This collection investigates the evolution and institutional development of Russian ballet through primary source documentation spanning the nineteenth century. Roland John Wiley, a specialist in Russian music and dance history, compiles and translates rare archival materials to provide a rigorous framework for understanding the artistic and social structures of the Imperial ballet. By contextualizing these documents with scholarly commentary, the author establishes a clear timeline of technical and aesthetic shifts within the Russian tradition.

Scholars and dance historians identify this work as a foundational resource for accessing primary source material previously unavailable in English. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a reliable reference for researchers studying the history of the Imperial Russian stage.