Lavrovsky, Leonid (1905–1967)

Russian choreographer. He was artistic director and principal choreographer of the Bolshoi Ballet from 1944 until his death, and succeeded in turning it into the principal Russian dance company. His production of Giselle greatly influenced subsequent stagings.

Lavrovsky trained in St Petersburg at the Kirov Ballet, and rose to become its artistic director. At the Kirov, he staged a number of notable productions, the most famous of which was Romeo and Juliet (1940) to the score by Sergey Prokofiev. When he moved to Moscow, he took with him the prima ballerinas Galina Ulanova and Maya Plisetskaya.