science | January 17, 2026

Vaganova Academy Of Russian Ballet Notable Alumni

Discover the notable alumni of Vaganova Academy Of Russian Ballet. The list includes people like Mikhail Baryshnikov, Rudolf Nureyev, Vaslav Nijinsky, Galina Ulanova & Natalia Makarova. This list of notable alumni is loosely sorted by popularity and has people from different domains of life, such as dancers, film & theater personalities etc.

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 1 

Michel Fokine

(Russian Choreographer and Dancer)

Michel Fokine

Birthdate: April 23, 1880

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Died: August 22, 1942

Michel Fokine was a Russian dancer and choreographer whose pieces are performed internationally to this day. Fokine is credited with choreographing the works of popular dancers like Anna Pavlova. Renowned for his groundbreaking works, such as Le Pavillon d'Armide, Michel Fokine has been portrayed in a couple of films, namely Nijinsky and A Woman for All Time.

 2 

Tamara Karsavina

(Russian Prima Ballerina and Founding Member of the Largest Dance-Teaching Organization 'Royal Academy of Dance')

Tamara Karsavina

Birthdate: March 10, 1885

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Died: May 26, 1978

Tamara Karsavina was a Russian ballet dancer who served as a principal artist at Sergei Diaghilev's popular company The Ballets Russes. Karsavina also taught ballet and is credited with co-founding modern British ballet. After settling in Britain, Tamara Karsavina popularized the dance form in Britain and helped establish The Royal Academy of Dance as well as The Royal Ballet.

 3 

Agrippina Vaganova

(Russian Ballet Teacher Known for Developing the 'Vaganova Method' )

Agrippina Vaganova

Birthdate: June 26, 1879

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Died: November 5, 1951

The person behind the development of the Vaganova method, Agrippina Vaganova was a significant name in the Russian ballet scene. She also penned Fundamentals of the Classical Dance, which is the most-followed text on ballet. At Mariinsky Ballet, she was known as the queen of variations.

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 4 

Evgenia Obraztsova

(Ballet dancer)

Evgenia Obraztsova

Birthdate: January 18, 1984

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Leningrad, Soviet Union

Russian ballerina Evgenia Obraztsova is best known for her performances as Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, and as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake. Born into a family of ballet dancers, she joined the Vaganova Academy and then performed as part of the Mariinsky Ballet.  

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 5 

Alina Somova

(Ballet dancer)

Alina Somova

Birthdate: October 22, 1985

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Russian ballerina Alina Somova was initially pushed into sports by her mother but later moved to ballet. Now the principal dancer at the Mariinsky Ballet, she has also won many awards, such as a Golden Mask for her performance as the Tsar-Maiden in the ballet The Little Humpbacked Horse.

 6 

Marina Semyonova

(Russian Ballerina)

Marina Semyonova

Birthdate: June 12, 1908

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Died: June 9, 2010

The first Soviet-trained prima ballerina, Marina Semyonova demonstrated an unusual style of ballet that influenced a generation of dancers. She won the Stalin Prize in 1941 when she was associated with the Bolshoi Theatre. She stayed with the company after retiring and became one of the most prominent teachers. In 1975, Semyonova was named a People's Artist of the USSR.

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 7 

Ninel Kurgapkina

(Russian Former Prima Ballerina)

Ninel Kurgapkina

Birthdate: February 13, 1929

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Died: May 8, 2009

Ninel Kurgapkina was a Russian ballet dancer and teacher. She is best remembered for her association with the popular classical ballet company the Imperial Russian Ballet where she served as a prima ballerina. From 1969 onwards, she taught at the Imperial Russian Ballet and conducted master classes at several institutions. In 1974, she received the People's Artist of the USSR.

 8 

Leonid Lavrovsky

(Russian Ballet Choreographer Famous for Choreographing the First Full Version of Sergei Prokofiev’s 'Romeo and Juliet')

Leonid Lavrovsky

Birthdate: June 18, 1905

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Died: November 26, 1967

Leonid Lavrovsky was a Russian ballet choreographer best remembered for choreographing Sergei Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet. In 1944, he was chosen as the Bolshoi Theater's head ballet master, thanks to the success and popularity of Romeo and Juliet. At the Bolshoi, Leonid Lavrovsky restaged Romeo and Juliet in 1946 for which he received the prestigious Stalin Prize.

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 9 

Alla Sizova

(Ballerina)

Alla Sizova

Birthdate: September 22, 1939

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Moscow, Russia

Died: November 23, 2014

Alla Sizova was a Russian ballerina best remembered for her association with the Imperial Russian Ballet. Along with Alla Osipenko, Natalia Makarova, and Irina Kolpakova, Sizova was one of the four superstar ballet dancers of the Soviet Union. In 1983, Alla Sizova was honored with the prestigious People's Artist of the USSR, the Soviet Union's highest artistic honor.

 10 

Rostislav Zakharov

(Russian Choreographer, Ballet Dancer and Opera Director)

Rostislav Zakharov

Birthdate: September 7, 1907

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Astrakhan, Russia

Died: January 15, 1984

Rostislav Zakharov was a Russian ballet dancer, choreographer, and opera director. He is best remembered for choreographing Cinderella (1945) and The Fountain of Bakhchisaray (1934). He also worked as a professor and taught at the Russian Academy of the Arts in Moscow. In 1969, Rostislav Zakharov was honored with the People's Artist of the USSR.

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