By the middle of the XIX century, the culture of teaching salon (ballroom) dance in Russia had reached a high level of development. There was a real system of dance training, in which the teacher played a key role. His functions included not only the duty to learn dance moves, but also to educate students in the rules of etiquette inherent in secular society. “Dancing” was taught to young children at home, in primary, secondary and higher educational institutions according to programs adopted by the Ministry of Public Education. Young people and adults were trained in fashionable novelties in dance classes opened by professional dancers.

In Russia, in the XIX – early XX centuries, salon dance practice reached its culmination in its development. Balls as a form of leisure have become an integral part of everyday life not only of the aristocracy, but also of other social strata of Russian society. Throughout the 19th century, the choreographic language of ballroom dance was still being updated in France, and then spread to other European countries, but at the end of the century there was a radical change of orientation, and European ballroom dance began to rapidly “americanize”.

In Russia, after the adoption of Christianity, dance practice was prohibited by the Orthodox Church as a legacy of paganism and out of fear of the influence of Catholicism. The culture of ballroom dance was established in the life of the Russian people only at the turn of the XYII-XYIII centuries, during the Petrine household reforms. At this time, salon choreography in Europe was at a high stage of development, and Russia had to make a lot of effort to reach this level, continuing to overcome the resistance of the Church.

In 2018, the art community noted several memorable dates: the 280th anniversary of the Russian ballet school, the 200th anniversary of M.I.Petipa and the 140th anniversary of the end of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877–78. The article will focus on three French choreographers: J.Land, S.Didlo and M.Petipa, who created the basis for the flourishing of Russian ballet. In addition, special attention will be paid to Petipa’s contribution to the formation of the Russian aristocracy’s sense of ownership in the events in the Balkans in search of national (Slavic) identity.

The spring of 1918 in the Soviet Russia saw a universal military preparation of citizens, one of the main aims of which was the organization of physical education of workers and peasants. In order to achieve this aim, the theory of the Soviet system of physical education was elaborated and new administrative and controlling bodies were established to control the development of physical education and sport in the state of the dictatorship of the proletariat.

In the USSR there were precise official ideological attitudes to the implementation of physical recovery of the people in to the Soviet everyday life. However, dissemination of the physical education was not at the best level. Despite the activity of VSFK, Glavpolitprosvet, Proletkult, proletphyskults, trade unions, Komsomol and other organizations, the spreading of PE in the USSR in 1920-s did not happen efficiently.

The article touches upon the place of social dance in leisure and everyday life of Soviet working class of 1920s. The proletarian youth stepped dances based on foxtrot, which was the regarded in Europe. Such dances became a symbol of the small bourgeoisie influence hence were criticized and even banned. The Soviet government therefore aimed at creating a new social dance within the framework of proletarian culture of future socialism, which will correspond to the ideological principles of the time.

The article examines the events held by governmental and party bodies in the early years of the Soviet Russia in the field of artistic creativity. First and foremost it concerns the activities of Мusic, Theatre and Photo departments of People's commissariat for education. Some specific features are defined as they were caused by the creation of the state of proletarian dictatorship and ongoing Civil war.