Ivanov, Lev (EN)

Ivanov Lev, *18 February 1834 Moscow, †11 December 1901 St. Petersburg, Russian dancer, ballet master, choreographer, and pedagogue. He began his dance training in Moscow and completed it in 1852 at the Imperial Ballet School in Saint Petersburg, where he studied under A. Pimenov, P. Frédéric, and J. Petipa. After joining the ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre, he soon became a soloist; from 1869 he served as principal dancer and performer of mime roles, retiring from the stage in 1893. His most important roles included Phoebus and Frollo in Esmeralda (music by C. Pugni), Solor in La Bayadère (music by L. Minkus), Colin in La fille mal gardée (music by P. Hertel), Conrad in Le Corsaire (music by A. Adam), and Valentin in Faust (music by Pugni). In 1858 he began teaching at the Imperial Ballet School. From 1882 he worked as ballet director, reviving older repertory works and preparing operatic divertissements. In 1885 he was promoted to second choreographer of the company and began independent creative work. Overshadowed by the dominant personality of Marius Petipa, he had limited opportunities to develop fully as a choreographer. Among his greatest achievements were The Nutcracker (1892, music by P. Tchaikovsky) and the “white acts” (Acts II and IV) of Swan Lake (1895, music by Tchaikovsky). Ivanov was exceptionally musical, shaping the form and mood of his choreography in close accordance with the music. This musical sensitivity, combined with a rich imagination and subtle responsiveness to the atmosphere of the score, represented a novelty in the choreography of the time. His creative approach later became an inspiration for Michel Fokine, a pioneer of modern choreography. Today Ivanov is regarded as a precursor of the symphonic ballet. He died while working on Sylvia, which he was preparing together with P. Gerdt and L. Delibes.

Literature: L. Ivanov Moi maleńkije wospominanija, “Pietierburgskaja Gazieta” from 13 December 1901.