Agrippina Yakovlevna Vaganova, (1879-1951), the Soviet ballerina, was one of the greatest teachers in the history of ballet. Born and trained in Saint Petersburg, she danced for 19 years at the Maryinsky (now Kirov) Theater in St. Petersburg, where her brilliant footwork and leaps won her the title "queen of variations." After 1921 she taught at the Leningrad Choreographic School (the former Imperial Ballet School), and in 1934 she became its director. Her teaching system, which greatly influenced Soviet ballet, is based on her analysis of many schools of classical technique and stresses coordination of the entire body, with particular emphasis on strength in the back. Her Fundamentals of the Classic Dance was published in 1934.