So who has the largest ballet company? France, Russia or the US?
There are many large, glamorous ballet companies all over the world. Usually they perform in majestic theaters, have diverse amazing repertoires, go on international tours and employ many dancers each season. Find out which company has the highest number of dancers.
It is definitely Russia!
No 1 BOLSCHOI BALLET ⎮ Moskau ⎮ 215 💃
No 2 MARIINSKY BALLET⎮ St. Petersburg⎮ 211 💃
Classical ballet in Russia has a long and rich cultutal history. Founded in 1776, the Bolschoi Ballet is known world-wide for its classical ballets like Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty composed by the famous Russian Peter Ilyich Tschaikovsky.
Russians are mad about ballet. Ballet fans scream bravo when the ballerina first appears and at the end you hear wild applause and lots of bravos!
Many very famous Russian ballet dancers like Mikhail Baryshnokov, MRudolf Nureyev, Anna Pavlova, Sergei Diaghilev, Maya Plisetskaya, Mikhail Fokin and Svetlana Zakharova have had a big influence in the world of ballet.
No 3 PARIS OPERA Ballet ⎮ Paris ⎮ 154 💃
This ballet company is the oldest national company in the world, founded in 1669 by Louis XIV. This French company still holds a rich and highly reputed place in ballet history but manages to adapt to contemporary trends. Its dance school is considered one of the best in the world. To learn the FRENCH STYLE, it is almost compulsory to go first to that school.
The years when Rudolf Nureyev was ballet director in Paris were called the golden age of Paris Opera Ballet. Sylvie Guillem, probably the best female dancer of the 20th century, was promoted as a Principal Dancer.
No 4 The ROYAL BALLET ⎮ London ⎮ 103 💃
Although this ballet company was founded late, in 1931 by Dame Ninette de Valois, it became Britain’s flagship ballet company with a worldwide reputation. It is located in the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.
This company is known for its amazing repertoire of a very high technical standard. Four Prima Ballerina Assoluta – Alicia Markova, Margot Fonteyn, Phyllis Spira and Alessandra Ferri – danced there.
No 5 Vienna Staatsballett ⎮ Wien ⎮ 100 💃
Each season, the ballet company and its 100 members give approx. 90 full-night ballet and dance performances at the Vienna State Opera and Volksoper Wien, with an attendance of some 150,000 altogether. The company also performs ballet scenes at both opera houses and gives regular guest performances abroad.
No 6 TEATRO ALLA SCALA Ballet Company⎮ Milano ⎮ 98 💃
One of the oldest and most well known ballet companies was founded in 1778. The repertoire includes both classical ballets and modern pieces as Giselle, Swan Lake, Excelsior, the Taming of the Shrew, Onegin and Theme and Variations.
No 7 and 8 AMERICAN BALLET THEATER and NEW YORK CITY BALLET ⎮ New York City ⎮ about 90 💃
The Russian choreographer George Balanchine is called the „father of the American ballet“. He created his own works based on the Russian technique and invented the neoclassical style. He was the founder and Artistic director of the New York City ballet from 1946 to 1989. Many of his works are still in the repertoire of the NYCB and many other ballet companies all over the world.
No 9 Staatsballett Berlin ⎮ Berlin ⎮ 93 💃
No 10 ⎮ Dutch National Ballet⎮ Amsterdam ⎮87 💃
No 11 Royal Danish Ballet⎮ Copenhagen ⎮ 75 💃💃and San Francisco Ballet ⎮75 💃
Followed by the Australian Ballet 72 💃⎮the National Ballet of Canada 71💃 ⎮English National Ballet 71 💃 ⎮ National Ballet China 70 💃 ⎮ the National Ballet of Cuba 66 💃 ⎮Stuttgart Ballet 64 💃 ⎮ Houston Ballet 58 💃
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