Choreography
Biography
Russian ballet dancer and choreographer (1834-1901) who rose through the ranks of the Imperial Ballet to become its Second Balletmaster. After gaining attention as a last-minute replacement dancer in La Fille Mal Gardée, he went on to choreograph the celebrated Act II and Act IV of Swan Lake, including the Dance of the Little Swans, as well as Act II of Cinderella, and co-created The Nutcracker together with Marius Petipa. He trained at the Imperial Theatre School and entered the company in 1852, becoming a leading dancer and mime before his appointment as second ballet master in 1885, a post he held beside Petipa. The lakeside acts belong to the Swan Lake of 1895; The Magic Flute and the Polovtsian Dances in Prince Igor are his as well, and his shaping of ensemble movement to the musical phrase gave the corps de ballet an active share in the drama.