Mathilde Kschessinska was born in St. Petersburg Ligovo, near Peterhof in the of August 1872. She was the daughter of a well-known dancer of Polish origin, Feliks Krzesiński. Her father and her brother were both dancers in St. Petersburg. Mathilde Kschessinska graduated from the Imperial Ballet School in 1890 and five years later was filling all the … Read more
I always love to learn about famous dancers of our past as these are the people who shaped dance for the future. today I would like to focus on Carlotta Grisi. Who Was Carlotta Grisi? Carlotta Grisi was born in Visinada as Caronne Adele Josephine Marie Grisi on the 28th of June 1819 in Italy. She … Read more
Dame Margot Fonteyn de Arias was born on the 18th of May 1919 as Peggy Hookham in Reigate, England. She was a solemn little girl with a thick page-boy haircut, a pet chipmunk, and she had a love of vigorous character dancing. Pavlova who was a star at the time made very little impression on … Read more
Here is an old ballet, but also a very interesting ballet called Little Humped Back Horse. You can watch the entire production right here. This version above is more modernized than the original which is well over a hundred years old and was done at the Mariinsky. This old ballet is based on the fairytale … Read more
The Anna Pavlova Biography proves to be both interesting and compelling. She led a short life but achieved so much. She also managed to accomplish all her dreams, something most people don’t manage to do in a lifetime. Anna Pavlova The Ballerina Anna Pavlova was born in 1881 just outside St. Petersburg. She saw a … Read more
Olga Preobrajenska was born in St. Petersburg on January 21, 1871. I have yet to find out what her real surname is hence the two different ways of spelling it in the title of this page. I have a feeling the one way is the Russian way and the other the English way. Her mother … Read more
Let us take a look at the impressive history surrounding the Imperial Russian Ballet. Even though ballet was or may have been invented in Italy and France initially, one can definitely say that this beautiful art form was refined and invigorated in Russia. Ballet developed and evolved in the 18th century in Moscow and St. … Read more
Marie Petipa was the daughter of famous choreographer Marius Petipa, but she has quite a tragic story behind her. Marie Mariusovna Petipa was born on the 29th of October 1857 in St. Petersburg. She studied classical ballet under her father Marius Petipa. Her mother was Maria Petipa. She made her debut at the Mariinsky Theater … Read more
Let’s take a closer look at the Romantic Ballet Era and two of the great choreographers of romantic era ballet productions. Rethinking the Sylph: New Perspectives on the Romantic Ballet (Studies In Dance History) This old and rare book can be purchased online and is invaluable for dance teachers and more advanced students or for … Read more
Before 1970, ballet was always the dominant dance style the world knew and loved. Today this is not so anymore as modern dance dominates our theaters more and more. Let’s look at some modern dance history. You can read about how early modern dance started by clicking here. Modern Dance History Retold By the 1970s … Read more