ian ▁bal let ▁teacher ▁who ▁developed ▁the ▁V agan ova ▁method ▁– ▁the ▁technique ▁which ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁teaching ▁methods ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁Imperial ▁Bal let ▁School ▁( today ▁the ▁V agan ova ▁Academy ▁of ▁Russian ▁Bal let ) ▁under ▁the ▁Premier ▁Ma ître ▁de ▁Bal let ▁Mar ius ▁Pet ip a ▁throughout ▁the ▁mid ▁to ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁though ▁mostly ▁throughout ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 8 9 0 s . ▁It ▁was ▁V agan ova ▁who ▁perfect ed ▁and ▁cultiv ated ▁this ▁form ▁of ▁teaching ▁the ▁art ▁of ▁classical ▁bal let ▁into ▁a ▁work able ▁sy ll ab us . ▁Her ▁Fund ament als ▁of ▁the ▁Class ical ▁Dance ▁( 1 9 3 4 ) ▁remains ▁a ▁standard ▁text book ▁for ▁the ▁instruction ▁of ▁bal let ▁technique . ▁Her ▁technique ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁techniques ▁today . ▁ ▁Biography ▁V agan ova ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Saint ▁Petersburg ▁to ▁Ak op ▁V agan ov , ▁an ▁Armen ian ▁from ▁A stra k han , ▁who ▁worked ▁as ▁an ▁us her ▁at ▁ ▁the ▁Mari in sky ▁Theatre , ▁and ▁a ▁Russian ▁mother . ▁ ▁V agan ova ' s ▁whole ▁life ▁was ▁connected ▁with ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Bal let ▁( l ater ▁the ▁K iro v ▁Bal let ) ▁of ▁the ▁Mari in sky ▁Theatre ▁in ▁Saint ▁Petersburg . ▁She ▁was ▁accepted ▁into ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Bal let ▁School ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 8 , ▁the ▁great ▁institution ▁of ▁classical ▁dance ▁founded