Bolshoi Ballet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bolshoi Ballet |
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| General information | |
| Name | Bolshoi Ballet |
| Local name | Большой Театр Балетная труппа Большого театра Baletnaya truppa Bol'shovo teatra |
| Year founded | 1776 |
| Principal venue | Bolshoi Theatre |
| Website | http://www.bolshoi.ru |
| Senior staff | |
| Director | Vladimir Urin |
| Ballet Director | Makhar Vaziev |
| Artistic staff | |
| Deputy Director | Galina Stepanenko |
| Music Director | Tugan Sokhiev |
| Ballet Master | Yuri Grigorovich |
| Other | |
| Parent company | Bolshoi Theatre |
| Orchestra | Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre |
| Official school | Moscow State Academy of Choreography |
| Formation | Principal Lead soloist First soloist Soloist Corps de ballet |
The Bolshoi Ballet is a world-famous classical ballet company. It is based at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia. The word "Bolshoi" means "big" or "grand" in Russian.
Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi is one of the oldest ballet companies in the world. In the early 1900s, it became very well known internationally. This happened when Moscow became the capital of Soviet Russia. Today, the Bolshoi is seen as one of the best ballet companies globally. It even has a special ballet school branch in Joinville, Brazil.
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History of the Bolshoi Ballet
The Bolshoi Ballet started from a dance school in Moscow in 1773. This school was for children in an orphanage. In 1776, dancers from this school joined a new theatre company. This company was created by Prince Pyotr Vasilyevich Urusov and Michael Maddox.
They first performed in private places. Later, they got the Petrovsky Theatre. This theatre was rebuilt many times because of fires. It eventually became the famous Bolshoi Theatre we know today. Most dancers in the company are graduates of the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. Some guest dancers also come from other famous companies like the Mariinsky Ballet.
For a long time, the Bolshoi Ballet was not as famous as the Imperial Russian Ballet. That company is now called the Mariinsky Ballet in St. Petersburg. But things changed in 1900. That's when Alexander Gorsky became the Ballet Master.
Gorsky helped the company create its own special style. They put on amazing new or updated ballets. These included Don Quixote (1900) and Swan Lake (1901). Other famous ballets were Coppélia (1901) and Giselle (1911).
In 1964, Yuri Grigorovich became the director. He stayed in this role until 1995. After him, other directors like Alexei Ratmansky brought more modern dance ideas to the company.
Famous Ballets Performed
The Bolshoi Ballet performs many well-known ballets. Here are some of the famous shows they have staged:
- A Hero of Our Time, by Yuri Possokhov
- A Legend of Love, by Yuri Grigorovich
- Apollo, by George Balanchine
- Carmen Suite, by Alberto Alonso
- Coppélia, by Marius Petipa and Enrico Cecchetti
- Don Quixote, by Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky
- Giselle, by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot
- Ivan the Terrible, by Yuri Grigorovich
- Jewels, by George Balanchine
- La Bayadere, by Marius Petipa
- La Fille mal gardée, by Alexander Gorsky
- Le Corsaire, by Marius Petipa
- The Nutcracker, by Yuri Grigorovich
- Onegin, by John Cranko
- Romeo and Juliet, by Yuri Grigorovich or Alexei Ratmansky
- Spartacus, by Yuri Grigorovich
- Swan Lake, by Marius Petipa
- The Sleeping Beauty, by Marius Petipa
How the Company Works
The Bolshoi Ballet is one of the largest ballet companies in the world. It has about 220 dancers. The company uses a special system for its dancers, like other big European ballet companies.
Dancers are ranked in order of importance:
- Principals: These are the most senior and important dancers.
- Lead soloists
- First soloists
- Soloists
- Corps de ballet: This is the largest group of dancers. They perform together as a group. Because the company is so big, it has two groups of corps de ballet.
In 2000, the Bolshoi Ballet opened its first ballet school outside Russia. This school is in Joinville, Brazil.
Bolshoi's Unique Style
The Bolshoi Ballet is known for its colorful and bold performance style. Their dancers combine strong technique and athleticism with lots of expression and drama. This special style is often linked to Alexander Gorsky.
Historically, there has been a friendly competition with the Mariinsky Ballet from St. Petersburg. Both companies have developed very different ways of performing. The Bolshoi is known for its lively and powerful approach. The Mariinsky, on the other hand, is known for a more pure and classic style.
Notable Dancers
Many incredible dancers have been part of the Bolshoi Ballet. Here are some of the most famous ones:
- Galina Ulanova
- Maya Plisetskaya
- Vladimir Vasiliev
- Natalia Bessmertnova
- Nikolay Tsiskaridze
- Svetlana Zakharova
- Natalia Osipova
Images for kids
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Anna Tikhomirova performing in Delhi
See also
In Spanish: Ballet Bolshoi para niños
- List of productions of Swan Lake derived from its 1895 revival
- Moscow State Academy of Choreography, the official school for the Bolshoi Ballet
- Mariinsky Ballet
