The Mariinsky Ballet

In the two totalitarian societies, Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany, politics and the arts were prevalent. In both countries, a strict one ruler government was formed in the 18th and 19th centuries. However, through the dictatorships in each country the citizens were able to connect to the history of dance. While dancing was famous in Russia under Lenin and Stalin, Germany floundered and did not succeed under the rule of Hitler. Although these two countries may not seem to have a comparison, they do. Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany demonstrate how dance was used for political reasons and for enjoyment.
In Soviet Russia, beginning in the 1920s, “Soviet government policy shaped both the form of the ballet itself and its audience.” When ballet first …show more content…
Originally known as “the Imperial Russian Ballet – the company was born under the command of Catherine the Great.” The ballet company was able to have some artistic freedom under Soviet rule but still had to follow some guidelines. The theater would recruite children from all over Russia and brought them back to the theater to be trained, they were then able to “…spread and evelate the quality of art.” The ballerinas “…reigned supreme on this stage, among them Mathilde Kschessinska, Anna Pavlova, Vaslav Nijinsky, Galina Ulanova, Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov.” These dancers remained loyal to ballet and some of the dancers were a part of the Ballets Russes, which is known as “…the most renowned company in the history of ballet.” After the 1920s, Russia's ballet relapsed under Stalin’s rule to the conventional forms of a more traditional ballet choreographer known as Marius Petipa. Petipa was known for creating challenging routines for the dancers to dance to. Petipia is famous for how he ran his classes and his technique used in each dance. As a result of the relapse, Stalin would change the storylines of a couple ballets to highlight the positive outlook of Socialist Realism and their principles. Since ballet “…lacked a standardized written notation and could not be reliably recorded, much less scribbled down and set aside. Dancers and choreographers thus had little recourse.” In result, this art form was the easiest one for Stalin to control. He became a big fan of the art form, “the great leader took a special interest in ballet, and its productions were closely monitored and controlled by the Communist Party.” Dancers received great benefits from this set-up, “many dancers came from poor backgrounds, and the state saw to their every need: as dancers they were fed, sheltered, and