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Continuity of the choreographic tradition of the Mariinsky Theatre and the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet

Kopunova Kseniya Sergeevna

ORCID: 0000-0001-9731-9672

Postgraduate student, Department , Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet

191023, Russia, Saint Petersburg, Architect Rossi str., 2

kse6581@yandex.ru

DOI:

10.7256/2454-0625.2022.8.38089

EDN:

ZHMOWF

Received:

18-05-2022


Published:

05-09-2022


Abstract: This article is devoted to continuity in choreographic education. The novelty of the research is due to the fact that an attempt has been made to show the continuity of the choreographic tradition of the Mariinsky Theater and the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in a comparative aspect. The author also examines the term "continuity" in an educational perspective, explaining the importance of this aspect in the formation of the personality of a ballet dancer. The historical moments concerning the preservation of pedagogical traditions, as well as modern issues of an educational nature are considered. The author focuses on the connection between the learning process and stage practice on the example of choreography by M. I. Petipa. The importance of this research is expressed in the uniqueness of this choreographic direction in a comparative aspect and the emergence of a new paradigm, which includes the development of new mechanisms to ensure the educational process. This article is devoted to continuity in choreographic education. The novelty of the research is due to the fact that an attempt has been made to show the continuity of the choreographic tradition of the Mariinsky Theater and the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in a comparative aspect. The author also considers the term "continuity" in an educational perspective, with an explanation of the importance of this aspect in the formation of the personality of a ballet dancer. The historical moments concerning the preservation of pedagogical traditions, as well as modern issues of an educational nature are considered. The author focuses on the connection between the learning process and stage practice on the example of choreography by M. I. Petipa. The importance of this research is expressed in the uniqueness of this choreographic direction in a comparative aspect and the emergence of a new paradigm, which includes the development of new mechanisms to ensure the educational process.


Keywords:

continuity of traditions, classical dance, M And Petipa, tradition, theatre, Mariinsky Theatre, the process of learning choreography, ballet, choreography, Vaganova Ballet

This article is automatically translated.

In terms of continuity, the spiritual community of people is valued above all, and the expression is recalled: "Spiritual relatives are better than bodily ones." Intergenerational continuity is one of the most important social phenomena, thanks to which the past is preserved, the integrity of society is preserved, the vector of further development is determined – this also applies to choreographic art.

The continuity of generations in choreographic art is guaranteed by education, which is a factor of individual social and spiritual development. 

It is important to note that in this article the term "continuity" is used in the aspect of education, since two choreographic traditions are compared, updated respectively in two educational organizations. The continuity of the choreographic tradition is the basis for combining the present, past and future in the theater. Changes in the development of culture in one or more theaters should occur in such a way that the main themes of culture are passed down from generation to generation and only minor details change. The continuity of the choreographic tradition is maintained through direct contact with live communicators who act as teachers and students.  The term "continuity" fully corresponds to its meaning, regarding the process of learning choreographic art. "The connection of times, the continuity of generations that keep the precepts of their predecessors and inherit great values, passing them on to students - this is the foundation of the traditionality of education, this is the guarantee of its quality" [5, p. 263].

The purpose of the article is to compare the continuity factor of the choreographic tradition at the Mariinsky Theater and the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet.  It is important to determine what the continuity is manifested in today, using the example of the performances of the Mariinsky Theater, the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet.

The role of modern ballet education, on the one hand, is to maintain the level of practical training of ballet dancers, and on the other hand, is to preserve those traditions that have been formed for centuries, designed and formed for an eight-year training cycle.

The analysis of the works of various researchers (M.Y. Gendova, G.N. Isaenko, V.M. Krasovskaya, etc.) shows that the problem under consideration may be the lack of methodology, theory, technology for the formation and development of pedagogical traditions of choreographic art.

The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that the historical analysis and analysis of the structure and development of the choreographic education system in Russia was carried out on the model of the Mariinsky Theater and the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet.

To begin with, it is necessary to turn to the Soviet era, where special attention in choreographic education was paid to children's stage practice. In order to improve technical and acting skills, it was necessary to regularly go on stage. Among the outstanding choreographers are M. Fokin, G. Balanchivadze, L. Lavrovsky, V. Vainonen, V. Chabukiani, L. Jacobson, B. Fenster, K. Boyarsky, B. Eifman.

Pupils of the Academy are still actively involved in stage practice on the stage of the Mariinsky Theater. Currently, the number of performances featuring children's dances has increased significantly. These are "Sleeping Beauty", "Bayadere", "Don Quixote", "Corsair", "Paquita", "The Bronze Horseman", "Shurale", etc. Performing on the same stage with professional ballet dancers, students are required to show high quality performance and impeccable training. Children's dancing in ballets has always been the first step in this art for everyone, even the most famous dancers. The path to the profession of young performers begins with these productions, and the origins of their artistic development in ballet are the education of stage discipline, understanding of orchestral music, and the development of artistic abilities. These stage skills gradually turn into professional skills, forming the baggage necessary for the profession of a ballet dancer.

In the art of choreography, it is with the children's dances of M. I. Petipa that one can begin the theme of the continuity of choreographic traditions. This is the base with which the whole era of Russian ballet and its legacy are connected. Russian Russian ballet combined music and choreography, the French school with the Russian spirit, he staged more than 60 ballet performances, thereby defining the classical heritage of Russian ballet.

It is important to note the term "choreographic tradition", which in a broad sense refers to everything related to the art of dance, whereas the basis of the concept, or choreography in a narrow sense, is dance. The peculiarity of the choreographic tradition, as well as choreography itself, is that it conveys human thoughts, feelings and experiences without the help of speech, through movements and facial expressions [1, p. 204].

The Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet trains ballet dancers, choreographers, art critics (ballet scholars), set designers and accompanists. In 2005, the academy was the first of the art schools to receive the status of a non-standard educational institution for teenagers and people with special abilities. This officially indicates that the Academy has played an important role in the domestic system of choreographic education and organizational features of the educational process.

To date, ballet education solves the problem of maintaining the level of practical training of professional ballet dancers, on the one hand, and adapting the established tradition of training ballet dancers to the level and goals of ballet-pedagogical activity, on the other. 

The Mariinsky Ballet plays a huge role in the development of Russian culture. Russian Russian folk dances were performed in its establishments, thanks to which many domestic and foreign viewers had the opportunity to get acquainted with traditional Russian culture.

Today, the art of the Mariinsky Theater has "conquered" almost all continents. Russian Russian ballet experts from all over the world note the deep connection between Russian ballet and Russian classical art. The reputation of the Russian ballet school is very high in Europe, America and Asia, so the desire to join the traditions of our school has always attracted everyone who is related to ballet art, from choreographers to recognized masters.

The solution to the issue of continuity in choreography is to study the existing systems of teaching classical dance. They reflect the style and manner of performance, which serves as a guarantee of preserving the traditions of the best ballet school in the world. The process of systematization of the methodology, after A. Ya. Vaganova, was continued by her followers who graduated from pedagogical courses under her leadership: among them N. P. Bazarova, V. P. May, V. S. Kostrovitskaya, L. I. Yarmolovich, E. V. Shiripina, etc. Also, a special basis for identifying the continuity of the choreographic tradition in the process of training and stage practice is the analysis of modern productions of performances that take place at the Mariinsky Theater.

The teaching system created by A. Ya. Vaganova is based on the achievements of the Italian, French and Russian performing arts schools. In our opinion, the traditional model of ballet dance training based on the methodology of A.Ya. Vaganova relies on a complex system of highly structured methodological systems based on the level of complexity in accordance with the historical tradition of ballet education.

Currently, in the conditions of the modern information society, the issue of cultural and artistic heritage of the national tradition of ballet theater is of particular importance, in which specific phrases with inextricably expressed concepts, meanings and value orientations are revealed, which often contradict each other in the conditions of globalization. The actors' need to know the inner world of a person and his great tragedy on stage is associated with the subjectivity of existence, loneliness of the individual, lack of communication skills, complex communication relationships. But at the same time, the achievements of the domestic system of Russian ballet were forgotten, and therefore, from the earliest stages of its creation and development, it took into account world experience and guidance on finding meanings of expression, verbal description [11, p. 198]

The Russian ballet style, which we know today, began to take shape precisely on the basis of the teaching system of A. Ya. Vaganova. The uniform manner of performance, noted by her students, determined him. The desire for conscious execution of each movement contributes to the development of virtuoso technique. Great attention has always been paid and is being paid to danceability and expressiveness for ballet dancers. If we talk about the continuity of traditions in the methodology of A. Ya. Vaganova, it should be noted that she developed the goals and objectives of her teacher E. O. Vazem. In her memoirs, A. Ya. Vaganova writes that E. O. Vazem thoughtfully set different tasks at each lesson: on the development of endurance, musicality, plasticity, softness of performance, developed a jump and accustomed to the strict correctness of the execution of movements [12, p. 122].

A. Ya . Vaganova insisted: "It should be added that the achievement of full coordination of all movements of the human body in the dance exercise makes it necessary to further inspire movements with thought, mood, that is, to give them that expressiveness, which is called artistry" [3, p. 12].

E. N. Heydenreich, a dancer and teacher-tutor, whom Vaganova considered her follower and like-minded person, noted that it was necessary to "fight with indifferent, indifferent faces and tense heads. Delving into the technique and purity of execution, one should not forget about the "face" and "soul-filled flight" [5, p. 156]. This is the continuity of Vaganova's traditions. It is important in the process of studying movements, in a classical dance lesson, to animate them, to dance, and not to perform them mechanically. Since the teaching methodology of A. Ya. Vaganova was developed and was closely connected with theatrical practice, we can safely talk about combining choreographic and pedagogical activities and, as a result, about the highest level of the Mariinsky Theater troupe.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Mariinsky Theatre was founded in the traditions of the great M. I. Petipa. His ballet was inviolable. And in many of his works he introduced children's dance. From time to time, both junior and senior students of the school participated in the performance. Great choreographers were built from an early age as an opportunity to awaken children's dance interests and conscious performances with the birth of art, freedom of movement on stage and other professional qualities of the artist. Children's participation has always been the jewel of ballet. The master conducted the rehearsals calmly, patiently and carefully. He taught children movements in an exact musical sequence, beautifully and clearly. He paid attention to the simultaneous movements of the head and body. M. I. Petipa believed that when staging a dance, it is necessary to develop the imagination of the child, to achieve his conscious stage behavior and active attitude to creativity. Then any, even the most incredible details of the performance will be available to him." [7, p. 41].

Petipa was a true master of dance. He took into account both the tastes of the public and the opportunities and needs of the artists, which is very important for the final result of joint work. He did not include acrobatic elements in his choreography, believing that they distract artists from creating an image. In his productions, academic classical dance was of paramount importance. V. M. Krasovskaya wrote: "Never violating the iron schemes of academic ballet dance, he sought to infuse poetic content into it, fill it with authentic imagery" [10, p. 243] This is an example of not just competent command of choreographic language, but also an important fact of the continuity of classical traditions dance.

The triumph of the Russian ballet is associated with the name of M. Petipa. His contribution to the choreographic art is difficult to overestimate. The legacy of M. I. Petipa helped the Russian ballet, which established its traditions of stage and performing skills, surpass European ones and become the center of the world choreographic art. It would be appropriate to quote the words of L. I. Abyzova: "One can only rely on the mission of the Mariinsky and Bolshoi Theaters, whose task should be to preserve at the reference level the grains of the legacy of Marius Ivanovich Petipa." [2, p. 245]. Preserving the choreography of the XIX century in its original form is a difficult task. It is known that M. I. Petipa himself adjusted variations for a certain dancer, and believed that to show the artist at his best, that's the goal of the choreographer. Today, the capabilities of artists have changed, time will judge for the better or for the worse. A. A. Sokolov-Kaminsky argues that: "... a ballet performance that has existed for many decades is inevitably subject to changes due to various reasons, including objective ones, such as, for example, the growth of virtuosity of dance skills." [12, p. 105]. Despite this, it is necessary in all possible ways to remember the recommendations and comments of such ballet masters as G. T. Komleva, G. P. Kekisheva, E. V. Evteeva, T. G. Terekhova, M. G. Kullik, who were mentored by masters of the past who came out of the class of A. Ya. Vaganova.

The conclusions of this article can be considered the justified need to transfer from generation to generation the knowledge and skills of dancing. Using the available knowledge and skills, you need to move on. It is on the experience of the older generation that new opportunities are being built. At the same time, Vaganova herself left an important testament to her followers: "... life is all around, everything is growing, everything is moving forward. Therefore, I recommend watching life and art." [3, p. 9]. It follows that the timely development and addition of methods of teaching classical dance is necessary. It will allow us to move in a modern direction, taking into account the development of dance art and will be necessary for young generations of ballet dancers to improve their bodily apparatus.

It is also important to note the very moment of continuity of the choreographic tradition as the participation of students of the Academy of Russian Ballet in the stage practice of the Mariinsky Theater, which evenly and gradually introduces students into the rhythm of theatrical life, accustoming them to professional existence on stage and giving those skills that are the beginning of their creative career. Here there is a development of respect for an older friend, mentor. The relationship between a teacher and a student, which is laid down during training, as well as relations with senior colleagues, serve as a guarantee of continuity of traditions of internal, collective relationships.

This article touches upon a very important topic of preserving the classical repertoire as a historical continuity of cultural heritage. The whole essence of culture and continuity as a factor of its development is to preserve, consolidate and form new qualities enriched by previous experience.

The essence of continuity was best expressed by L. N. Tolstoy, who loved such an aphorism: "Whoever owns the past owns the present, whoever owns the present owns the future."

It should be added that the dance technique has been developing over the centuries, continuously improved, but has not lost its identity. Based on European dance laws, Russian ballet embodied its national character, which was reflected in the music, performance, and artistic design. Today, the Russian Ballet is one of the leading in the world, and the Mariinsky Theater is the pearl of Russian and world culture. Therefore, it is especially important for our society to preserve this unique heritage.

In the conditions of continuity of the dance education system, the stability of the pedagogical tradition is determined not only by the time parameter, which is the leading element, but also by the possibility of their significance. The study of the pedagogical tradition of choreographic education in Russia makes it possible to determine the value potential of ballet art in certain historical periods of social development on the example of the studied educational institutions. The study of the problem of the pedagogical tradition of ballet, ballet pedagogy in general and choreographic education in particular is an important applied task of preserving and developing the pedagogical tradition of choreographic education in Russia.

Based on the material of this article, it can be assumed that the pedagogical tradition of choreographic education in Russia is particularly developed. In the difficult conditions of reforming the education system of the Russian Federation, domestic choreographic art and pedagogical traditions have been preserved, which can be expressed by such principles as the unity of tradition and innovation, the obligation of interdisciplinary connections, the unity of research, systems, educational and creative activity, the use of individualization, personal identity and anthropological approaches, the representation of polymodal learning. The synthesis of these pedagogical principles determines the originality of the creation and development of the pedagogical tradition of choreographic education in Russia.

The source of the formation and development of the Russian drama and ballet theater was the understanding of the constancy of the mind, access to the core of the meaning of the performance and the structure of dramatic action. In this regard, the choreographers and actors of the Mariinsky Theater and the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet played their historical role.

References
1. Abdokov, Yu. Musical Poetics of Choreography: Plastic Interpretation of Music in Choreographic Art. Composer's perspective. - M.: MGAH: RATI-GITIS, 2009 - 272 p.
2. Abyzova L. I. Marius Petipa: life and work. St. Petersburg: Composer, 2021. 272 p.
3. Vaganova A. Ya. Fundamentals of classical dance. L.: Art, 1980. 189 p.
4. Heidenreich EN Technique of classical dance in the middle classes of a choreographic school // Synopsis of the performance at the All-Union seminar of teachers of choreographic schools. Moscow, 1971, pp. 153-158.
5. Gendova M. Yu. Values of culture: spiritual traditions and modernity // Bulletin of the Academy of Russian Ballet. A. Ya. Vaganova. 2012. No. 28 (2). pp. 255-266.
6. Illarionov B. Metametaphors of Petipa: "Raymonda" // Bulletin of the Academy of Russian Ballet. A. Ya. Vaganova No. 5 (58). 2018. S. 40-53.
7. Isaenko G. N. The role of historical continuity in the development of science. Moscow: Knowledge, 1969. 24 p.
8. Krasovskaya V. M. Russian ballet theater of the second half of the XIX century. Leningrad; Moscow: Art, 1963. 551 p.
9. Panferov, V.I. The skill of the choreographer. - Chelyabinsk, Publishing house LLC "Polygraph-Master", 2009. - 368 p.
10. Silkin P. A. The history of the formation and development of the theory and practice of professional training in classical dance. SPb.: Academy of Russian Ballet. A. Ya. Vaganova, 2019. 278 p.
11. Slonimsky Yu. Dramaturgy of the ballet theater. - M.. 2007. - 400 p.
12. Sokolov-Kaminsky A. A. Soviet ballet today. Moscow: Knowledge, 1984. 112 p.

First Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

The theme of the continuity of traditions in art or in the activities of organizations related to art, of course, is not new, but it does not lose its relevance due to the fact that it brings together significant values and norms, which in turn ensure the preservation of the most important or key traditional or innovative trends in culture and art. Therefore, from this point of view, the article, which raises the question of the continuity of the choreographic tradition of the Mariinsky Theater and the Academy of Russian Ballet, undoubtedly has a certain heuristic potential and, provided that the novelty and clarity in the methodological foundations of the study may well be interesting. Meanwhile, the author in his work focuses on the fact that the concept of continuity is revealed in various fields of science, for example, a philosophical interpretation is given, but for the purpose of the work this concept will mainly be explicated in the field of education, since two choreographic traditions are compared, actualized respectively in two educational organizations. I will note the rather "casually" formulated purpose of the work – "to identify the need for continuity of traditions ...", that is, the author does not rely on comparing the traditions themselves, but only on justifying the need for such a comparison. This significantly narrows the space of research, at the same time forces the author to focus not so much on the choreographic traditions themselves, but on the educational activities of the Mariinsky Theater and the Academy of Russian Ballet. This turn also takes place, but still in this case it is necessary to clarify the name - it is not the continuity of traditions that is at the forefront of research, but the interaction of universities to preserve or develop these traditions. Then the research perspective will be more understandable, and then it will more fully meet the set goal in the work. I would also like to direct the author towards the need to analyze the scientific discourse on the topic – in particular, to reveal in detail the value of the concept of continuity for art, culture, science, etc. A cursory mention of the relevance of the concept of continuity looks obviously insufficient and superficial. It is also desirable to substantiate the research methodology. By the way, the concept of choreographic tradition also needs to be explained, which the author did not pay attention to at all at the theoretical level of understanding the problem. This is a significant drawback. Meanwhile, the main content of the article is revealed, starting with an excursion into the history of ballet, unfortunately very brief, consisting mainly of listing several names that make up the color of ballet art. In this sense, if we are talking about the continuity of tradition, there is no way to avoid a deep and consistent analysis of the history of the origin of a particular tradition, and not ballet as a whole. The author should concentrate on presenting the material related to the emergence of the choreographic tradition: who and when influenced its formation, what it represents, how much it played a significant role in the life of ballet in general and, apparently, in the activities of specific educational organizations, etc. Further, Vaganova's teaching system is mentioned literally in one paragraph and without correlation with tradition it is difficult to understand why the author needs to mention this feature. It is not entirely clear how the "Russian ballet style" is connected or not connected with the tradition in choreography under consideration – when reading the article, it seems that the author does not follow a clear logic in presenting his material, but jumps from one to another, omitting places significant for research, but getting carried away with arguments that only have a remote attitude to the topic of the work and its problems. There are no conclusions and there is no recent literature, as if the whole field of ballet research, continuity in art has sunk into oblivion. All these nuances make it difficult to recognize the work as well-off and at the same time allow it to be recognized as in need of serious processing.

Second Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

The subject of the study, stated by the author in the title of the article as the "continuity of the choreographic tradition" of two leading Russian theaters, has not been disclosed. In the first paragraph of the text, the author defines "continuity" beyond choreographic traditions: 1) as a form of "social consciousness", 2) as "connections between the sides of development in nature and society", 3) as "knowledge ... that the new will always be preserved and replace the old with the preservation of some of its parts." The author did not define (clarify) the concept of "continuity of choreographic tradition", but, on the contrary, infinitely expanded it, depriving it of a specific meaning and localization in Russian theaters. In the next paragraph, the author clarifies that he is not going to use the term "continuity", but to trace it "in the aspect of education", justifying his position by trying to compare two choreographic traditions actualized in two educational organizations. I.e., in contrast to the first judgment, the antithesis with a specific localization is stated. Further (in the continuation of the second paragraph), the author attempts to synthesize two previously expressed contradictory judgments. The breadth (uncertainty) of the first thesis allowed the author to eclectically include in the concept of "continuity of choreographic tradition": "connections of the present, past and future in the development of cultural norms", conditions for the "formation of cultural preferences", as well as, despite the disparity of concepts, "cultural transmission". The author has driven himself into a logical dead end: since it is impossible to generalize eclectically lumped scientific terms into one pile, he does not summarize logic with his own conclusion, but refers the reader to a philosophical essay by Maria Yurievna Gendova about the problems of the modern artistic school. Thus, in the introduction, instead of revealing the existing scientific problem and concretizing concepts (defining tools that allow us to approach the solution of the problem), the author unknowingly entangles himself and the reader in a complex tangle of contradictory thoughts. It is quite natural that the author's subsequent passages do not bring the reader closer to new knowledge, but on the contrary, they increasingly distance themselves from the stated subject of research. As a result, the scientific formulations ("firstly ...", "secondly ...", "thirdly ...") of the final conclusion contain only banal statements poorly related to the subject of the study (for example, "we believe that artistic memory, genetic roots, fascination with historical heritage are very important and promising"). There is no research methodology, although the author claims that it is held together by a comparative historical method. There is no comparison of the declared two Russian artistic schools in the historical context in the work. There are no characteristics of any of the schools, therefore there is nothing to compare. The author's reference to the legacy of M. Petipa does not indicate differences in schools, but on the contrary, assumes the dominance of a single classical tradition. This basic (but not the only) paradox is reinforced by the contradictory statements of colleagues taken out of context. In particular, the non-contextual use of N. M. Tsiskaridze's quote distorts the idea expressed by him to the opposite meaning, and denies the existence of classical traditions in modern Russian choreographic schools in general. The relevance of the topic stated by the author is really high. It is extremely important to constantly summarize and compare the accumulated experience in any branch of pedagogy. It is especially important to refer to the traditions of Russian choreographic schools due to the problem of devaluation of the experience passed down from generation to generation in modern artistic practices. There is no scientific novelty in the presented work. The author 1) did not determine which field of science he decided to contribute to, 2) did not identify the problem to which he is trying to contribute, 3) did not analyze scientific papers devoted to his chosen problem area. Accordingly, it is impossible to talk about scientific novelty. The style of the presented test is close to pseudoscientific. The text is full of loosely related and unexplained scientific terms (for example, the statement "artistic memory, genetic roots, fascination with historical heritage are very important and promising" indicates solely the author's insufficient theoretical training). Sometimes combinations of terms poorly understood by the author lead to a tautology of complete nonsense (for example: "they are formed by historically conditioned conditions of formation", "the description of the word "continuity" fully corresponds to its meaning", "based on the level of complexity", "the issue of cultural and artistic heritage of the national tradition of ballet theater acquires special importance, in which specific phrases are revealed with inextricably expressed concepts"). The structure of the work is formal and has nothing to do with the logic of presenting the results of scientific research. The bibliography generally corresponds to the designated problem area, although it does not fully disclose it. The design of descriptions is not standardized in all cases according to the requirements of the editorial board. In most cases, an appeal to opponents is incorrect: quotations are taken out of context, not analyzed, illogically used as an argument for a false or extremely controversial judgment, to which they were not originally related. Due to the acute relevance of the research topic, the reviewer recommends that the author seriously rework the material presented and submit the revised article for re-review.

Third Peer Review

Peer reviewers' evaluations remain confidential and are not disclosed to the public. Only external reviews, authorized for publication by the article's author(s), are made public. Typically, these final reviews are conducted after the manuscript's revision. Adhering to our double-blind review policy, the reviewer's identity is kept confidential.
The list of publisher reviewers can be found here.

Russian Russian Ballet journal "Culture and Art" the author presented his article "The continuity of the choreographic tradition of the Mariinsky Theater and the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet", which conducted a study of ways and methods of preserving the classical repertoire of Russian ballet as a historical continuity of cultural heritage. The author proceeds in studying this issue from the fact that in the conditions of continuity of the dance education system, the stability of the pedagogical tradition is determined not only by the parameter of time, which is the leading element, but also by the possibility of their significance. The study of the pedagogical tradition of choreographic education in Russia, as the author believes, allows us to determine the value potential of ballet art in certain historical periods of social development using the example of the educational institutions under study. The study of the problem of the pedagogical tradition of ballet, ballet pedagogy in general and choreographic education in particular is an important applied task of preserving and developing the pedagogical tradition of choreographic education in Russia. The relevance of this issue lies in the need to preserve cultural heritage, analyze existing ones and search for new ways and means of transferring cultural experience from previous generations to subsequent ones. This article touches upon a very important topic of preserving the classical repertoire as a historical continuity of cultural heritage. The whole essence of culture and continuity as a factor of its development lies in the preservation, consolidation and formation of new qualities enriched by previous experience. The purpose of this study is to compare the factor of continuity of the choreographic tradition at the Mariinsky Theatre and the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. The theoretical basis of the study was the works of such scientists as M.Y. Gendova, G.N. Isaenko, V.M. Krasovskaya and others. The methodological basis of the study was an integrated approach containing socio-cultural, comparative and historical analysis. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the scientific historical analysis and analysis of the structure and development of the choreographic education system in Russia of the educational models of the Mariinsky Theater and the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. Having conducted a bibliographic analysis of the works devoted to the problems of the article, the author notes the insufficient coverage of the problems of methodology, theory, technology of formation and development of pedagogical traditions of choreographic art. Having conducted a historical analysis of the problems, the author notes the importance of the participation of academy students in serious productions of the Mariinsky Theater. According to the author, children's dancing in ballets has always been the first step in this art for everyone, even the most famous dancers. These productions begin the path to the profession of young performers, and the origins of their artistic development in ballet are the education of stage discipline, an understanding of orchestral music, and the development of artistic abilities. These stage skills gradually turn into professional skills, forming the baggage necessary for the profession of a ballet dancer. Russian Russian ballet The author connects the beginning of the use of this pedagogical technique with the name of the outstanding choreographer M. Petipa, who, combining music and choreography, the French school with the Russian mentality, he staged more than 60 ballet performances, thereby defining the classical heritage of Russian ballet and laying the foundation of the Russian choreographic tradition. The author pays special attention to the continuity of choreographic education of the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet and the traditions of the Mariinsky Theater productions. According to the author, the solution to the issue of continuity in choreography is to study the existing systems of teaching classical dance. They reflect the style and manner of performance, which is the key to preserving the traditions of the best ballet school in the world. The process of systematization of the methodology after A. Ya. Vaganova was continued by her followers who graduated from pedagogical courses under her guidance: among them N. P. Bazarova, V. P. Mey, V. S. Kostrovitskaya, L. I. Yarmolovich, E. V. Shiripina, etc. Also, a special basis for identifying the continuity of the choreographic tradition in the learning process and stage practice is the analysis of modern productions of performances that take place at the Mariinsky Theater. The author studies the essence of the succession process not only from a cultural, but also from a pedagogical position, noting the participation of students of the Academy of Russian Ballet in the stage practice of the Mariinsky Theater, which evenly and gradually introduces students to the rhythm of theatrical life, accustoming them to professional existence on stage and giving those skills that are the beginning of their creative career. Here there is a development of respect for an older friend, mentor. The relationship between a teacher and a student, which is laid down during training, as well as relations with senior colleagues, as the author emphasizes, serve as a guarantee of continuity of traditions of internal, collective relationships. In conclusion, the author presents a conclusion on the conducted research, which contains all the key provisions of the presented material. It seems that the author in his material touched upon relevant and interesting issues for modern socio-humanitarian knowledge, choosing a topic for analysis, consideration of which in scientific research discourse will entail certain changes in the established approaches and directions of analysis of the problem addressed in the presented article. The results obtained allow us to assert that the study of the peculiarities of choreographic education as a way of preserving and broadcasting cultural heritage is of undoubted theoretical and practical cultural interest and can serve as a source of further research. The material presented in the work has a clear, logically structured structure that contributes to a more complete assimilation of the material. An adequate choice of methodological base also contributes to this. The bibliographic list consists of 12 sources, which seems sufficient for generalization and analysis of scientific discourse on the studied problem. The author fulfilled his goal, received certain scientific results that allowed him to summarize the material. It should be noted that the article may be of interest to readers and deserves to be published in a reputable scientific publication.