Three hundred years ago, ballet was first introduced to Russia by Elizabeth and Anna della Tsaritsa. Their intention was court entertainment, but little did they know they had made a move that would change the face of classical ballet forever. Although ballet originated in Italy and France, Russia certainly deserves credit for stylizing and perfecting the art form. From the opening of the Imperial Ballet School to the formation of the Vaganova technique, from the splendor of Anna Pavlova to the defection of Mikhail Baryshnikov and Rudolf Nureyev, the past of Russian ballet has been a roller coaster. In the aftermath of the January 17, 2013 acid attack on Bolshoi artistic director Sergei Filin, the ballet world is under intense scrutiny as to what really happens behind closed doors. To fully understand why this whole controversy revolves around a single art form based on grace, balance and performance, we will have to understand the root of the problem. The country of Russia. Russia is located south of the Arctic Ocean, west of Alaska, north of Mongolia and China, and east of Europe. The capital of Russia, the largest country in the world, is Moscow which is located at 55 45º N 37 42 E. Russians primarily speak Russian, although other languages ​​are also spoken (place). Russian territory is 6,592,800 square miles, which is about two entire United States in one country, and Russia is home to the deepest and oldest lake in the world. Lake Baikal is 1637 meters deep and is freshwater. The largest mountain in Europe is also found in Russia, Mount Elbrus at 5642 miles high. The most popular way of travel (movement) in Russia is railway, followed by air travel, then roads (driving) and sea transport. The United States buys 50.5% of Russian oil expenditure... middle of paper... many lovers of this art form have speculated why Russian ballet is so much more corrupt than American, English or other ballet countries. The answer is money. Directors of Russian companies will do anything for money and other companies are more focused on preserving the art form. Russian ballet took a big hit with the defection of many amazing dancers. Now, though, Russian ballet is booming with bigger and better dancers popping up all over Russia. Little girls all over the world dream of being ballerinas dancing with their prince on a bright stage, their costumes sparkling with jewels. The reality is that it takes years of blood, sweat, tears and hard work to even have a chance to be on that stage. Even if you get there, the struggle to reach the highest level is tough, and staying there is even harder. Dancers must defend their rights