Founding
In 1776 Prince Pyotr Urusov and English entrepreneur Michael Maddox founded the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow. From the very beginning the Bolshoi had a specific style in which the acting and staging of the ballets was at least as important, if not more important than the dancing. Don Quixote, a ballet particularly rich in story and acting originated in Moscow and became the showpiece of the Bolshoi Ballet.
Academy
The Bolshoi Ballet also has an academy associated with it that teaches ballet in the style of the company. Nearly all company members are trained in the school through an 8 year course, and all Bolshoi stars were trained at the school. The syllabus taught at the Bolshoi is specifically tailored to the requirements of the company, and the only goal of the school is to train future company dancers. It is incredibly difficult for dancers trained elsewhere to penetrate the Bolshoi company because the dancers there are trained from the very beginning in the Bolshoi style.
Distinct from Kirov
St. Petersburg, home of the Kirov Ballet is often considered to be the home of classical ballet, however the Bolshoi in Moscow is an equally impressive company with a completely distinct style. Don Quixote, a quintessential Russian ballet, actually originated in Moscow on the Bolshoi company. While this ballet is performed around the world, many believe that it is best performed by the Bolshoi.
Gorsky - Romeo and Juliet
Alexander Gorsky was the artistic director of the company at the beginning of the 20th century. His choreographic ideas reflected the spirit of Russia at the time and brought a great rise in the popularity of the Bolshoi Ballet. Under Gorsky the Bolshoi became the home to experimental choreographers such as Rostislav Zakharov, who created The Fountain of Bakhchisarai, and Leonid Lavrovsky, who created Romeo and Juliet. These ballets were performed by Bolshoi stars and aided the Bolshoi's rise in fame and popularity throughout the world.
New Versions of the Classics
The next influential artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet was Yuri Grigorovich, who further developed the distinct Bolshoi style. Under Grigorovich, the Bolshoi performed many new versions of classical ballets such as Ivan the Terrible and Spartacus. Grigorovich further developed the Bolshoi's reputation as a dramatic powerhouse through his emphasis on acting and presentation over technical feats.
A New Bolshoi Theater
In 2002 there was great change at the Bolshoi. A new theater was opened in 2002 and there was an incredible enrichment of the reperoire including a new version of Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night's Dream. There were also many new works created especially for the Bolshoi Theater.
