Vaganova Ballet Technique

There are several training programs that a dancer can complete to gain solid ballet technique, but the Vaganova ballet technique method has been proven one of the most successful. The progressive training program was used to develop the ballet technique of some of the most famous dancers, including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Anna Pavlova, George Balanchine and many others. In fact, the Vaganova ballet technique method is still used in training the Kirov ballet and the Bolshoi ballet.

Vaganova ballet combines the romanticism of French ballet with the athleticism of Italian ballet and the drama of Russian ballet into a ballet technique style that is strong and delicate at the same time. The Vaganova ballet is most common in Russia, but is also used for training European and American dancers in ballet technique.

The Vaganova ballet method was developed by Aggrippina Vaganova, a professional ballerina in the Imperial Russian Ballet. Vaganova combined elements of Russian, Italian, and French ballet technique training to create her own distinct program for developing ballet technique.

Aggrippina Vaganova emphasized the importance of building strength and flexibility in the lower back, as well as elasticity of the arms, and a distinct shaping of the hands in which the thumb appeared "attached" to the middle finger and the pointer and ring fingers were slightly raised.

The Vaganova ballet method was the first to emphasize the importance of core strength. Aggrippina Vaganova believed that having strong core muscles was essential for serious ballet dancers, because she felt that all movement originated in the core. This theory is still widely accepted in ballet technique training today.

Vaganova ballet technique is also marked by dancers who hold their hips and torso square during attitudes and arabesques. Vaganova ballet technique does not allow for any lifting of the hips during these positions. Vaganova ballet also emphasizes extremely high leg extensions. Many dancers believe that lifting legs high has always been expected of dancers, but in truth, the extreme limits of flexibility in ballet technique were not explored until Aggrippina Vaganova added such flexibility requirements into her ballet technique training method.

The combination of the extreme flexibility and strength developed in the Vaganova ballet training enabled Vaganova dancers to execute extremely difficult leaps and turns that had been unheard of in the past. These advanced ballet "tricks" or "bravura" dancing quickly became the hallmarks of Vaganova ballet, and therefore, all of Russian ballet. This is the reason that Russian ballet dancers are seen as almost superhuman in their strength and power.

Vaganova ballet has been criticized by many for excluding many body types. Aggrippina Vaganova believed that only a few select types of bodies were suitable for ballet. Characteristics necessary for solid ballet technique included long necks, long legs, extremely low body fat, muscle definition (but not bulky muscle) and extreme flexibility and turnout. Few aspiring dancers shared all these traits, and were sadly barred from learning ballet technique at the Vaganova Ballet Academy.

The other major criticism of Vaganova ballet technique is the stress it places on the body. Vaganova ballet technique forces the dancers to keep their feet turned out 180 degrees. This can place a lot of strain on the knees for those who don't already have perfect turnout.

Despite concerns over body type discrimination and over-exertion, the Vaganova ballet technique method is still highly regarded today and continues to heavily influence the modern world of ballet.