Jean-Baptiste Landé

Landé, Jean-Baptiste (b date unknown, d St Petersburg, 26 Feb. 1748). French dancer and ballet master. He danced in Paris, Dresden, and Stockholm where he was also royal dancing master (1721-7). In 1734 he went to St Petersburg to arrange a performance at a dancing school for young aristocrats. This was so successful it inspired the foundation of a much larger school in 1738 under his direction, which itself became the basis of the St Petersburg Imperial Ballet School.