Choreographer Leonid Myasin lived a long life and created over 70 unique ballets, each of which was distinct not only from the works of other choreographers but also from Myasin's own creations.

Leonid Fyodorovich Myasin was born in Moscow in 1895 into a musician's family. He received his choreographic education at the Imperial School of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, and in 1912 became a member of the corps de ballet. His talent was noticed by S. Diaghilev, and Myasin's career continued in the 'Russian Seasons' in Paris.

In Diaghilev's troupe, Myasin distinguished himself as a bright and temperamental performer, playing leading roles in the ballets 'Petrushka' and 'The Legend of Joseph', staged by M. Fokine. In 1915, he debuted as a choreographer, creating a ballet to the music of N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov titled 'Midnight Sun'. In 1917, he staged the ballet 'A Woman in a Good Mood', based on a comedy by C. Goldoni with music by D. Scarlatti and decorations by L. Bakst.

His ballet 'Parade', staged in 1917, attracted special attention. This surrealistic work featured the extravagant music of E. Satie, decorations and costumes by P. Picasso in the cubist style, a scenario by J. Cocteau, and Myasin's unusual choreography. The premiere of 'Parade' caused a scandal, and he created the next ballet, 'The Three-Cornered Hat', in London. This ballet combined Spanish dances with classical ballet to the music of M. de Falla. Myasin himself performed the lead role, as the Spanish artist F. Fernandez could not handle the technically challenging part. In the ballet 'The Magic Shop' to the music of G. Rossini, Myasin played the role of a cancan dancer, which brought him European fame.

In 1920, Myasin collaborated with I. F. Stravinsky, creating a new version of 'The Rite of Spring' and the ballet 'Pulcinella'. During this time, he left Diaghilev's troupe and founded his own school in England, where he staged the ballets 'Mercury', 'School of Dance', 'Salad', and 'The Beautiful Danube'. In 1925, he worked again with Diaghilev and created the ballet 'Steel Jump' to the music of S. Prokofiev. Later, collaborating with I. Rubinstein's troupe, he created the ballets 'Amphion', 'David', and 'Children's Games' to the music of J. Bizet.

After Diaghilev's death, many artists from his troupe continued their work in the 'Russian Ballet of Monte Carlo', which Myasin led in 1933. He created ballets to symphonic music, such as 'Omen' to the music of P. I. Tchaikovsky, 'Choreatrum' to the music of I. Brahms, and 'Fantastic Symphony' to the music of H. Berlioz. In these works, he was attracted by the opportunity to create generalized images without a plot.

From 1939, Myasin worked in the USA, continuing to create symphonic ballets such as 'New Yorker' to the music of G. Gershwin and 'Bacchanalia' to the music of R. Wagner. In the USA, he was often compared to G. Balanchine, but while Balanchine sought to convey the spirit of the music, Myasin embodied in his productions images born from his imagination. He collaborated with artist S. Dali.

From 1947, Myasin staged ballets in various theaters across Europe, including 'Sadler's Wells Ballet' and 'Ballet of the Champs-Élysées'. He also worked at 'Opéra-Comique' and La Scala, participating in the creation of ballet films such as 'Neapolitan Carousel' and 'The Red Shoes'.

Myasin also turned to religious themes, creating ballets to the music of P. Hindemith and C. Monteverdi. He died in Germany in 1979. His work remained largely unknown in his homeland, and only in 2005 was the ballet 'The Three-Cornered Hat' staged for the first time in Russia, at the Bolshoi Theatre.