Homans, Tsars of Dance

Key traits of Slavs:
- Women held a powerful position in society.
- They tended not to seek new things, which helped them maintain their own culture.
Alexander Herzen and the Russian school were important for how French culture influenced Russia.
Pehr Christian Johansson was involved in conflicts in Russia, especially during the rule of Peter the Great (starting in 1689).

Religious connections:
- The Orthodox Church was very important.
- Russian culture resisted big changes like the Renaissance and Scientific Revolution.
Cultural variety:
- Old classical traditions mixed with local customs.
- Orthodox Christian dance and music were often seen as less important or skillful compared to Western styles.
It was hard to bring foreign ideas into Russian culture without losing its unique identity.

Peter the Great greatly changed Russian society:
- He brought in Western ways of governing and cultural ideas.
- In 1722, he created The Table of Ranks, which clearly defined people's social standing.
Russian ideas about art and culture changed:
- They moved away from old Orthodox beliefs towards more non-religious, Western styles.

During Peter's reforms, dance and theater grew:
- Education focused on teaching children dance.
- The Imperial Theater in St. Petersburg was opened and was heavily influenced by foreign styles.
Educational places changed a lot:
- They strongly adopted French culture and dance.
- An academy of dance was founded to teach children classical ballet, with choreography done by foreign teachers.

Ballet became very popular in Russia:
- Foreign choreographers came and made a big impact on Russian ballet.
- People like Jean-Baptiste Landé were important in shaping ballet's story in Russia.
Russian dancers and artists faced difficulties:
- There were well-known ballet scandals involving foreign artists and their relationships with Russian organizations.

The French Revolution affected Russian theater and ballet:
- Rich nobles stopped financially supporting theater and art, which hurt performances.
- New local and alternative art groups appeared, helping to build a stronger Russian identity.
Individual shows helped shape how people viewed Russian cultural identity:
- Famous performances were studied for their importance.
The connections between dance groups and foreign artists helped Russian ballet develop:
- Leaders struggled to manage new artistic ideas while dealing with strict rules.

In the 19th century, Russian ballet changed:
- Arguments about foreign influence led to a crisis of identity for ballet performers.
New choreography and stage designs created special Russian styles:
- After the 1860s, ballet became a distinctly Russian art form.
Key people in Russian ballet:
- Marius Petipa helped ballet reach new heights in art and skill.

Formal dance schools and training centers were created across Russia:
- Traditional Russian folk dance was included in ballet training.
Performances made for many people showed a changing culture:
- Art started to focus more on entertaining audiences.

What happened when Russian and foreign art mixed:
- This mix created a richer, more varied artistic history.
What this means for the future of ballet and other Russian arts:
- How past pressures influence today's art and cultural identity.