For nearly three centuries, the Vaganova Ballet Academy has shaped Russian culture and taken the ballet world by storm. Renowned for producing some of the best dancers in the world, this academy has become part of the elite tier of ballet in modern times.
A Brief History of the Vaganova Ballet Academy
The Vaganova Ballet Academy was founded on May 4, 1738 in St. Petersburg, Russia. Its foundation was demanded by Empress Anna in order to train dancers for a national ballet company which would be founded less than a decade later. The company was originally known as the Imperial Russian Ballet (now the Mariinsky Ballet), and its feeder school was known as the Imperial Theatre School.
The academy had only twenty-four students in its first year – twelve boys and twelve girls. Jean-Baptiste Lande, a dancer, choreographer, and teacher from France, was brought in as the academy’s first Ballet Master. All of the original teachers were from Western Europe, not Russia.
In 1801, Charles Didelot took over as Ballet Master, and throughout the next twenty years the academy gained a significant amount of fame and prestige.
Following the October Revolution of 1917, the academy dedicated itself to choreography and was renamed the Leningrad State Choreographic Institute.
Twenty years later, it would be a school for dancers once more and renamed for the esteemed teacher, Agrippa Vaganova.
Agrippa Vaganova
Agrippa Vaganova graduated from the Imperial Theatre School in 1897 and went to have a brief career with the Imperial Ballet directly following. At first, she was overshadowed by her peers and kept in the corps de ballet. Eventually, Vaganova was able to receive soloist status and gained a reputation as the “queen of variations”.
Marius Petipa, former First Ballet Master of the Imperial Theatres, disagreed with her rank as he had an intense distaste for Vaganova, oft times refusing to attend a performance in which she had a soloist role. However, after a wildly successful performance of Niriti in The Talisman, Vaganova was promoted to prima ballerina.
Despite her newfound success, Vaganova retired a year later to begin teaching. In 1921, she began teaching at her alma mater and was quickly recognized for her talent. She was able to turn physical limitations into strengths (as she had dealt with many herself) and taught her students to have a soft look while still being strong and clean.
From 1931 to 1937, Vaganova was the Artistic Director of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theatre (formerly Imperial, later Mariinsky). She developed a following of young dancers who took every word she said as law. Her teachings and ideas were codified in 1934 in her book, Basic Principles of Classical Ballet: Russian Ballet Technique. This book is still used as a reference today for all those hoping to learn the Russian method.
Agrippa Vaganova continued to teach at the school until she died in 1951 and was commemorated six years later when the Leningrad State Choreographic Institute was renamed the Vaganova Ballet Academy. The name remains the same to this day.
Famous Alumni of the Vaganova Ballet Academy
Listed below are the most notable alumni of the Vaganova Ballet Academy along with their contributions to the dance community.
George Balanchine (1904-1983): Founder of School of American Ballet (SAB), New York City Ballet (NYCB), Choreographer of Serenade, Jewels, Firebird, The Nutcracker*, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Don Quixote*, Harlequinade, Who Cares?
Mikhail Baryshnikov (1948-Present): Company member of The Mariinsky Theatre, Company member and Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre (ABT)
Michel Fokine (1880-1942): Choreographer for Diaghlev’s Ballet Russes, Company member of the Mariinsky Theatre, Choreographer of Le Spectre de la Rose, Les Sylphides, Firebird, Petrouchka (over 80 ballets)
Vaslav Nijinsky (1889-1950): Company member for the Mariinsky Theatre, Co-Founder of Diaghlev’s Ballet Russes, Choreographer of Rite of Spring
Rudolf Nuryev (1938-1993): Company member of Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas, Guest artist at The Royal Ballet, Director of Paris Opera Ballet
Alla Osipenko (1932-Present): Company member of the Mariinsky Theatre, Honored Artist of Russia, People’s Artist of Russia
Anna Pavlova (1881-1931): Company member of the Mariinsky Theatre and Diaghlev’s Ballet Russes, founder of her own ballet company
Marius Petipa (1818-1910): Choreographer of The Nutcracker*, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Giselle*, Don Quixote*, La Bayadère, & Coppélia*
Agrippa Vaganova (1879-1951)
Famous Teachers of the Vaganova Ballet Academy
Listed below are the most notable teachers of the Vaganova Ballet Academy along with their contributions to the dance community.
Enrico Cecchetti (1850-1928): Vaslav Nijinsky & Anna Pavlova’s personal teacher, Creator of the Cecchetti Method of Ballet
Charles Didelot (1767-1837): Ballet Master of the Imperial Theatre School, Creator of the ballet pointe shoe
Jules Perrot (1810-1892): Choreographer of Giselle*, La Esmerelda, Ondine, Pas de Quatre
Marius Petipa (1818-1910): see above
Arthur Saint Leon (1815 [1821?]-1870): Choreographer of Coppélia*
Alla Osipenko see above
Agrippa Vaganova (1879-1951)
Sources
- ABT: Arthur Saint Leon
- ABT: Jules Perrot
- ABT: Michel Fokine
- Balanchine Official Website
- Basic Principles of Classical Ballet, Agrippina Vaganova
- Cecchetti Council of America
- Kennedy Center
- The Mariinsky Theatre
- Mikailovsky Russia
- The Moscow Times
- Nureyev Official Website
- Royal Opera House
- Saint Petersburg Official Website
- Vaganova Academy Russia
- Victoria and Albert Museum
Featured Photo of students at the Imperial Ballet School (now Vaganova Ballet Academy) from Wikimedia.
*Choreographic works that are listed twice are restagings of the same story
