Vaganova biography

Ballet technique and training system

The Vaganova method is a ballet technique and training system devised by the Russian dancer and pedagogue Agrippina Vaganova (–).

It was derived from the teachings of the Premier Maître de BalletMarius Petipa, throughout the late 19th century. It was Agrippa Vaganova who perfected and cultivated this form of teaching classical ballet and turned it into a viable syllabus.^[1] The method fuses elements of traditional French style from the romantic era with the athleticism and virtuosity of Italian Cecchetti technique.^[2] The training system is designed to involve the whole body in every movement, with equal attention paid to the upper body, legs and feet.

Vaganova believed that this approach increases consciousness of the body, thus creating a harmony of movement and greater expressive range.^[3]

History

Upon graduating from the Imperial Ballet School in Saint Petersburg in , Agrippina Vagan