What is Russian Vaganova Ballet technique?

People often ask about Russian Vaganova Ballet Technique and training; what it is exactly that makes it unique. Vaganova training is the purest form of teaching classical ballet, it is a thorough and methodical technique which allows the dancer to learn the proper use of muscles to move with control, strength, and grace without introducing tension or overuse of the wrong muscles.

Vaganova Ballet Technique was developed by Agrippina Vaganova (1879-1951) a distinguished Russian ballet dancer, choreographer, and teacher. She danced professionally with the Mariinsky ballet in St. Petersburg. She became known as the ‘Queen of Variations’ for her brilliant solos. As a dancer, she was extremely self-critical and aware of the inadequacies of her own technique. When she retired from dancing to become a teacher, she became more and more conscious of her desire to investigate the “science of ballet,” to find effective means of training classical dancers. Through studying the French, Italian, Danish and Russian methods, Vaganova designed a training method and began to produce a few dancers. These dancers at the age of 17 were catching the attention of the critics who were astonished by the rich orchestration of their movements, brilliance of their turns, and the unusual expressiveness of their arms. Gradually as more dancers were produced through Vaganova technique; this, in turn, affected the performance quality of the classical ballets such as Swan Lake and Esmerelda. The performance style of the dancer was strengthened and polished, from the girls in the corps de ballet to the leading ballerinas. Something they had in common was their manner of execution, a single style, a single dance ‘handwriting’ which manifests itself clearly in their harmonious plasticity of movement, the expressiveness of their arms, in the suppleness yet at the same time the iron aplomb of the body, and the noble and natural placement of the head. Vaganova’s method also influenced the development of the male dancer. ‘Helping them find the iron aplomb and stability that enabled them to find support in their body to provide the strength for turns and jumps’. These are the distinctive traits of the Vaganova technique.

Some key techniques Vaganova incorporated into her teaching method are:

• Special attention to epaulement (turning of the shoulders and upper body)
• Correct training of the arms (port de bras), fluidity, placement, coordination with the head and all movements
• Precise coordination of the whole body, working as one unit
• Unique sense of musicality (Russian-style pianist class accompanist )

Vaganova’s system aimed at teaching students to “dance with the whole body”. The systematic design of the classes carefully teaches the technique without room for error or bad habits to develop. The exercises naturally progress and are easily executed by teaching the correct muscles to respond to the movement. The technique naturally allows the dancer to progress to the next level of movement easily and free of tension or lack of control. At Marr-Mac we have customized this teaching syllabus to suit the serious dancer who initially studies ballet twice a week, progressing to 3 classes/week, then 4 or 5. The Syllabus moves at an appropriate pace to carefully train the young dancer which compliments their age and rate of growth, so by the age of 17, the dancer is properly equipped to go onto further pre-professional study.

For more information about Agrippina Vaganova and the Vaganova Technique visit

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaganova_method
• http://www.vaganova.ru/page_en.php?id=298&pid=272

Quotes and excerpts taken from Basic Principles of Classical Ballet by Agrippina Vaganova