Class of perfection
The class of perfection (French: classe de perfectionnement) is an advanced ballet class for the highest ranking ballerinas in a ballet company. In Russia, the traditional class of perfection has been replaced by the unified company class,[1] but the term may still be used informally for the special classes taken by only the highest ranking dancers in a company.[2][3]
Early history[edit]
The class of perfection at the Imperial Choreographic School was taught by Christian Johansson, who had himself been a pupil of Danish balletmaster August Bournonville. After Johansson, the responsibility of teaching the class passed to his former student Nikolai Legat. Many of Russian ballets legendary dancers were once pupils of Legat's class of perfection including Njinsky, Mikhail Fokine and the most important ballerinas of the time. Ballet mistress Agrippina Vaganova had also been one of Legat's class of perfection students.[4]
Teachers[edit]
| Name | Date | Notable pupils | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Johansson | Nikolai Legat | [4] | |
| Nikolai Legat | 1889 | Njinsky, Fokine, Vaganova, Alexandra Danilova | [4] |
| Agrippina Vaganova | c.1925-1951 | Natalia Dudinskaya | [2] |
| Natalia Dudinskaya | 1951 | [5] |
References[edit]
- ^ Rizzo, Laura Katz (2012-09-01). "Vaganova's Vision and the Development of Neoclassical Russian Ballet Technique". Dance Chronicle. 35 (3): 408–413. doi:10.1080/01472526.2012.720960. ISSN 0147-2526.
- ^ a b Greskovic, Robert (1998). Ballet 101: A Complete Guide to Learning and Loving the Ballet. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 978-0-87910-325-5.
- ^ Ekaterina Krysanova (prima ballerina) (July 30, 2013). Dance class with the Bolshoi ballet. London: The Telegraph.
- ^ a b c Newman, Barbara (2003). Grace Under Pressure: Passing Dance Through Time. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 978-0-87910-995-0.
- ^ Ezrahi, Christina (2012-11-30). Swans of the Kremlin: Ballet and Power in Soviet Russia. University of Pittsburgh Pre. ISBN 978-0-8229-7807-7.