June 26
Born Today:
Agrippina Vaganova
Dancer and revered teacher Agrippina Vaganova (1879-1951) trained at the Imperial Ballet in Russia and retired early from performing to focus on teaching. The 1917 Russian Revolution destabilized the Imperial training system, but Vaganova’s efforts helped to preserve the legacy of choreographer Marius Petipa (1818-1910) and the Imperial traditions and training. She wrote Fundamentals of the Classic Dance (1934) and began training ballet teachers in the Vaganova method, a system which combined the best aspects of the Russian school, the regal old French style, and the Italian footwork. The technique remains one of the most popular in the world.
Also Born Today: Modern dancer Pauline Koner (1912-2001) is best known for dancing with choreographer José Limón (1908-1972) and for being a proponent of the benefits of the Limón technique in creating expressive dancers. Post-modern choreographer Lucinda Childs (1940-) studied primarily with choreographer Merce Cunningham (1919-2009) and is best known for creating minimalist movement compositions, including Einstein on the Beach (1976), a collaboration with musician Philip Glass and director Robert Wilson. Multi-talented Steve Barton (1954-2001) is best known for appearing in the original Broadway version of The Phantom of the Opera (1988) and The Red Shoes (1993). Ballet dancer Farukh Ruzimatov (1963-) danced with the Maryinsky Ballet for 30 years and was named the Artistic Director of the Navoi Ballet Theatre in Uzbekistan.