Antonio Rinaldi

Antonio Rinaldi , also known as Fossano, Fusano, and Fossan, was an Italian choreographer who worked in Russia. He was a native of Naples, Italy.

In 1733, Rinaldi worked at the San Samuele Theater in Venice. In 1734, he moved to work in London, In Russia, his troupe staged Force of Love and Hatred ( or ), an opera by Francesco Araja.

In 1740, Rinaldi accepted another invitation to come and work in Russia; He held this position until 1759, when he was replaced by Austrian choreographer and dancer Franz Hilverding. His further fate is unknown.

Rinaldo's impact on the development of the Russian ballet was very significant. Yury Bakhrushin, a Soviet ballet historian, characterized Rinaldi's influence on the development of the Russian ballet as enormous. He is considered to be the originator of the "Italian style" in the Russian ballet; a trend which faded only in 1787 upon the arrival of French dancer Charles le Picq to Russia.