Official touring logo of the Kirov/Mariinsky ballet

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The Mariinsky Ballet, is an internationally renowned classical ballet company based at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg, Russia. See also Ballet Classical Ballet is the most formal of the Ballet styles it adheres to traditional Ballet technique. The Mariinsky Theatre ( Мариинский театр, also spelled Maryinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of Opera and Ballet in Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Founded in the 19th Century, the Mariinsky Ballet is one of the most famous ballet companies in history and continues to be one of the world's leading ballet companies to this day. Internationally, the Mariisnky Ballet is most commonly known by its former Soviet name the Kirov Ballet, a title which is still used by the company when touring. A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. The Mariisnky Ballet is the parent company of the Vaganova Ballet Academy, a leading international ballet school. The Vaganova Ballet Academy is probably the most famous and influential Classical ballet school in the world

History

Carlotta Brianza and Paul Gerdt of the Imperial Ballet as Princess Aurora and Prince Desire in the 1890 premiere of the Sleeping Beauty. Pavel Andreyevich Gerdt, also known as Paul Gerdt (near St Peterburg, Russia, 22 November 1844 — Vamaloki, Finland Year 1890 ( MDCCCXC) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Sleeping Beauty ( Спящая Красавица, Spyashchaya Krasavitsa) is a Ballet in a prologue and three acts Opus 66 by Pyotr

The Mariinsky Ballet was founded in the 1740s, following the formation of the first Russian dance school in 1738.

The Imperial Theatre School as it was originally known, was established on 4th May 1738, at the Winter Palace in St Petersburg. See also The movie Russian Ark, an innovative single shot walkthrough with period reenactments spanning three hundred years of court meetings Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River It would become the predecessor of today's Vaganova Ballet Academy. The school's founder director was the French ballet master and teacher Jean-Baptiste Landé and the purpose of creating the school was to train young dancers to form the first Russian ballet company. See also, ' Ballet Master' ( Balletmaster, Ballet Mistress. Premier Maître de ballet or Premier Maître de ballet en Chef) Jean-Baptiste Landé (Year of birth unknown d 26 February 1748 was a French dancer The first group of students included twelve boys and twelve girls, who later went on to form what would become the predecessor of today's Mariinsky Ballet.

Very little information exists from the formative years of the ballet company, however it is known that both the school and the ballet company were linked by name, becoming the Imperial Ballet School and Imperial Russian Ballet, names that continued to be used until the abolishment of Imperial rule. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the Imperial Russian Ballet soon rose to prominance and would employ some of the most influential and famous names in ballet history including Charles Didelot, Marie Taglioni, Christian Johansson, Enrico Cecchetti, Jules Perrot, Fanny Cerrito and Carlotta Grisi.

During the 19th century, Marius Petipa took Russia by storm and became the chief choreographer for the Imperial Ballet School. Petipa was influential in creating full-length ballets such as The Sleeping Beauty.

Following the Russian revolution, the Soviet government decided that the ballet school and company were unwanted symbols of the tsarist regime and went on to close them both. The ballet company was the first to be re-established, becoming known as the Soviet Ballet, with the school re-opening later as the Leningrad State Choreographic School, both remaining in their previous locations.

Following the assassination of the Bolshevic revolutionary Sergey Kirov in 1938, the then Soviet Ballet, was renamed the Kirov Ballet a name which is most commonly used to identify the company to this day. The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists ( Большевик Большевист (singular, derived from bolshe, "more" were a faction Sergei Mironovich Kirov (Серге́й Миро́нович Ки́ров ( &ndash December 1, 1934) was a prominent early Bolshevik leader whose assassination After the end of communist rule, both the ballet company and opera company at the Mariinsky Theatre were linked to the theatre by name, becoming the Mariinsky Ballet and Mariinsky Opera and both companies are run by the theatre its-self. Throughout it's history, the company has been based at the Mariinsky Theare, which was originally known as the Bolshoi Kameny Theatre, before it was demolished to be replaced by the existing theatre. This is not to be confused with the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, which is the home of the Bolshoi Ballet

Despite later name changes and pressures of the Russian revolution, the present day Mariinsky Ballet, is still linked to the school, which is now known as the Vaganova Ballet Acadmy. The Bolshoi Theatre (Большой театр Bol'shoy Teatr Great Theatre) is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, designed by famed architect Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of The Bolshoi Theatre (Большой театр Bol'shoy Teatr Great Theatre) is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, designed by famed architect

Today

The Mariinsky Ballet is today recognised as one of the worlds greatest ballet companies, hiring over 200 dancers, including a reserve troupe and character artists. The Director of the Mariinsky Ballet is Makharbek Vaziev.

Being modelled on other leading opera/ballet theatres such as the Royal Opera House, London and La Scala, Milan, both the Mariinsky Ballet and Mariinsky Opera came under the management of the Mariinsky Theatre its-self, with Valery Gergiev as Artistic Director. WikipediaWikiProject Opera --> The Royal Opera House is an Opera house and major performing London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The Teatro alla Scala (or La Scala, as it is known in Milan, Italy, is one of the world's most famous Opera houses The theatre was Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. He is also the Director of the opera company. Both companies operate as separate units.

Repertoire

Dancers

Principals

1st & 2nd Soloists

Principal Character Artists

Choryphees

Corps de Ballet

Marius Petipa

For a number of years, Marius Petipa was the ballet master of the Imperial Russian Ballet. Igor Kolb (born June 6, 1977 in Pinsk, Belarus) is a principal dancer of Mariinsky Ballet. One of the most famous names in ballet history, Petipa was the choreographer of some of some of the best known classical ballets including:

• Giselle
• Swan Lake
• Le Corsaire
• Raymonda
• The Nutcracker
• La Bayadere
• Don Quixote
• Harlequinade
• The Sleeping Beauty

Notable Dancers

External links

• Official site of the Vaganova Ballet Academy
• Site for the Mariinsky Ballet
• Additional Information/Pictures about the Mariinsky-Kirov Ballet
• More information and interviews from the Kirov Ballet
• NY Times article by Lawrence van Gelder, March 25, 2008