本文採取歷史研究途徑（Historical Approach）和君•蕾森（June Layson）之舞蹈研究途徑，針對俄羅斯芭蕾舞起源的相關社會、文化與藝術背景，及各時期重要編舞家與舞蹈家作一系統性的分析與研究。 本文研究架構共分五章，第一章說明研究動機與主題，並對俄羅斯芭蕾相關之歷史文獻進行整理，闡述採行之研究方法與架構。 第二章為俄國芭蕾藝術的傳入期，分四個部分說明俄國芭蕾吸取西方芭蕾養分的奠基過程：一為俄羅斯芭蕾藝術受皇室扶植萌芽的時代背景與專業化發展，二為俄國芭蕾自決的濫觴，三為俄羅斯芭蕾與西歐芭蕾接軌的浪漫芭蕾時期，四為裴堤帕為俄國創造的古典芭蕾時期。 第三章為俄國芭蕾藝術的改革期，指由佳吉列夫領導之「俄羅斯芭蕾舞團」在1909年至1929年間，走出裴堤帕公式化編舞，跨進現代芭蕾領域的芭蕾改革運動。本章著重於舞蹈專業層面，研究使芭蕾藝術獲得重生，讓俄國芭蕾立足西方的主要功臣—五位編舞家—的編導風格及其形成的時期特色。 第四章為蘇聯芭蕾的實驗期，說明1917年10月革命對俄羅斯芭蕾藝術的影響，分析1920年代影響往後數十年之編舞家作品風格，最後並對蘇聯芭蕾的重要資產與瑰寶—芭蕾舞者，以及蘇聯芭蕾教學體系的建立者瓦加諾娃，作一整理與介紹。 第五章為本論文的結論，將對本文的研究結果作綜合性的回顧與檢討，並做總結。 / The thesis of “The Origin and development of Russian Ballet” focuses on “Historical Approach” and adopts June Layson’s “ Dance Study Approach”, aims at analyzing the social, cultural and artistic content of the Russian Ballet’s origin, as well as the style of important choreographers, dancers and educators of each time. The research consists of five chapters. The first chapter summarizes the theme and the motif of the research. Historical document and archives are organized and presented as to explain the method and structure of the thesis. The second chapter, the nourishment of the Western ballet on the forming stage of Russian ballet, discusses four important elements that were introduced from the Western world. First, the sprout and professionalization of Russian ballet supported and sponsored by Russian Royal family. Second, the beginning of self-determination of Russian ballet. Third, the Russian romantic ballet period, and the last, “the classic ballet” created by Marius Petipa that surpassed the Western style. The third chapter examines the reform period of Russian ballet led by the dance group “Ballet Russes”. The group was founded by Serge Diaghilev during 1909-1929 that broke away from the Petipa’s formulism and stepped into the modern ballet movement. The innovative style of “Ballet Russes” not only revitalized the ballet world but also gave Russian ballet a foothold in the hometown of ballet. This chapter further explored the development of the group and its three important periods with different style. Also, the style of five choreographers who were the inspiration of the group is introduced. The forth chapter, the experimental period of Russian ballet, outlined the influence of 1917 Russian October Revolution that brought into the Russian ballet. The experimental works of the 1920’s important choreographers that greatly influenced the later Soviet ballet even more than 30 years are also analyzed. Furthermore, this chapter introduces the most important treasure—Soviet ballet dancers and the founder of Soviet ballet teaching system—Agrippina Vaganova. The fifth chapter concludes the thesis, and takes an overall review of the research.

Le chorégraphe français Marius Petipa (1818-1910), qui a effectué la majeure partie d’une très longue carrière au service des Théâtres impériaux, est considéré comme l’inventeur du grand ballet académique ou du ballet « russe ». Ceci constitue un paradoxe intéressant, dans la mesure où il s’agit d’un chorégraphe étranger. Cette thèse propose d’envisager l’œuvre de Marius Petipa comme une œuvre à la frontière entre deux pays et deux cultures et de mettre à jour les oppositions et les tensions qui la traversent. Nous l’analysons comme un exemple d’hybridation culturelle et de transfert culturel, une notion qui sert à définir toute réalité sociale issue de contacts entre des identités initialement distinctes et autonomes. La question centrale soulevée dans cette thèse est l’analyse de la dimension slave de son œuvre et de son imaginaire au contact de la réalité russe. Après avoir brossé le contexte culturel et artistique russe, sont examinés les ballets des prédécesseurs de Petipa qui abordent un sujet slave et russe. Nous analysons Le Prisonnier du Caucase ou l’ombre d’une fiancée (1823) et Rouslane et Lioudmila ou Tchernomor, le sorcier maléfique (1824) du chorégraphe français Charles-Louis Didelot. Le ballet abordant le monde slave apparaît également dans l’œuvre de Jules Perrot. Le ballet signé par Arthur Saint-Léon, Le Petit Cheval bossu (1864), inspiré par le conte de Piotr Erchov, connaît un vrai succès. Le chorégraphe français s’adresse également à l’œuvre d’Alexandre Pouchkine pour son ballet au thème russe, Le Poisson doré (1867). Sont enfin analysés les ballets méconnus et peu étudiés de l’œuvre petipienne qui abordent un sujet slave : Roxana, la Belle de Monténégro (Saint-Pétersbourg, 1878) et Mlada (Saint-Pétersbourg, 1879). Ces créations coïncident avec un moment de tensions sociales et d’émergence des idées nationales en Russie au XIXe siècle. Elles confirment aussi la volonté du ballet de s’adapter, à sa manière, aux tendances du jour, reproduites cependant d’une façon conventionnelle. Cette thématique slave, abordée en Russie par les chorégraphes français, contribue à la construction de la notion de « ballet russe » qui trouvera son apogée au début du XXe siècle à Paris. / The French choreographer Marius Petipa (1818-1910), who spent most of his life-long career at the service of the Imperial Theatres, is considered as the inventor of the academic Grand Ballet, or Russian Ballet. This constitute an interesting paradox, since he happens to be a foreign choreographer. This thesis proposes to look at Marius Petipa's work as a work on the frontier between the two different countries and cultures and to expose the oppositions and tensions that cross it. We’ll study it as an example of cultural hybridization and cultural transfer, a notion used to define every social reality issued from the contacts between two initially distinct and autonomous identities. The main hypothesis studied through this thesis is the analysis of the Slavic dimension of his artwork and of its imaginary in close proximity of a Russian reality. After covering the Russian cultural artistic context, the ballets of Petipa’s predecessors who address the Slavic and Russian topic are examined. We analyse The Prisoner of Caucasus, or the Bride’s shadow (1823) and Ruslan and Ludmila, or Chernomor, the evil magician (1824) by the French choreograph Charles-Louis Didelot. The ballet created by Arthur Saint-Léon, The Little Humpbacked Horse (1864), inspired with Piotr Erchov’s tale, was met with success. This choreograph draws also his inspiration from the Alexander Pushkin’s tale to compose The Golden Fish (1867). Finally, we explore little known ballets with a Slavic theme of Petipa’s universe: Roxana, the Beauty of Montenegro (Saint-Petersburg, 1878) and Mlada (Saint-Petersburg, 1879). These creations coincided with a period of social tensions and the emergence of national ideas in Russia in the 19th centaury. They also confirm the ballet's desire to adapt, to the trends of the day, reproduced however in a conventional way. This Slavic theme in the work of French choreographs in Russia contribute to the construction of the notion of «Russian ballet» the will arrive in its apogee in the 20th centaury in Paris.