Vaganova Today: The Preservation of Pedagogical Tradition

Conclusion

179 Conclusion A ballerina of the Imperial ballet. A pedagogue of classical dance in the Soviet ballet school. The founder of a new, modern method of dance skills. The author of the first book on the science of classical dance. The first professor of choreography. People’s Artist of the RSFSR . Laureate of the State Award of the USSR. A wise theorist, a great practitioner of ballet teaching. Counselor to many generations of talented ballerinas of Soviet ballet theater. ThelifeofAgrippinaYakovlevnaendedabruptly,butthecreation of her method of classical dance, convincing evidence of commitment and creative necessity, continued its path into art. The generations of dancers change, but Vaganova’s participation lives in each of them. It lives in those who today, on the 100th anniversary of her birth, dance on stage. And it will live 100 years after the death of this orthodox master of choreography.1 Agrippina Vaganova was a pioneer. She developed and codified a system of ballet training that became the standard against which many great dancers are judged. In Russia, nearly everyone holds the Vaganova Academy and its style in great reverence; the pedagogues and dancers mentioned on these pages serve Vaganova’s legacy in their daily work in the studio and on stage. As Vaganova’s contemporary Fyodor Lopukhov wrote, “I don’t doubt that classical dance of the twentieth century can overcome everything. But it is not necessary to confuse this with archaic form. Classical dance is constantly developing, both by its own rules and under the influence 180 • Vaganova Today of other art forms. . . . I’m completely convinced that all the talented dancers of the future will surpass those that currently exist. The law of development consists of this.”2 Indeed, the present has surpassed what preceded it. Legs are higher; technique is more refined; bravura steps are more numerous and delivered in greater quantity. We have developpés at 180 degrees, sixtyfour fouettés instead of thirty-two. . . . But is that a sign of development, necessarily? Technique, certainly, has progressed; Vaganova’s system has lasted, in part, by evolving to meet new artistic needs. Just as Agrippina Yakovlevna herself adjusted her approach to steps in developing her method, sothattechniquehasadaptedtothechangingtimes.Thegraduatesofthe Vaganova Academy today are different from their predecessors—longer , leaner, with higher extensions, more turns—but they stem from the same traditions. The precision in their technique, the uniformity of their corps de ballet, the consistent, shared basis for training are just some of the hallmarks of Vaganova’s system. Harbingers of the “old school style” continue to teach and coach inside the theater, raising the younger generation , the more talented of whom have absorbed the best of past tradition , the basis of that technique, but also the ability to project emotion and soul, to inhabit a role or character on stage. The pedagogical system thatformedovercenturies nowcontinues,stillpasseddowntoeachgeneration “from hand to hand, from foot to foot.” The Vaganova system itselfremainshighlyinsular,butnotimpenetrablebyWesterntrendsand influences. The disagreements over the current state of Vaganova’s style as discussedbytoday ’sMariinskyandVaganovaAcademypedagogue-coaches underscore the importance of this school in the world of ballet and the greatconcernforitamongthosewhocontinuetocarryVaganova’storch. Some think the tradition is disappearing or unnecessarily altered; others insist it is adapting and evolving as the great pedagogue herself intended. And some observe the preservation of the basic technical foundation of Vaganova’s system at the expense of soulful, emotional expression. One could argue that exposure to Western influence has tarnished parts of what was a carefully preserved tradition during the Soviet years. Or that the passage of time and the evolution of the spectator’s preferences have Conclusion • 181 affected how this tradition is now viewed. Gabriela Komleva notes the shift in the ballet-going audience over the years. Earlier,thereweremoretheaterlovers,morefans.Sinceperestroika there has been a shift in the country, and there aren’t enough resources for balletomanes because the pensioners cannot pay for expensive tickets. There are many reasons that now prevent people who are true balletomanes from attending performances. Meanwhile , the new viewers are not always dedicated—you have to love it and be dedicated. Ballet isn’t pop culture, after all; it is an art of the chosen few, a selected elite, for those who understand it; and it is also an art that you have to learn and study.3 Unfortunately, today such study and awareness in the viewer has perhaps diminished somewhat over time, as ballet now competes with the developments and...