Moscow State Academy of Choreography

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The Moscow State Academy of Choreography (Russian: Московская государственная академия хореографии - abbreviated as МГАХ, and formally known in Russian as Московское академическое хореографическое училище - abbreviated as МАХУ) is better known in the west by several unofficial names, including The Bolshoi Ballet Academy, The Bolshoi Academy, The Bolshoi Ballet School, The Moscow Choreographic Institute, The Moscow Ballet School, The Bolshoi Moscow Ballet School and The Bolshoi Theatre Ballet School.

It is one of the oldest and most prestigious ballet schools in Russia, and in the world. It is the oldest theatrical school in Moscow, founded as an orphanage by order of Catherine II in 1763. It wasn't until 1773 that the first dance classes were taught at the home. It is now the school from which the Bolshoi Theatre gets the majority of its dancers, as well as most other Moscow ballet companies. The director of the academy is currently, Marina Leonova. At the school, children from ages 9 to 18 attend academic classes in addition to their rigorous dance training, using the Vaganova method. Many of them live at the in-house school dormitories.

The long list of famous graduates of the school includes: Nikolai Tsiskaridze, Igor Moiseyev, Natalia Bessmertnova, Sofia Golovkina, Maya Plisetskaya, Maris Liepa, Anris Liepa, Ekaterina Maximova, Vladimir Vasiliev, Mikhail Lavrovsky, Yuri Vladimirov, Boris Akimov, Vyacheslav Gordeyev, Irek Mukhamedov, Vladimir Malakhov and Nina Ananiashvili.