On May 4th, 1738, the Imperial Theatre School began which sprouted into the Vaganova school. iedIt started with twelve girls and boys who studied 'the foreign steps' on one of the upper floors of the Winter Palace in Russia. Charles Didelot became the director of the school in 1801. He taught for over 20 years and produced many ballets and raising the level of ballet education to a very high standard. From the directors of the Imperial Theatre School came the three greatest classical masterpieces of the 19th century, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and Nutcracker. Enrico Cecchetti and Christian Johansson were 2 very famous choreographers that taught at the Imperial Theatre School. George Balanchine was a student at the Imperial Theatre School who then founded the New York City Ballet. Agrippina Vaganova, a very famous ballet dancer, graduated from the School in 1897 and after she graduated she began teaching at the School in 1921. Vaganova developed a syllabus that established a new time in ballet education. In 1957, six years after Vaganova’s death, the School was named after her. Through many years of changes, the school has maintained the best traditions of classical ballet. Now, the school has 340 students, and competition for a place at the School is though. Throughout the school year, thousands of students apply for consultations with the staff to see if they can be accepted into the School.  Of these thousands, approximately 70 will be accepted. After making it into the school, the training is extremely difficult, and only 30 or so students will actually complete the eight year curriculum. What to learn more? Go to http://vaganovaacademy.com/