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Why was Stepanov notation especially useful to the Mariinsky Ballet?

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dance notation Comparison of five systems of dance notation. (A) Starting position: stand with feet together. (B) Step forward on the right foot (count 1). (C) Land to the left, feet together, knees bent (count 2).

Stepanov notation, developed by Vladimir Ivanovich Stepanov, was highly valuable to the Mariinsky Ballet because it provided a reliable method for recording the company's repertory.12

Unlike earlier systems that struggled to capture timing or musical coordination, Stepanov’s method was based on an anatomical analysis of movement and utilized musical notes to indicate both the duration and the specific details of dance steps. This allowed the Imperial Ballet to preserve its classical works, which were otherwise at risk of being lost or altered over time.123

The utility of these scores extended well beyond the 19th century; they served as the essential basis for later reconstructions of major classical ballets—such as Swan Lake, Giselle, and The Sleeping Beauty—by companies like the Sadler’s Wells Ballet in London. While many of the original scores were written as rapid memory aids, they remain a critical historical record of the choreography preserved in the Russian repertoire.231