Under what circumstances was the Bolshoi Ballet company first established?
The Bolshoi Ballet came into existence at the end of the 18th century when a Russian prince and an English entertainer obtained rights from Empress Catherine the Great to open a public playhouse in Moscow. At that time, the only theatres in Moscow were operated by aristocrats exploiting the talents of serfs. Boys and girls of the Moscow Imperial Foundling Home took the stage as participants in light entertainment. The playhouse burned down and was rebuilt with government funding as an Imperial Theatre.
The Bolshoi only became the
