza (1867–1930) was an Italian prima ballerina, dancing with La Scala in Milan and later with the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg. Biography Born in Milan, Brianza studied at the ballet school of La Scala under Carlo B ...
. 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 Arthur Saint-Léon (17 September 1821, in Paris – 2 September 1870) was the '' Maître de Ballet'' of St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet from 1859 until 1869 and is famous for creating the choreography of the ballet '' Coppélia''. Biography He ...
, Lev Ivanov,
Marius Petipa Marius Ivanovich Petipa (russian: Мариус Иванович Петипа), born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa (11 March 1818), was a French ballet dancer, pedagogue and choreographer. Petipa is one of the most influential ballet masters and ...
and
Mikhail Fokine Michael Fokine, ''Mikhail Mikhaylovich Fokin'', group=lower-alpha ( – 22 August 1942) was a groundbreaking Imperial Russian choreographer and dancer. Career Early years Fokine was born in Saint Petersburg to a prosperous merchant and ...
. Since 1836, the school has been situated at
2 Rossi Street 2 Architect Rossi Street (russian: Улица Зодчего Росси, д. 2) is a building in St. Petersburg, Russia. It is located at the corner of Ostrovsky Square and Architect Rossi Street (also called just Rossi Street), which is named for ...
in St. Petersburg (known as Leningrad after 1924 until the collapse of the Soviet Union). The Imperial Ballet School was dissolved by the new Soviet government, but later re-established on the same site as the Leningrad State Choreographic School. The Imperial Russian Ballet was also dissolved and re-established as the Soviet Ballet. The company was later renamed the Kirov Ballet following the assassination of
Sergey Kirov Sergei Mironovich Kirov ( né Kostrikov; 27 March 1886 – 1 December 1934) was a Soviet politician and Bolshevik revolutionary whose assassination led to the first Great Purge. Kirov was an early revolutionary in the Russian Empire and memb ...
in 1938. Despite later being given the current name Mariinsky Ballet, the company is still commonly known as the Kirov Ballet.


Vaganova

Agrippina Vaganova brought developments in modern
Russian Ballet Russian ballet (russian: Русский балет) (french: Ballet russe) is a form of ballet characteristic of or originating from Russia. Imperial Russian Ballet Until 1689, ballet in Russia was nonexistent (ballet has its origins in the cour ...
. She graduated from the Imperial Ballet School in 1897 and danced with the Imperial Ballet, retiring from the stage early to pursue her teaching career following the
Revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
. As the Soviet government had not yet re-established the school, Vaganova began her teaching career at the privately owned School of Russian Ballet, eventually joining the new Leningrad State Choreographic School in 1920. Vaganova is noted for authoring ''The Principles of Classical Dance'', which outlines the training system she created. There are a number of variations in the name of the school, but the official title in current use in the
English-speaking world Speakers of English are also known as Anglophones, and the countries where English is natively spoken by the majority of the population are termed the ''Anglosphere''. Over two billion people speak English , making English the largest languag ...
is Vaganova Ballet Academy.


Today


Overview

The Vaganova Ballet Academy which some consider the source of modern ballet is now over 275 years old. The Academy has over 300 students. The Rector of the academy is Nikolay Tsiskaridze and the Artistic Director is
Zhanna Ayupova Zhanna is a given name, Russian form of Jeanne. Notable people with the name include: *Zhanna Agalakova (born 1965), Russian journalist *Zhanna Bichevskaya (born 1944), prominent Russian bard and folk musician *Zhanna Friske (1974–2015), Russian ...
.


Auditions

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


Training

All students at the school begin by studying a program of dance training, secondary school level education,
French language French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in ...
and piano lessons. As they progress through the school, the program becomes more intensive, with new subjects being added to the curriculum as the students become more advanced. Students are evaluated at the end of each academic year and a decision made as to whether they will advance to the higher grades which have progressively fewer openings.


Notable graduates

*
Ji-Young Kim Ji-young Kim (; born July 26, 1978) is a South Korean prima ballerina and is currently a principal dancer with the Korea National Ballet (KNB) in Seoul, South Korea. Early years Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea. She tried a number of hobbie ...
*
Altynai Asylmuratova Altynai Abduakhimkyzy Asylmuratova ( kk, Алтынай Абдуахимқызы Асылмұратова, ''Altynai Abduahimqyzy Asylmūratova''; born 1 January 1961) is a Kazakh-born former ballerina who is artistic director of the ballet co ...
*
Zhanna Ayupova Zhanna is a given name, Russian form of Jeanne. Notable people with the name include: *Zhanna Agalakova (born 1965), Russian journalist *Zhanna Bichevskaya (born 1944), prominent Russian bard and folk musician *Zhanna Friske (1974–2015), Russian ...
*
George Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze; ka, გიორგი მელიტონის ძე ბალანჩივაძე; January 22, 1904 (O. S. January 9) – April 30, 1983) was ...
*
Mikhail Baryshnikov Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov ( rus, Михаил Николаевич Барышников, p=mʲɪxɐˈil bɐ'rɨʂnʲɪkəf; lv, Mihails Barišņikovs; born January 28, 1948) is a Soviet Latvian-born Russian-American dancer, choreograp ...
* Vakhtang Chabukiani *
Alexandra Danilova Aleksandra Dionisyevna Danilova (''Russian'': Александра Дионисьевна Данилова; November 20, 1903 – July 13, 1997) was a Russian-born prima ballerina, who became an American citizen. In 1989, she was recognized f ...
* Natalia Dudinskaya *
Mikhail Fokine Michael Fokine, ''Mikhail Mikhaylovich Fokin'', group=lower-alpha ( – 22 August 1942) was a groundbreaking Imperial Russian choreographer and dancer. Career Early years Fokine was born in Saint Petersburg to a prosperous merchant and ...
*
Elizaveta Gerdt Elizaveta Pavlovna Gerdt (russian: Елизавета Павловна Гердт; – 6 November 1975) was a Russian dancer and teacher whose career links the Russian imperial and Soviet schools of classical dance. A daughter of celebrated ...
* Yuri Grigorovich *
Tamara Karsavina Tamara Platonovna Karsavina (russian: Тамара Платоновна Карсавина; 10 March 1885 – 26 May 1978) was a Russian prima ballerina, renowned for her beauty, who was a principal artist of the Imperial Russian Ballet and lat ...
* Irina Kolpakova *
Gabriela Komleva Gabriela may refer to: * Gabriela (given name), a Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian feminine given name * ''Gabriela'' (1942 film), a Czech film * ''Gabriela'' (1950 film), a German film * ''Gabriela'' (1983 film), a Brazilian film * ''Gabriela' ...
* Ekaterina Kondaurova *
Mathilde Kschessinska Mathilde-Marie Feliksovna Kschessinska ( pl, Matylda Maria Krzesińska, russian: Матильда Феликсовна Кшесинская; 6 December 1971; also known as Princess Romanovskaya-Krasinskaya after her marriage) was a Polish ...
*
Nicolai Legat Nikolai Gustavovich Legat (russian: Никола́й Густа́вович Лега́т) (30 December 1869, Moscow – 24 January 1937, London) was a premier dancer with the Russian Imperial Ballet from 1888 to 1914, and also with the Marii ...
* Serge Legat *
Larissa Lezhnina Larisa Lezhnina (russian: Лариса Лежнина) is a principal dancer with Dutch National Ballet, Amsterdam. She was born on March 17, 1969, in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Russia. She graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy in Leningra ...
* Ulyana Lopatkina *
Natalia Makarova Natalia Romanovna Makarova (russian: Ната́лия Рома́новна Мака́рова, born 21 November 1940) is a Russian prima ballerina and choreographer. ''The History of Dance'', published in 1981, notes that "her performances se ...
*
Yulia Makhalina Yulia Victorovna Makhalina (russian: Юлия Викторовна Махалина), also Yulia, (born 23 June 1968) is a Russian ballet dancer. Since 1986, she has been with the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet The Mariinsky Ballet (russian: Бале ...
* Ryan Martin *
Varvara P. Mey Varvara Pavlovna Mey (Russian: Варвара Павловна Мей, 18 January 1912 in Saint Petersburg – 27 October 1995) was a prima ballerina, ballet instructor and author. Career Mey was one of the students of the Russian ballet dance ...
* Galina Mezentseva * Fethon Miozzi * Olesya Novikova *
Bronislava Nijinska Bronislava Nijinska (; pl, Bronisława Niżyńska ; russian: Бронисла́ва Фоми́нична Нижи́нская, Bronisláva Fomínična Nižínskaja; be, Браніслава Ніжынская, Branislava Nižynskaja; – Febr ...
* Vaslav Nijinsky *
Rudolf Nureyev Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev ( ; Tatar/ Bashkir: Рудольф Хәмит улы Нуриев; rus, Рудо́льф Хаме́тович Нуре́ев, p=rʊˈdolʲf xɐˈmʲetəvʲɪtɕ nʊˈrʲejɪf; 17 March 19386 January 1993) was a Soviet ...
* Valery Panov *
Yelena Pankova Yelena or Jelena is a feminine given name. It is the Russian language, Russian form of Helen (given name), Helen, written Елена in Russian. Notable people called Yelena *Yelena Afanasyeva (born 1967), former Russian athlete who competed in t ...
*
Veronika Part Veronika Part (born 21 February 1978) is a Russian ballet dancer. She is a former principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. She served as a ballet mistress for Atlanta Ballet during the 2019–20 season. Early life Veronika Part was born in ...
*
Anna Pavlova Anna Pavlovna Pavlova ( , rus, Анна Павловна Павлова ), born Anna Matveyevna Pavlova ( rus, Анна Матвеевна Павлова; – 23 January 1931), was a Russian prima ballerina of the late 19th and the early 20t ...
* Olga Preobrajenskaya * Evgenia Obraztsova *
Farukh Ruzimatov Farukh Sadullayevich Ruzimatov (russian: Фару́х Садулла́евич Рузима́тов; born 26 June 1963) is an Uzbek-Russian ballet dancer. Since 2018, Ruzimatov has been artistic director of the ballet company at Navoi Theatre i ...
*
Marina Semenova Marina Timofeyevna Semyonova (russian: Марина Тимофеевна Семёнова, – 9 June 2010) was the first Soviet-trained prima ballerina. She was born in Saint-Petersburg. She was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1975. ...
*
Konstantin Sergeyev Konstantin Mikhaylovich Sergeyev (russian: Константин Михайлович Сергеев; 5 March 1910 (20 February Old Style) – 1 April 1992) was a Russian danseur, artistic director and choreographer for the Kirov Theatre. When th ...
* Vladimir Shklyarov * Alla Sizova * Olga Smirnova * Yuri Soloviev * Alina Somova *
Olga Spesivtseva Olga Alexandrovna Spessivtseva (russian: Ольга Алекса́ндровна Спеси́вцева; 16 September 1991) was a Russian ballerina whose stage career spanned from 1913 to 1939. She was one of the finest prima ballerinas of the t ...
* Yulia Stepanova *
Viktoria Tereshkina Viktoria Valerievna Tereshkina (russian: Викто́рия Вале́рьевна Терёшкина; born 31 May 1983) is a Russian ballet dancer, who performs as a principal dancer with the Mariinsky Ballet in Saint Petersburg. People's Artist ...
*
Galina Ulanova Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova (russian: Галина Сергеевна Уланова, ; 21 March 1998) was a Russian ballet dancer. She is frequently cited as being one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century. Biography Ulanova was born ...
* Anastasia Volochkova * Diana Vishneva * Rostislav Zakharov * Svetlana Zakharova * Konstantin Zaklinsky * Igor Zelensky *
Valentin Elizariev Valentin Nikolayevich Elizariev ( be, Валянцін Мікалаевіч Елізар'еў, russian: Валенти́н Никола́евич Елиза́рьев; born 1947) is a Belarusian Soviet balletmaster, choreographer, and pedagogue ...
*
Maria Khoreva Maria Vladimirovna Khoreva (russian: Мария Владимировна Хорева; born 3 July 2000 ) is a Russian ballet dancer and first soloist of the Mariinsky Ballet since 2018. Early life Khoreva was born on 3 July 2000 in Saint P ...
* Ai-gul Gaisina * Lisa Macuja-Elizalde


References


External links

* **
Photo-essay: Vaganova Ballet Academy
{{authority control Ballet schools in Russia History of ballet Ballet in Saint Petersburg Universities and colleges in Saint Petersburg Cultural heritage monuments of federal significance in Saint Petersburg