http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/1581693

The Russian ballet. With drawings by Pamela Colman Smith

An illustrated volume, The Russian Ballet features chapters on famous ballets and ballet dancers of Russian origin. The first Russian Ballet company, the Imperial School of Ballet, opened in the early 1740s and started the dance tradition in the country. In the early days of ballet, theaters were accessible only by the wealthy, and the dances were performed in front of smaller audiences. In the early 19th century, Russian ballet theaters were opened for all people to attend. Featuring varying seating sections, wealthy patrons would sit in plush chairs with balcony seating while poorer fans would sit in the "paradise gallery," a section with simple wooden benches. With the founding of the Ballets Russes in 1909, Russian ballet became an elite sect of the art form. Thanks to the efforts of Sergey Diaghilev, Russian classical ballet spread across the world with his troupe's headquarters located in Paris and his protege opening the New York City Ballet in America. Today, the Russian Kirov Ballet (also known as the Mariinsky Ballet) tours the world as one of the most famous and successful ballet companies in history.

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