Michel Fokine was the visionary Russian choreographer who revolutionized ballet in the early twentieth century, liberating the art form from rigid academic convention and establishing the modern vocabulary of theatrical dance.
Defining moments and milestones
Trained at the Imperial Ballet School in Saint Petersburg, Fokine rose to prominence as a dancer and choreographer at the Mariinsky Theatre, where he began systematically challenging academic ballet convention in the early 1900s. His partnership with Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes (1909–1912) produced revolutionary works that redefined the relationship between dance, music, and narrative. In his later years, he established schools in Copenhagen and New York, codifying his principles and training the next generation of dancers in a vocabulary that remains central to classical ballet today.
Created and premiered Les Sylphides (1909), The Firebird (1910), Petrushka (1911), and Scheherazade (1910) for the Ballets Russes, establishing the modern choreographic vocabulary and proving ballet's capacity for serious artistic expression.
Recordings featuring Michel Fokine, Antony Tudor, Agnes de Mille in the Society index
Additional recordings will appear here as the catalog expands.