Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet

Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet
Location
Map

Coordinates59°55′49″N 30°20′09″E / 59.9303°N 30.3358°E / 59.9303; 30.3358
Information
TypeBallet school
EstablishedMay 4, 1738 (1738-05-04)
Campus typeUrban
Websitehttps://vaganovaacademy.ru/

The Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet is a school of classical ballet in St Petersburg, Russia. Established in 1738 during the reign of Empress Anna, the academy was known as the Imperial Ballet School until the Soviet era, when, after a brief hiatus, the school was re-established as the Leningrad State Choreographic Institute. In 1957, the school was renamed in honor of the pedagogue Agrippina Vaganova, who cultivated the method of classical ballet training that has been taught there since the late 1920s. Many of the world's leading ballet schools have adopted elements of the Vaganova method into their own training.

The Vaganova Academy is the associate school of the Mariinsky Ballet, one of the world's leading ballet companies. Students of the school have found employment with ballet and contemporary companies worldwide, such as the Bolshoi Ballet, The Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and the Mikhailovsky Ballet.