Michel Fokine was an outstanding Russian and American ballet dancer and choreographer, the founder of classical romantic ballet of the 20th century. Born in 1880 in Saint Petersburg into a merchant family, he entered the Imperial Theatre School in 1889, where he studied under Pavel Gerdt, Platon Karsavin, and Nikolai Legat. In 1898, he joined the ballet troupe of the Mariinsky Theatre, where he soon became a soloist. Mikhail Fokine's first works as a choreographer included the ballet "Le Pavillon d'Armide" (libretto and design by Alexander Benois) and the miniature "The Swan", created especially for Anna Pavlova, staged in 1907. Michel Fokine achieved worldwide fame through Sergei Diaghilev's "Ballets Russes" in Paris, which began in 1909. For this enterprise, he choreographed such masterpieces as "The Firebird" (1910), "Scheherazade" (1910), "Petrushka" (1911), and "Daphnis and Chloe" (1912). After the October Revolution, Michel Fokine emigrated and worked in Sweden, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1921, he opened the first ballet school in the United States in New York, and in 1922, he created his own troupe. Among his later works are the ballets "Paganini" (1939) and "Russian Soldier" (1942). The Bakhrushin Theatre Museum's online collection features photographs of Michel Fokine in his roles and in life, sketches for performances featuring him, ballet programs, and other materials.