Ivanov, Lev Ivanovich 1834-1901
Russian choreographer, teacher and dancer

Born in Moscow, he studied there and in St Petersburg, joining the Maryinsky Theater in 1850, and becoming principal dancer in 1869. Appointed rehearsal director by Marius Petipa in 1882, he became second ballet master under Petipa in 1885. This was the year of his choreographic debut, with a new version of La Fille Mal Gard�e ('The Unchaperoned Girl') which, like much of his work, is now lost. His two most celebrated works have survived - Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker (1892), and the second and fourth acts of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake (1895). His 'White Acts' are now considered among the masterpieces of classical ballet, creating the quintessential image of ballerina as swan. Despite his achievements, he lived in the shadow of Petipa and died in poverty.