The Moscow State Academy of Choreography (), commonly known as the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, is a ballet school located in Moscow, Russia. It is the affiliate school of the Bolshoi Ballet. Founded on December 23, 1773 as the second ballet school in Russia, it entered into a contract with the Italian teacher-choreographer Filippo Becari, regarded as the "most capable of teaching" children to learn to "dance with all possible precision and to show themselves publicly in all pantomime ballets".Entry dated December 23, 1773 [On the invitation of Filippo Becari] // CIAM. F. 127. Op. 1. Unit hr. 12. L. 72-72 vol.
The Bolshoi Ballet receives the majority of its dancers from the academy, as do most other Moscow ballet companies. Numerous choreographers, instructors and graduates of the academy have become renowned. The academy was awarded the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation for their contributions to promotion of cultural exchange through art between Japan and Russia on December 1, 2020.Foreign Minister’s Commendations for FY 2020 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of JapanForeign Minister’s Commendations for FY 2020 (Groups) | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
History Bolshoi is the oldest theatrical school in Moscow, founded as an orphanage by order of Empress Catherine II in 1763. It was not until 1773 that the first dance classes were taught at the home. Other names the school is known by include; the Bolshoi Academy, the Bolshoi Ballet School, the Moscow Choreographic Institute, the Moscow Ballet School, the Bolshoi Moscow Ballet School and the Bolshoi Theatre Ballet School.
Heads:The Moscow State Academy of Choreography
+PeriodHead1773-1777Filippo Beccari1778-17831783-1805Cosimo Morelli (choreographer)1806-1808Jean Lamiral1808-1811Dominique Lefèvre1811-1839Adam Glushkovskiy1839-1846Konstantin Bordanov (ru: Богданов, Константин Федорович)1846-1850Feodor Manokhin (ru: Манохин, Фёдор Николаевич)1851-1857N/A1858-1869Feodor Manokhin (ru: Манохин, Фёдор Николаевич)1869-1872Pierre Frédéric Malavergne1872-1874Gustave Legat1874-1883Sergey Petrovich Sokolov (ru: Соколов, Сергей Петрович)1883-1898Aleksey Bogdanov (ru: Богданов, Алексей Николаевич)1898-1902Vasiliy Geltser (ru: Гельцер, Василий Федорович)1902-1907Alexander Alexeyevich Gorsky1907-1917Vasily Tikhomirov (ru: Тихомиров, Василий Дмитриевич)1917-1924Alexander Alexeyevich Gorsky1924-1931N/A1931-1936Viktor Aleksandrovich Semeonov (ru: Семёнов, Виктор Александрович)1937-1941Pyotr Gusev1942-1945Nikolay Ivanovich Tarasov (ru: Тарасов, Николай Иванович)1945-1947 Rostislav Zakharov1948-1953Leonid Lavrovsky1953-1954Nikolay Ivanovich Tarasov1954-1958Michail Gabovich (ru: Габович, Михаил Маркович)1959-1964Yuriy Kondratov (ru: Кондратов, Юрий Григорьевич)1960-2001Sofia Golovkina (ru: Головкина, Софья Николаевна)1964-1967Leonid Lavrovsky1968-1972Aleksey Yermolayev1973-1987Maksim Martirosian (ru: Мартиросян, Максим Саакович)1988-1993Igor Uksusnikov (ru: Уксусников, Игорь Валентинович)2001-2002Boris Akimov (ru: Акимов, Борис Борисович)2002-2024Marina Leonova (ru: Леонова, Марина Константиновна)2024-Present Svetlana Zakharova
Method and education The Bolshoi's method of teaching is founded on a Russian training curriculum that is coordinated to the student's ability. This curriculum, commonly known as the Vaganova method, is widely adopted by ballet schools around the world. The curriculum focuses on ballet technique, pointe work, center work, repertoire, pas de deux, jazz, character dance, and historical dance.
Facilities Amenities at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy include twenty large studios with a professional non-slip dance floor. High ceilings make it possible to offer pas de deux classes, and two levels of ballet barres are provided for young children and adults.
Alumni
The Bolshoi is the school from which the Bolshoi Ballet receives the majority of its dancers, as well as most other Moscow ballet companies. The academy has graduated a long list of acclaimed ballerinas and danseurs, including:
Maria Alexandrova Alexander Andrianov Nina Ananiashvili Dmitry Belogolovtsev Natalia Bessmertnova Margarita Drozdova Nikolai Fadeyechev Sergei Filin Yekaterina Geltzer Nadezhda Gracheva Dmitry Gudanov Nina Kaptsova Maria Kochetkova Marina Kondratyeva Ekaterina Krysanova Mikhail Lavrovsky Olga Lepeshinskaya Ilze Liepa Andris Liepa Maris Liepa Svetlana Lunkina Vladimir Malakhov Xenia Makletzova Ekaterina Maximova Elina Melnichenko Asaf Messerer Alla Mikhalchenko Igor Moiseyev Mikhail Mordkin Irek Mukhamedov Anastasia Nabokina Natalia Osipova Maya Plisetskaya Alexander Plisetski Polina Semionova Ruslan Skvortsov Nina Sorokina Galina Stepanenko Raisa Struchkova Vasily Tikhomirov Nikolai Tsiskaridze Vladimir Vasiliev Andrey Uvarov
Summer intensive The academy partners with the Russian American Foundation to hold annual summer intensives at Lincoln Center in New York City and in Middlebury, CT.
Former names Throughout its history, the school has changed its name several times. Below is a table about the history of its former names. +PeriodName in RussianName in English1773-1806Классы театрального танцеванияTheatrical dance classes1806-1920Московское императорское училищеMoscow Imperial School1920-1931Государственный московский балетный техникум при ГАБТState Moscow Ballet College at the Bolshoi Theater1937-1961Московское академическое училище (МАХУ)Choreographic School of the Bolshoi Theater1961-1987Московский государственный хореографический (институт с сохранением при нём МАХУ)Moscow State Choreographic Institute (with the preservation of MAKhU)1987-Московская государственная академия хореографии (МГАХ)Moscow State Academy of Choreography
References
External links Official website The Moscow State Academy of Choreography page at UNESCO Summer Intensive in New York City