New Name For Our Society

March 11, 2022 – In light of current events deeply affecting the world, we are announcing our name change in order to join the ranks of those in the cultural front protesting the conflict in Ukraine. Moving forward, the Society will be rebranding as:

SOCIETY of CLASSICAL BALLET
(Vaganova Method)

 The time has come to honour Agrippina Vaganova, the artist and her internationally renowned teaching methodology. Her book, The Basic Principles of Classical Ballet, has been the foundation of the instructional work of our Society for the past 49 years and a remarkable contribution to the world of classical ballet.

“Look at life all around; everything is growing, everything is moving forward.
Therefore I recommend keeping in touch with life and with art.”
— Agrippina Vaganova

 The arts have always been a reflection of society at large and a catalyst for change. As such, we will continue to practice Agrippina Vaganova’s philosophy of life and dance. Our Society’s 50th anniversary celebration, scheduled for August 2023, is an opportunity to not only commemorate our history and acknowledge our past achievements, but to also look ahead to the future growth and development of our organization.

The Society of Classical Ballet (Vaganova Method) sincerely hopes that art can transcend politics.

Rewarding to teach and a joy to dance 

The Society of Classical Ballet is a dance education and training organization that promotes healthy technical and artistic training utilizing the Vaganova Method. The Society offers examinations for students and assists teachers with professional development and certification.

The teachings of Agrippina Vaganova and her styling are at the heart of our syllabus, which has been carefully developed to ensure a steady, careful technical and artistic progression from one level to the next. Not only is it rewarding to teach it is a joy to dance and encourages artistic creativity for teachers and students alike.

Examinations, a growth experience

Examinations give encouragement and a sense of achievement to all students. For teachers, examinations present proof of expertise and an opportunity for feedback. For the parents they provide reassurance and an indication of their child’s progress. For the Society they aid in our promotion of high quality dance training.

Our respected team of examiners travel to individual schools examining students in every level of the syllabi. Following every examination session successful candidates are awarded certificates and issued comment sheets providing them with detailed individualized feedback. Also, as part of the examining process, teachers receive individualized feedback to assist with their ongoing development.

History of the Society

The Society of Classical Ballet (Vaganova Method) was founded in Canada in 1975 to preserve and promote Vaganova-styled training in classical ballet. In the formative years the Society operated as a branch of The Society for Russian Style Ballet Schools, with its headquarters in England. In 1980, to serve the needs of Canadian teachers, students and dancers more effectively, the Canadian branch became the independent Society of Russian Ballet. On March 11, 2022 the name was changed to the Society of Classical Ballet (Vaganova Method) in order to join the ranks of those in the cultural front protesting the conflict in Ukraine.

The Society boasts members from coast to coast and a growing number of members in other parts of the world. Our Examining Committee is comprised of master teachers, who possess in-depth knowledge of the Vaganova method and teaching all levels of the Society’s curriculum. We are proud of the accomplishments of every student who participates in our examinations. Over the years examination candidates have gone on to build careers for themselves as teachers, performers and choreographers. Of particular note are the winners of our annual awards given in honour of three of our founders – Marijan Bayer, Nesta Toumine and Ann Vanderheyden.