The Russian Goddess of Ballet

Introduction      The dancer I decided to research for my final project is Galina Ulanova, a Russian ballerina and the first prima ballerina assoluta of the Soviet Union, which continued on for 16 years. I decided to choose Galina Ulanova because she is considered one the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century and I wanted to choose a ballerina that I did not expect anyone to choose yet. She was also considered “embodiment of the Soviet school of ballet” which seems like a very high claim and title. Not only was she an exceptional dancer, she was also considered a great tragic actress, even possibly the most significant in the history of ballet. Furthermore, I found it inspiring that she continued her legacy by coaching notable young dancers after retiring from dancing in 1960. Additionally, she served as ballet mistress of the Bolshoi Theatre, and occasionally wrote dance articles for Soviet journals. Since she clearly had a long history and professional experience ...