Jenn: Is the Bolshoi Ballet school considered an elite institution?
Why do some people not think it’s that amazing? I thought it was one of the best ballet schools in the world.
Answers and Views:
Answer by Artemis
It is one of oldest and most widely regarded, but there will always be personal favorites. The people that don’t find it amazing are probably biased toward Paris Opera Ballet or something of the like. It’s like cheering for a hockey team simply because you like the color of their jerseys or think Sidney Crosby is cute.
I think it is because of their pull away from the Vaganova Russian style taught at the Miriinsky (Kirov). The word Bolshoi in Russian means circus. This ballet school/company tends to go for a more flashy style of dance that has more athleticism and perhaps “tricks” than the more traditional Miriinsky. There is a certain snobbery in the ballet world for more traditional classical styles. The same argument has been used against the NYCB (School of American Ballet) Balanchine style of dancing when compared for instance to ABT.
* If you are talking about the Bolshoi school here in the states, it is still a relatively new program and accepts dancers that more elite intensives don’t.
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