Moscow State Academy of Choreography  The Moscow State Academy of Choreography (, commonly known as The Bolshoi Ballet Academy, is one of the oldest and most prestigious schools of ballet in the world, located in Moscow, Russia. It is the affiliate school of the Bolshoi Ballet. The Bolshoi Ballet receives the majority of its dancers from the academy, as do most other Moscow ballet companies. Numerous choreographers, instructors and graduates of the academy have become renowned in Russian ballet and internationally, including Olga Lepeshinskaya, Raisa Struchkova, Natalia Bessmertnova, Ekaterina Maximova, Maya Plisetskaya, Nikolai Fadeyechev, Vladimir Vasiliev, Mikhail Lavronsky, Nikolay Tsiskaridze, to be bestowed a People's Artist of the USSR, "prima ballerina assoluta" and "premier dancer", the ultimate title for a ballet performer of the Soviet Union. Bolshoi is the oldest theatrical school in Moscow, founded as an orphanage by order of Catherine II in 1763. It wasn't until 1773 that the first dance classes were taught at the home. Other names the school is known by are: The Bolshoi Academy, The Bolshoi Ballet School, The Moscow Choreographic Institute, The Moscow Ballet School, The Bolshoi Moscow Ballet School and The Bolshoi Theatre Ballet School. Heads:   The Bolshoi's method of teaching is founded on a thorough, comprehensive, classical training curriculum that is carefully coordinated to the students' ability. The curriculum includes ballet technique, pointe work, centre work, repertoire, pas de deux, jazz, character dance and historical dance. The academy offers a professional teaching staff with international teaching and performing experience. All classes are carefully graded both for age and technical level and each student is given the individual attention so necessary for his or her progress. At the school, children from ages nine to eighteen attend academic classes in addition to their rigorous dance training, using the Vaganova method. Many of them live at the in-house school dormitories. The Bolshoi Ballet Academy holds annual auditions for the students seeking acceptance into the full-time programs of traineeship and vocational training. The current director is Marina Leonova. The Bolshoi Ballet Academy offers one of the best dance training facilities in the world. Amenities including twenty large studios with a professional non-slip dance floor, changing rooms with showers and lockers, study area, and a physiotherapy room.