Leningrad Choreographic School

Leningrad Choreographic School 

(also, A. Ia. Vaganova Leningrad Choreographic School), one of the oldest Russian ballet schools. It was founded in 1738 as the Dance School, which in 1779 merged with the St. Petersburg Theatrical School. After the October Revolution of 1917 the school’s dance classes were reorganized first into a seven-year school of choreography and then into a secondary school of choreography. In the 1930’s, national divisions and courses for training teachers and choreographers were instituted at the school. The designation “academic” was conferred on the school in 1961, and the name of A. Ia. Vaganova in 1957.

The Leningrad Choreographic School has played a prominent role in the creation and establishment of the national school of Russian ballet. With it are associated the names of such outstanding representatives of Russian ballet as A. I. Istomina, A. P. Pavlova, C. L. Didelot, M. I. Petipa, A. A. Gorskii, M. M. Fokine, T. P. Karsavina, V. F. Nijinsky, and A. Ia. Vaganova.

In Soviet times, teachers at the school have included M. F. Romanova, A. V. Shiriaev, V. A. Semenov, V. I. Ponomarev, L. S. Leont’ev, A. M. Monakhov, and A. V. Lopukhov. Its graduates have included G. S. Ulanova, M. T. Semenova, N. M. Dudinskaia, T. M. Vecheslova, A. Ia. Shelest, F. I. Balabina, N. A. Kurgapkina, I. A. Kolpakova, Z. A. Nasretdinova, B. V. Shavrov, A. N. Ermolaev, K. M. Sergeev, V. M. Chabukiani, K. Ia. Goleizovskii, L. M. Lavrovskii, R. V. Zakharov, L. V. Iakobson, [Yakobson, Jacobson], V. I. Vainonen, Iu. I. Grigoro-vich, and I. D. Bel’skii.

In the 1972–73 academic year the school numbered about 500 students and about 100 teachers, of whom 45 held honorary titles. During the years of Soviet power the school has trained approximately 1,000 masters of the ballet. The school has a museum of Russian, Soviet, and foreign ballet (with about 10,000 exhibits). It was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor in 1940.

V. I. SHELKOV and M. KH. FRANGOPULO