Leading ballet company of Russia, noted for elaborate productions of 19th-century classical ballets.
The company was formed in 1776 and took the name of its home, Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre, in 1825. Its influential choreographers included Marius Petipa , Carlo Blasis , and Aleksandr Gorsky . Yuri Grigorovich was artistic director from 1964 to 1995. Its many successful tours have introduced its outstanding dancers, including Yekaterina Geltzer , Vasily Tikhomirov , Galina Ulanova , and Maya Plisetskaya , to audiences worldwide.