Lev Ivanov (1834-1901). Russian dancer, choreographer and ballet master

The Russian-born dancer and choreographer Lev Ivanov worked alongside Marius Petipa at the Imperial Russian Ballet in the latter half of the 19th Century. Ivanov was a completely different personality from Petipa: shy and diffident, but deeply creative. He was one of the few Russian-born ballet masters at the time, and was a good teacher and excellent dancer. However, it is Ivanov’s choreography for which he is best remembered. He created much of The Nutcracker, which was staged according to Petipa’s original plans, but more significant was his work on Acts II and IV of Swan Lake. In Swan Lake we see the quality of Ivanov’s lyrical tenderness juxtaposed against the hard brilliance of Petipa, who choreographed Acts I and III. Together they created a superb vehicle for any ballerina