The Mariinsky Ballet, formerly the Kirov, began its illustrious career in 1783, performing first in the St. Petersburg Bolshoi (Stone) Theatre and moving to the Mariinsky Theatre in 1885. It has been home to some of the greatest masters in Russian choreography, including Marius Petipa, Michel Fokine, Anna Pavlova, Galina Ulanova, Vaslav Nijinsky, George Balanchine and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Some of best known classic of ballet repertoire had their beginnings with the Mariinsky, including Tchaikovsky and Glazuno’s Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and Raymonda.