1. Alexander Shiryaev was born into an artistic family; both of his parents performed at the Bolshoi Theatre: his mother Ekaterina Ksenophontovna Shiryaeva was a ballet dancer, member of corps de ballet, and his father Hector Cesarovich Puni was a flautist who studied under Cesare Ciardi.
Alexander Shiryaev's paternal grandfather Cesare Pugni was a famous Italian composer of ballet music who moved to Russia in 1851 to work for Imperial Theatres.
Alexander Shiryaev's cousin Ivan Puni was a well-known Russian avant-garde artist.
At the age of nine Alexander Shiryaev entered the Saint Petersburg Imperial Theatrical School where he studied under Marius Petipa, Pavel Gerdt, Platon Karsavin and Lev Ivanov.
Alexander Shiryaev graduated in 1885 and in a year became a member of the Mariinsky Theatre troupe.
Alexander Shiryaev easily recollected all movements, reconstructing and finishing ballets after his teacher.
Alexander Shiryaev helped to stage The Seasons, Harlequinade, The Trial of Damis, among others.
Alexander Shiryaev studied and implemented elements of Russian, Hungarian, Spanish and other national dances into his ballets.
Alexander Shiryaev was the first performer of the Buffoon part in The Nutcracker which he staged, gaining praise from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky himself.
Alexander Shiryaev performed the buffoon dance from Mlada, Russian dance from Dubrovsky, dance of jesters and skomorokhs from The Merchant Kalashnikov and other operas directed by Lev Ivanov.
In 1905 a new director of Imperial Theatres made Alexander Shiryaev leave the theatre.
Alexander Shiryaev opened a training school in London; his students later joined the troupe led by Anna Pavlova.
Alexander Shiryaev then filmed them on camera, frame by frame.
From 1906 to 1909 Alexander Shiryaev produced a number of pioneering stop motion and traditionally animated films.
Ninel Yultyeva described how Alexander Shiryaev produced around 1700 drawings and filmed them just to demonstrate one complex dance to his students.
Alexander Shiryaev was contacted by Daniil Savelyev, a ballet photographer who personally knew the family.
Alexander Shiryaev got hold of the entire archive from the last wife of Alexander Shiryaev's son and kept it safe.
Alexander Shiryaev's first wife was a ballerina Natalia M Matveeva who performed at the Mariinsky Theatre.
Alexander Shiryaev played a small part of choreographer Skripochkin in the 1923 drama film Comedienne directed by Aleksandr Ivanovsky.
In 1941 Alexander Shiryaev prepared a book of memoirs St Petersburg Ballet.