Russian Ballet
Like the city of St Petersburg, classical
ballet in Russia was created by foreigners, and yet it is most definitely
‘Russian.’
There is a mention of Russian dancers at the French court of Louis
XIV, when some ‘Muscovites’ came to learn the art, and displeased
their teachers by their lack of attention.
In the 17th century, ballet was introduced into Russia by the
second Romanov ruler, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich (1629 – 1676) at
his wedding festivities. Peter the Great (1672 – 1725) took a personal
interest in the dancing at his court by bringing in Western dances
and taking part in them himself. With the help of his prisoners
– Swedish officers captured in The Northern Wars – he taught his
courtiers.
The formal beginning of Russian ballet can be traced back to a
letter written in 1737 to the Empress Anne (1693 – 1740) by the
teacher of dancing at the Cadet School. The request of Jean-Baptiste
Lande, a Frenchman, was granted on May 15, 1738, and the first
Russian School of Dancing (later the Imperial School) was given
two rooms in the Old Winter Palace.
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