ova ' s ▁port ray al ▁was ▁a ▁great ▁success , ▁and ▁won ▁her ▁promotion ▁to ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁Prima . ▁Nevertheless , ▁she ▁chose ▁to ▁ret ire ▁one ▁year ▁later ▁to ▁concent rate ▁on ▁teaching . ▁ ▁She ▁started ▁to ▁teach ▁bal let ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 6 ▁at ▁the ▁School ▁of ▁the ▁Balt ic ▁Fle et ▁which ▁was ▁founded ▁and ▁led ▁by ▁Ak im ▁Vol yn sky . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 1 ▁V agan ova ▁began ▁teaching ▁at ▁the ▁Ch ore ographic ▁College , ▁so ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁was ▁called ▁the ▁former ▁Imperial ▁Theater ▁School ▁situated ▁on ▁Ros si ▁street ▁( after ▁the ▁revolution ▁bal let ▁department ▁was ▁separated ▁from ▁the ▁D rama ▁and ▁Music ). ▁Though ▁she ▁did ▁have ▁a ▁respect able ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁dan cer , ▁her ▁leadership ▁in ▁teaching ▁classical ▁dance ▁was ▁what ▁gave ▁her ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁respect ed ▁places ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁bal let . ▁Her ▁own ▁early ▁struggle ▁with ▁de ci ph ering ▁bal let ▁technique ▁had ▁taught ▁her ▁much . ▁She ▁taught ▁students ▁who ▁would ▁go ▁on ▁to ▁become ▁leg ends ▁of ▁the ▁dance . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁Revolution ▁of ▁ 1 9 1 7 ▁the ▁future ▁of ▁bal let ▁in ▁Russia ▁looked ▁gr im ▁because ▁of ▁its ▁tradition ▁as ▁court ▁entertain ment . ▁V agan ova ▁" f ought ▁to oth ▁and ▁n ail ", ▁as ▁she ▁put ▁it , ▁for ▁the ▁pres ervation ▁of ▁the ▁legacy ▁of ▁Mar ius ▁Pet ip a ▁and ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Bal