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Marius Ivanovich Petipa (russian: Мариус Иванович Петипа), born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa (11 March 1818), was a French ballet dancer, pedagogue and choreographer. Petipa is one of the most influential ballet masters and choreographers in ballet history. Marius Petipa is noted for his long career as ''Premier maître de ballet'' (''First Ballet Master'') of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres, making him Ballet Master and principal choreographer of the Imperial Ballet (today known as the
Mariinsky Ballet The Mariinsky Ballet (russian: Балет Мариинского театра) is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russ ...
), a position he held from 1871 until 1903. Petipa created over fifty ballets, some of which have survived in versions either faithful to, inspired by, or reconstructed from the original. Among these works, he is most noted for ''
The Pharaoh's Daughter ''The Pharaoh's Daughter'' (russian: Дочь фараона, french: La Fille du pharaon), is a ballet choreographed by Marius Petipa to music by Cesare Pugni. The libretto was a collaboration between Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Pet ...
'' (1862); '' Don Quixote'' (1869); '' La Bayadère'' (1877); '' Le Talisman'' (1889); '' The Sleeping Beauty'' (1890); '' The Nutcracker'' (choreographed jointly with Lev Ivanov) (1892); '' Le Réveil de Flore'' (1894); '' La Halte de cavalerie'' (1896); ''
Raymonda ''Raymonda'' (russian: Раймонда) is a ballet in three acts, four scenes with an apotheosis, choreographed by Marius Petipa to music by Alexander Glazunov, his Opus 57. It was first presented by the Imperial Ballet at the Imperial Mariinsky ...
'' (1898); ''
Les Saisons ''Seasons'' (french: Les Saisons) is a 2015 French-German nature documentary film directed, produced, co-written, and narrated by Jacques Perrin, with Jacques Cluzaud as co-director. In Japanese, the film was narrated by Fumino Kimura and Shōfuku ...
'' (1900), and '' Les Millions d’Arlequin (a.k.a. Harlequinade)'' (1900). Petipa revived a substantial number of works created by other choreographers. Many of these revivals would go on to become the definitive editions on which all subsequent productions would be based. The most famous of these revivals were '' Le Corsaire'', ''
Giselle ''Giselle'' (; ), originally titled ''Giselle, ou les Wilis'' (, ''Giselle, or The Wilis''), is a romantic ballet (" ballet-pantomime") in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam. Considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon, ...
'', '' La Esmeralda'', '' Coppélia'', '' La Fille Mal Gardée'' (with Lev Ivanov), ''
The Little Humpbacked Horse Pyotr Pavlovich Yershov (russian: link=no, Пётр Павлович Ершов; – ) was a Russian poet and author of the famous fairy-tale poem ''The Little Humpbacked Horse'' (''Konyok-Gorbunok''). Biography Pyotr Yershov was born in the vil ...
'' and ''
Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...
'' (with Lev Ivanov). Many pieces have survived in an independent form from Petipa's original works and revivals in spite of the fact that the full-length ballets that spawned them had disappeared from the Imperial Ballet's repertoire. Many of these pieces have endured in versions either based on the original or choreographed anew by others – the ''Grand Pas classique'', ''Pas de trois'' and ''Mazurka des enfants'' from '' Paquita''; '' Le Carnaval de Venise Pas de deux'' from '' Satanella''; ''The Talisman Pas de deux''; ''La Esmeralda Pas de deux''; the ''
Diana and Actéon Pas de deux Diana most commonly refers to: * Diana (name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Diana (mythology), ancient Roman goddess of the hunt and wild animals; later associated with the Moon * Diana, Princess of Wales (1961–1997) ...
''; ''La Halte de Cavalerie Pas de deux''; the ''Don Quixote Pas de deux''; ''La Fille Mal Gardée Pas de deux''; and the ''Harlequinade Pas de deux''. All of the full-length works and individual pieces which have survived in active performance are considered to be cornerstones of the ballet repertory.


Early life and career

Marius Petipa was born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa in
Marseilles Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
, France on 11 March 1818. His mother, Victorine Grasseau, was a tragic actress and teacher of drama, while his father,
Jean-Antoine Petipa Jean-Antoine-Nicolas Petipa (16 February 1787, Paris – 28 July 1855, Saint Petersburg) was a French ballet dancer and the father of Marius Petipa. Life Aged 8 he was in the revived production of the ballet ''Psyché'' by Pierre Gardel, put ...
, was among the most renowned Ballet Masters and pedagogues in Europe. At the time of Marius's birth, Jean Petipa was engaged as ''Premier danseur'' (Principal Male Dancer) to the Salle Bauveau (known today as the Opéra de Marseille), and in 1819 he was appointed '' Maître de ballet'' to that theatre. Marius Petipa spent his early childhood traveling throughout Europe with his family, as his parents' professional engagements took them from city to city. By the time Marius was six years old, his family had settled in Brussels in what was then the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, where his father was appointed ''Maître de ballet'' and ''Premier danseur'' to the Théâtre de la Monnaie. The young Marius received his general education at the Grand College in Brussels, while also attending the
Brussels Conservatory The Royal Conservatory of Brussels (french: Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles, nl, Koninklijk Conservatorium Brussel) is a historic conservatory in Brussels, Belgium. Starting its activities in 1813, it received its official name in 1832. Provid ...
where he studied music and learned to play the violin. Just as he had done with his other children, Jean Petipa began giving the young Marius lessons in ballet at the age of seven. At first the young boy resisted, caring very little for dance. Nevertheless, he soon came to love this art form that was so much the life and identity of his family, and he excelled quickly. At the age of nine Marius performed for the first time in a ballet production as a Savoyard in his father's staging of Pierre Gardel's 1800 ballet '' La Dansomanie'' in 1827. On 25 August 1830, the
Belgian Revolution The Belgian Revolution (, ) was the conflict which led to the secession of the southern provinces (mainly the former Southern Netherlands) from the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and the establishment of an independent Kingdom of Belgium. T ...
erupted after a performance of Daniel Auber's opera '' La muette de Portici'' at the Théâtre de la Monnaie, where Marius' father now served as ''Premier maître de ballet''. The violent street fighting that followed caused all theatres to be shut down for a time, and consequently Jean Petipa found himself without a position. The Petipa family was left in dire straits for some years. The Petipa family relocated to Bordeaux, France, in 1834 where Marius' father had secured the position of ''Premier maître de ballet'' to the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux. While in Bordeaux, Marius completed his ballet training under the great
Auguste Vestris Marie-Jean-Augustin Vestris, known as Auguste Vestris (27 March 1760 – 5 December 1842), was a French dancer. He was born in Paris, the illegitimate son of Gaétan Vestris and Marie Allard (1742–1802). His father was a Florentine dancer who ...
. By 1838 he was appointed ''Premier danseur'' to the
Ballet de Nantes Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form ...
in
Nantes Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...
, France. During his time in Nantes the young Petipa began to try his hand at choreography by creating a number of one-act ballets and '' divertissements''. The 21-year-old Marius Petipa accompanied his father on a tour of the United States with a group of French dancers in July 1839. Among the many engagements was a performance of
Jean Coralli Jean Coralli (15 January 1779 – 1 May 1854) was a French ballet dancer and choreographer, best known for collaborating with Jules Perrot in creating ''Giselle'' (1841), the quintessential Romantic ballet of the nineteenth century. Early life ...
's '' La tarentule'' at the National Theatre on Broadway, being the first ballet performance ever seen in New York City. The tour proved to be a disaster, as many in the uncultured American audiences of that time had never before seen ballet. To add to the fiasco, the American impresario who arranged the engagements stole a large portion of the troupe's receipts and quickly disappeared without a trace. Upon leaving for France, Petipa's ticket only allowed him passage to Nantes, but instead of returning to that city he stowed away in the cabin of a woman he had seduced so that he could secure passage to Paris. By 1840, Petipa had made his début with the ballet company of the Comédie Française in Paris. His first performance with this troupe was given as a
benefit performance A benefit performance is a type of live entertainment which is undertaken for a cause. In its original usage, benefit performances were opportunities for an actor to supplement his/her income. In its modern usage, benefit performances are given to ...
for the actress Rachel where he partnered the legendary ballerina Carlotta Grisi. Petipa also took part in performances at the Paris Opéra where his brother Lucien Petipa was engaged as ''Premier danseur''.


Bordeaux

Petipa was offered the position of ''Premier danseur'' to the Grand Théâtre in Bordeaux in 1841. There, he studied further with the great Vestris, all the while dancing the leads in such ballets as '' La Fille Mal Gardée'', '' La Péri'' and ''
Giselle ''Giselle'' (; ), originally titled ''Giselle, ou les Wilis'' (, ''Giselle, or The Wilis''), is a romantic ballet (" ballet-pantomime") in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam. Considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon, ...
''. While performing with the company his skills as not only a dancer but as a partner were much celebrated. His partnering of Carlotta Grisi during a performance of ''La Péri'' was much celebrated, particularly his almost acrobatic lifts and catches of the ballerina that dazzled the audience. While in Bordeaux, Petipa began mounting his own original full-length productions. Among these works were '' La Jolie Bordelaise'' (''The Beauty of Bordeaux''), ''
La Vendange LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...
'' (''The Grape Picker''), '' L'Intrigue Amoureuse'' (''The Intrigues of Love'') and '' Le Langage des Fleurs'' (''The Voice of the Flowers'').


Madrid

In 1843, Petipa was offered the position ''premier danseur'' at the Teatro Real in Madrid, Spain. For the next three years he would acquire an acute knowledge of traditional Spanish Dancing while producing new works based on Spanish themes – ''Carmen et son toréro'' (''Carmen and the Bullfighter''), ''La Perle de Séville'' (''The Pearl of Seville''), ''L’Aventure d’une fille de Madrid'' (''The Adventures of a Madrileña''), ''La Fleur de Grenade'' (''The Flower of Granada'') and ''Départ pour la course des taureaux'' (''Leaving for the Bull Fights''). In 1846, he began a love affair with the wife of the Marquis de Chateaubriand, a prominent member of the French Embassy. Learning of the affair, the Marquis challenged Petipa to a
duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon Code duello, rules. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the r ...
. Rather than keep his fateful appointment, Petipa quickly left Spain, never to return. He then travelled to Paris where he stayed for a brief period. While in the city he took part in a performance at the Théâtre de l’Académie Royale de Musique where he partnered the ballerina Thérèse Elssler, sister of Fanny Elssler.


St. Petersburg, Russia

In 1847 Marius seduced yet another man's wife, and the husband called for a duel, yet again. Duels were banned, and the threat of court repercussions loomed over Marius, so the family decided it was best for him to leave France. Marius' brother, Lucien Petipa, was familiar with working in Russia and sent an inquiry to Antoine Titus in St. Petersburg. This coincided with a need to find a strong male lead for the Russian ballet prima ballerina
Yelena Andreyanova Elena Ivanovna Andreïanova , sometimes spelt Yelena Andreyanova (Russian Елена Ивановна Андреянова), 13 July 1819 St. Petersburg - 28 October 1857 Paris, was a Russian ballerina. She is considered to be the outstanding Ru ...
, (who was the mistress of the Director of the Imperial Theaters,
Alexandr Gedeonov Alexander is a male given name. Alexander may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Films * ''Alexander'' (1996 film), a Tamil action film * ''Alexander'' (2004 film), an epic about Alexander the Great directed by Oliver Stone * ''Alexander'' ...
). Antoine Titus resolved dilemmas for both parties and introduced the two sides, after which Petipa and his father were invited to Russia. So, Marius Petipa found himself in St. Petersburg late in the same year. And thus began his incredible career ascent to becoming one of the most influential choreographers in history.


Early career

In 1847, Petipa accepted the position of ''premier danseur'' to the Imperial Theatres of St. Petersburg, at that time the capital of the Russian Empire. The position of ''premier danseur'' had become vacant upon the departure of the French danseur
Emile Gredlu Emil or Emile may refer to: Literature *''Emile, or On Education'' (1762), a treatise on education by Jean-Jacques Rousseau * ''Émile'' (novel) (1827), an autobiographical novel based on Émile de Girardin's early life *''Emil and the Detective ...
, and Petipa soon relocated to Russia. On the twenty-nine-year-old Petipa arrived in the imperial capital. In 1848 Petipa's father also relocated to St. Petersburg, where he taught the ''Classe de perfection'' at the Imperial Ballet School until his death in 1855. For his début, the director of the Imperial Theatres Alexander Gedeonov commissioned Petipa and the Ballet Master Pierre-Frédéric Malevergne to create the first Russian production of Joseph Mazilier's celebrated ballet '' Paquita'', first staged at the Paris Opéra in 1846. The ballet premiered in St. Petersburg on with the ''Prima ballerina''
Yelena Andreyanova Elena Ivanovna Andreïanova , sometimes spelt Yelena Andreyanova (Russian Елена Ивановна Андреянова), 13 July 1819 St. Petersburg - 28 October 1857 Paris, was a Russian ballerina. She is considered to be the outstanding Ru ...
in the title rôle and Petipa himself in the largely mimed rôle of Lucien d’Hervilly. The following season Petipa and his father staged a revival of Mazilier's 1840 ballet '' Le Diable amoureux'' (''The Devil in Love''), which premiered under the title ''Satanella'' on . The ''prima ballerina'' Andreyonova performed the title rôle, with Petipa in the rôle of Fabio. At the time Petipa had arrived in St. Petersburg, the Imperial Ballet had experienced a considerable decline in popularity with the public since the 1842 departure of Marie Taglioni, who had been engaged in the Imperial capital as guest ballerina. The productions of ''Paquita'' and ''Satanella'' brought about a measure of prestige and attention for the company. Critic Raphael Zotov reflected, "Our lovely ballet company was reborn with the productions of ''Paquita'' and ''Satanella'', and its superlative performances placed the company again at its former level of glory and universal affection." In the winter of 1849, the French Ballet Master
Jules Perrot Jules-Joseph Perrot (18 August 1810 – 29 August 1892) was a dancer and choreographer who later became Ballet Master of the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia. He created some of the most famous ballets of the 19th century including ...
arrived in St. Petersburg, having accepted the position of ''premier maître de ballet'' of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres. He was accompanied by his chief collaborator, the prolific Italian composer Cesare Pugni, who was appointed ''Ballet Composer of the Imperial Theatres'', a position created especially for him. Aside from dancing the principal rôles in many of Perrot's productions, Petipa rehearsed older works with the company and assisted Perrot in staging revivals (such as ''
Giselle ''Giselle'' (; ), originally titled ''Giselle, ou les Wilis'' (, ''Giselle, or The Wilis''), is a romantic ballet (" ballet-pantomime") in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam. Considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon, ...
'' in 1850, and '' Le Corsaire'' in 1858), all the while learning a great deal from the man who was at that time the most celebrated choreographer in Europe. Although Petipa did not create his own original works during this period, he nevertheless staged many dances for various operas, and on occasion revised dances for Perrot's many revivals of older works. By 1850 Petipa's first child, a son named Marius Mariusovich Petipa (1850–1919) was born.Garafola, Lynn. ''Legacies of Twentieth-Century Dance''. Wesleyan University Press: Middletown, CT, 2005 p.35-38 His mother, Marie Thérèse Bourdin— with whom Petipa had a brief liaison—died five years after the birth of their child. In 1854 Petipa married the ''Prima ballerina''
Mariia Surovshchikova-Petipa Mariia Sergeyevna Surovshchikova-Petipa (27 February 1836 – 16 March 1882) was prima ballerina to the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres and wife of the noted choreographer Marius Petipa. Life Mariia Sergeyevna Surovshchikova was born in St ...
. Together they had two children: Marie Mariusovna Petipa (1857–1930), who would go on to become a celebrated dancer in her own right, and Jean Mariusovich Petipa (1859–1871). On Petipa presented his first original ballet in over six years, a ''ballet-divertissement'' titled '' L’Étoile de Grenade'' (''The Star of Granada''), for which he collaborated for the first time with the composer Cesare Pugni. The work was presented for the first time at the
Palace of the Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna The Mikhailovsky Palace (russian: Михайловский дворец, tr=Mikhailovskiy dvorets) is a grand ducal palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is located on Arts Square and is an example of Empire style neoclassicism. The palace cu ...
, a fanatic balletomane and patron of the arts. ''L’Étoile de Grenade'' was followed by '' La Rose, la violette et le papillon'' (''The Rose, the Violet and the Butterfly'') in 1857, '' Un Mariage sous la Régence'' (''A Marriage Under the Regency'') in 1858, '' Le Marché des parisien'' (''The Parisian Market'') in 1859, '' Le Dahlia Bleu'' (''The Blue Dahlia'') in 1860 and '' Terpsichore'' in 1861. All of Petipa's works during this period were tailored especially for the talents of his wife Maria, who performed the principal rôles to considerable acclaim, and soon was named ''Prima ballerina'' to the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres. On 29 May 1861 Petipa presented his 1859 ballet ''Le Marché des parisiens'' at the ''
Théâtre Impérial de l’Opéra The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be ...
'' in Paris as ''Le Marché des Innocents''. Petipa's wife Maria reprised the principal rôle of Lizetta (renamed Gloriette) to great success. In 1858 Jules Perrot retired to his native France, never to return to Russia again. Petipa anticipated succeeding Perrot as ''premier maître de ballet''. His years of serving as assistant to Perrot had taught him much. Choreography was a logical alternative to dancing for the now 41-year-old Petipa, who was soon to retire from the stage. But it was not yet to be. In 1860 the renowned French Ballet Master
Arthur Saint-Léon Arthur Saint-Léon (17 September 1821, in Paris – 2 September 1870) was the '' Maître de Ballet'' of St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet from 1859 until 1869 and is famous for creating the choreography of the ballet ''Coppélia''. Biography He was ...
was given the coveted position by the director of the Imperial Theatres
Andrei Saburov Andrei, Andrey or Andrej (in Cyrillic script: Андрэй , Андрей or Андреј) is a form of Andreas/Ἀνδρέας in Slavic languages and Romanian. People with the name include: * Andrei of Polotsk (–1399), Lithuanian nobleman ...
, and soon a healthy and productive rivalry between him and Petipa ensued, bringing the Imperial Ballet to new heights throughout the 1860s.


''Second maître de ballet'' of the Imperial Theatres

The great Italian Ballerina
Carolina Rosati Carolina Rosati (1826–1905) was an Italian ballet dancer who gained fame with the Paris Opera Ballet and the Imperial Ballet in St Petersburg. Early life Carolina Galletti was born in Bologna, Italy, on 13 December 1826. At the age of seven, ...
had been engaged as guest artist with the Imperial Theatres since 1855. By 1861 her contract with the company was set to expire, and upon leaving Russia for her native Italy she intended to retire from the stage. Rosati's contract stipulated that she was to be given a benefit performance in a new production, and in late 1861 she requested from the director Saburov that preparations begin post haste. Saburov at first refused, stating that there was not enough funds and that such a production could not be staged in time. Rosati enlisted the assistance of Petipa, who reminded Saburov that the Imperial Theatres were contractually obligated to grant the ballerina a new production for her benefit. Saburov asked Petipa as to whether or not he could produce a new full-length ''grand ballet'' for Rosati in only six weeks. Confidently, Petipa answered ''"Yes, I shall try, and probably succeed."'' Saburov immediately put all other rehearsals on hold so that the company could concentrate on the production of the new ballet. During Petipa's sojourn in Paris for the staging of ''Le Marché des Innocents'', he acquired a scenario from the dramatist Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges for a ballet titled '' La Fille du Pharaon'' (''The Pharaoh's Daughter''), inspired by Théophile Gautier's '' Le Roman de la Momie''. Throughout the Victorian era Europe was fascinated with all things concerning the art and culture of ancient Egypt, and Petipa was sure that a ballet on such a subject would be a great success. Petipa began work by collaborating with the composer Pugni, who wrote his melodious and apt score with Petipa while in rehearsals. ''The Pharaoh's Daughter'' premiered on to an unrivaled success. The work exceeded even the opulent tastes of the Tsarist audience, as so lavish and exotic a ballet had not been seen on the Imperial stage for some time. The work went on to become the most popular ballet in the entire repertory of the Imperial Theatres—by 1903 it had been performed 203 times. The great success of ''The Pharaoh's Daughter'' earned for Petipa the position of second ''Maître de ballet'' to the Imperial Theatres. Saint-Léon answered the success of Petipa's ''The Pharaoh's Daughter'' with the fantastical ballet '' Le Petit Cheval bossu, Ou La Tsar-Demoiselle'' (''The Little Humpbacked Horse, or The Tsar Maiden''), a ballet adaptation of Pyotr Yershov's famous Russian poem. The work proved to be a success equal to that of ''The Pharaoh's Daughter'', with its series of fantastical tableaux set under-water and on an enchanted isle, as well as the ballet's final ''Grand divertissement'' celebrating the many peoples of the Russian Empire. Though Arthur Saint-Léon was by title and technicality Petipa's superior, the two men were viewed as equals by the critics and balletomanes of the day, and would rival one another with splendid productions throughout the 1860s. Not only did Saint-Léon and Petipa have their own respective audiences and critics, but also their own ballerinas—Petipa mounted the majority of his works at that time for his wife, the ''Prima ballerina'' Mariia Surovshchikova-Petipa, while Saint-Léon mounted the majority of his works for the ''Prima ballerina''
Marfa Muravieva Marfa may refer to: Music * Marfa (instrument), an African percussion instrument * Marfa (music), celebratory music of the Hyderabadi Muslims Places * Márfa, a village in Baranya county, Hungary * Marfa, Chad * Marfa, Texas, a city in the h ...
. Despite their rivalry, nearly every ballet staged by Petipa and Saint-Léon during the 1860s was set to the music of Cesare Pugni. On Petipa presented a lavish revival of the ballet '' Le Corsaire'' for the visiting ballerina
Adèle Grantzow Adele (born 1988) is an English singer-songwriter. Adele may also refer to: People * Adele (given name), a common female given name *Jan Adele (1936–2000), Australian actor * Adele, a character in the operetta ''Die Fledermaus'' Places * Ade ...
, for which he included the celebrated scene ''Le jardin animé'' to the music of Léo Delibes. Petipa presented his next new grand ballet on . This was the colossal ballet '' Le Roi Candaule'' (known in Russian as ''Tsar Candavl''), which was staged especially for the visiting ballerina
Henrietta D'or Henrietta may refer to: * Henrietta (given name), a feminine given name, derived from the male name Henry Places * Henrietta Island in the Arctic Ocean * Henrietta, Mauritius * Henrietta, Tasmania, a locality in Australia United States * Hen ...
. The ballet featured the ''Pas de Vénus'', which was considered to be among Petipa's greatest masterpieces of classical choreography, with the ballerina D'or executing five pirouettes during her piqué turns in rapid succession. The ballet also included the ''pas'' known as ''Les amours de Diane'', or simply as the ''Pas de Diane'', which would later be transformed by Agrippina Vaganova into the so-called ''
Diane and Actéon Pas de Deux ''Le Roi Candaule'' (en. ''King Candaules'') is a ''Grand ballet'' in four acts and six scenes, with choreography by Marius Petipa and music by Cesare Pugni. The libretto is by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and is based on the history of ...
'' for her 1935 revival of '' La Esmeralda''. ''Le Roi Candaule'' would go on to break attendance records at the St. Petersburg Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre, and by 1903 the work had been performed 194 times. Petipa would later comment in his memoirs that ''Le Roi Candaule'' was ''" ... the indulgence of my youth."'' Petipa's final work of the 1860s remains a cornerstone of the classical ballet repertory. '' Don Quixote'' was mounted for Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre, with the famous ballerina
Anna Sobeshchanskaya Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 122 ...
in the role of Kitri. The composer Ludwig Minkus was commissioned to write the ballet's score, marking the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration between him and Petipa.


''Premier maître de ballet'' of the Imperial Theatres

In 1869 Saint-Léon's contract was set to expire. His last works for the St. Petersburg stage, ''
Le Poisson doré ''Le Poisson doré'' (''The Golden Fish'') (ru: Золотая рыбка; a.k.a. ''Zolotaia Ribka'') is a "fantastic ballet" in 4 acts/6 scenes with prologue and epilogue. The choreography was by Arthur Saint-Léon, and the music by Ludwig Mink ...
'' (1866) and ''
Le Lys ''Le Lys'' (''The Lily''), also known as ''Liliya'', is a ballet in 3 acts/4 scenes, with choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon and music by Ludwig Minkus. The ballet was first presented by the Imperial Ballet on , at the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny ...
'' (1869), led the Minister of the Imperial Court to refuse renewal of the Ballet Master's contract. While in the Café de Divan on the Avenue de l'Opéra in Paris, Saint-Léon died of a heart attack on 2 September 1870. Not long before his death the composer Cesare Pugni—Petipa's chief collaborator for many years—died on . Petipa was officially named ''premier maître de ballet'' on . On Petipa presented ''Don Quixote'' in the St. Petersburg in an expanded and far more lavish edition. Ludwig Minkus's score was hailed unanimously as a masterwork of ballet music, earning the composer the post of ''Ballet Composer of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres''. Petipa and Minkus created a successful series of original works and revivals throughout the 1870s: ''
La Camargo Marie Anne de Cupis de Camargo (15 April 1710 in Brussels – 28 April 1770 in Paris), sometimes known simply as La Camargo, was a French dancer. The first woman to execute the '' entrechat quatre'', Camargo was also allegedly responsible for ...
'' in 1872, Offenbach's '' Le Papillon'' in 1874, '' Les Brigands'' (''The Bandits'') in 1875, ''
Les Aventures de Pélée ''Les Aventures de Pélée'' (''The Adventures of Peleus''; russian: Приключения Пелея) is a ballet in three acts and five scenes with choreography by Marius Petipa and music by Ludwig Minkus, with additional music adapted from wor ...
'' (''The Adventures of Peleus'') in 1876, ''
Roxana Roxana (c. 340 BC – 310 BC, grc, Ῥωξάνη; Old Iranian: ''*Raṷxšnā-'' "shining, radiant, brilliant"; sometimes Roxanne, Roxanna, Rukhsana, Roxandra and Roxane) was a Sogdian or a Bactrian princess whom Alexander the Great married a ...
'' in 1878, ''
La Fille des Neiges ''The Daughter of the Snows'' (also known as ''Snegurochka'' or ''La Fille des neiges'') is a ballet in three acts and five scenes, with choreography by Marius Petipa and music by Ludwig Minkus. The libretto by Marius Petipa is based on the play ...
'' (''The Daughter of the Snows'') in 1879, and ''
Mlada ''Mlada'' (russian: Млада, italic=yes, the name of a main character) was a project conceived in 1870 by Stepan Gedeonov (1816–1878), director of the Saint Petersburg Imperial Theatres, originally envisioned as a ballet to be composed by ...
'', also in 1879. In 1877 Petipa staged his greatest masterwork to date, the exotic '' La Bayadère'' to the music of Minkus, which premiered on for the benefit performance of the ''Prima ballerina''
Ekaterina Vazem Yekaterina Ottovna Vazem (born Matilda Vazem; russian: Екатери́на Отто́вна Ва́зем; 25 January 1848, Moscow – 14 December 1937, Leningrad) aka Ekaterina Vazemwas a Russian prima ballerina and instructor, whose most noted ...
. The ballet included Petipa's celebrated scene known as ''The Kingdom of the Shades'', for which the Ballet Master staged some of his most outstanding choreography. ''La Bayadère'' would prove to be among Petipa's most enduring works. To this day his choreography for the scene ''The Kingdom of the Shades'' remains one of the ultimate challenges for the classical ballerina and danseur, and particularly for the '' corps de ballet''. The eldest son of Marius Petipa (with the dressmaker Teresa Burden / ru: Тереза Бурден) also Marius (
Marius Mariusovich Petipa Marius may refer to: People * Gaius Marius (157 BC-86 BC), Roman statesman, seven times consul. Arts and entertainment * ''Marius'' (play), a 1929 play by Marcel Pagnol * "Marius" (short story), a 1957 story by Poul Anderson * ''Marius'' (19 ...
) was the famous drama actor, and his son
Nikolai Radin Nikolai Mariusovich Radin (Russian: Николай Мариусович Радин; 15 December 1872 – 24 August 1935) was a Russian stage and silent film actor and director. Biography Radin was born as Nikolai Mariusovich Kazankov on 15 ...
was famous Russian actor too. Petipa and his wife, the ''Prima ballerina'' Mariia Surovshchikova-Petipa separated in 1875, and in 1882 the ballerina died of virulent smallpox in Pyatigorsk.Garafola, Lynn. ''Legacies of Twentieth-Century Dance''. Wesleyan University Press: Middletown, CT, 2005 In 1876 Petipa married the ballerina Lyubov Savitskaya, who before she married Petipa had given birth to their first child. Together, they had six children: Nadezhda Mariusovna Petipa (1874–1945), Evgeniia Mariusovna Petipa (1877–1892), Victor Mariusovich Petipa (1879–1939), Lyubov Mariusovna Petipa (1880–1917), Mariy Mariusovich Petipa (1884–1922), and Vera Mariusovna Petipa (1885–1961). With so many children, Petipa stood at the head of a large family by the time he had reached his 70s, having many grandchildren, in-laws, and god-children. Although he was well provided for at the expense of the Imperial treasury, he was not rich, and lived strictly within his means. He kept track of all of his living expenses in journals, as well as box-office receipts at the theatre. He was well known for his generosity, always lavishing presents upon his children and grandchildren, and was known to purchase tea or lunch for the dancers during a rehearsal. Throughout the 1880s Petipa staged revivals of older works with increasing regularity. In 1880 he revived Mazilier's '' Le Corsaire'' for the ballerina
Eugenia Sokolova Evgenia Pavlovna Sokolova (russian: Евгения Павловна Соколова; 1 December 1850 – 2 August 1925) was a Russian dancer and educator. She was one of the most famous ballerinas of her period and later became a famous balle ...
, and in 1881 he revived Mazilier's '' Paquita'' for the ''Prima ballerina'' Ekaterina Vazem. For this production Petipa added the celebrated ''Paquita Grand pas classique'', as well as the ''Paquita Pas de trois'' (or ''Minkus Pas de trois'') and the ''Mazurka des enfants'' (''Children's Mazurka''), all to the music of Minkus. The ''Paquita Grand pas classique'' is among Petipa's most celebrated divertissements, and is today included in the repertories of ballet companies all over the world. In 1884 Petipa staged what is considered to be his definitive revival of the romantic masterwork ''
Giselle ''Giselle'' (; ), originally titled ''Giselle, ou les Wilis'' (, ''Giselle, or The Wilis''), is a romantic ballet (" ballet-pantomime") in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam. Considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon, ...
'', and in 1885 he mounted a new production of
Arthur Saint-Léon Arthur Saint-Léon (17 September 1821, in Paris – 2 September 1870) was the '' Maître de Ballet'' of St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet from 1859 until 1869 and is famous for creating the choreography of the ballet ''Coppélia''. Biography He was ...
's '' Coppélia'', a revision which would serve as the basis for nearly every version staged thereafter. Petipa staged many new works as well throughout the 1880s, including ''
Zoraiya ''Zoraiya, the Moorish Girl in Spain'' is a grand ballet in 4 acts/7 scenes, with choreography by Marius Petipa and music by Ludwig Minkus. The ballet was first presented by the Imperial Ballet on February 1/13 ( Julian/ Gregorian calendar dates ...
'' in 1881 and '' Nuit et Jour'' (''Night and Day''), a work produced by Petipa and Minkus especially for the celebration gala held at the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre in honor of the coronation of Tsar Alexander III. Petipa also staged ''
Pygmalion, ou La Statue de Chypre ''Pygmalion, ou La Statue de Chypre'' ( ''Pygmalion, or The Cyprus Statue'') is a ballet in 4 Acts-6 Scenes, with choreography by Marius Petipa and music by Prince Nikita Trubestkoi A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand pr ...
'' (''Pygmalion, or the Statue of Cyprus'') in 1883 and '' L'Offrandes à l'Amour'' (''The Sacrifices to Cupid'') in 1886. In late 1885 the great Italian ballerina Virginia Zucchi began her two-year engagement with the St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet, making her debut in a revival of Petipa's ''The Pharaoh's Daughter''. A few weeks later Zucchi appeared as Lise in a revival of Paul Taglioni's 1864 version of '' La Fille Mal Gardée'', staged for the benefit performance of Pavel Gerdt by Petipa and Lev Ivanov. The Petipa/Ivanov production of ''La Fille Mal Gardée'' would be retained in the repertory of the St. Petersburg Ballet for many years, serving as a useful vehicle for such noted ballerinas as Mathilde Kschessinskaya and Olga Preobrajenska. In 1886 Petipa mounted a revival of
Jules Perrot Jules-Joseph Perrot (18 August 1810 – 29 August 1892) was a dancer and choreographer who later became Ballet Master of the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia. He created some of the most famous ballets of the 19th century including ...
's '' La Esmeralda'' especially for Zucchi, a production that is considered to be his definitive revival of that work. For her performance, Petipa interpolated the famous ''La Esmeralda pas de six'' to the music of Riccardo Drigo, a dramatic ''pas d'action'' that allowed Zucchi to display her incomparable flair for drama and mime. For Zucchi's benefit performance in February 1887, Petipa staged the ballet '' L'Ordre du Roi'' (''The King's Command''), a work based on Delibes' operetta ''
Le roi l'a dit ''Le roi l'a dit'' (''The King Has Spoken'') is an opéra comique in three acts by Léo Delibes to a French libretto by Edmond Gondinet. It is a lively comedy, remarkably requiring 14 singers – six men and eight women.MacDonald H. "Le roi l'a ...
''. Zucchi scored an enormous success in the principal rôle of Pepita when the ballet premiered on . Nevertheless, many critics complained that the ballet had a weak libretto and mise en scène. Petipa would later stage an abridgement of ''L'Ordre du Roi'' as ''Les Élèves de Dupré'' (''The Pupils of Dupré'') in 1900 for a special performance given at the Theatre of the Hermitage for the Imperial Family and their special guest, Kaiser Wilhelm II. By 1885 the now sixty-seven-year-old Petipa began to experience what appeared to be a severe case of eczema. The pain and suffering caused by his illness began to debilitate the Ballet Master a great deal, forcing him to be absent from work for long periods. In 1881, the newly crowned Russian Emperor Alexander III appointed Ivan Vsevolozhsky director of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres. In 1885 the new director prompted the inspection of the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre by architects who found the building to be unsafe. Rather than spend millions of roubles on renovations, the director ordered that both the ballet and opera companies be relocated to the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre of St. Petersburg, much to the chagrin of the orchestra and opera singers who found the theatre's acoustics to be weaker. In honor of the relocation to the new theatre, a lavish gala performance was planned for February 1886, which included the Petipa/Minkus work '' Les Pilules magiques'' (''The Magic Pills''). The work included three danced tableaux: the first took place in a cave inhabited by sorceresses, while the second included various card games brought to life through dance. The third and final tableau was known as ''The Kingdom of the Laces'' in which a ''Grand divertissement'' of national dances from Belgium, England, Spain and Russia was performed.


The golden age of Russian ballet

During the twilight of Imperial Russia, the ballet of St. Petersburg flourished before a public that possessed a high level of connoisseurship. The treasury of the Russian Emperor—who was at that time the wealthiest person on earth—lavished millions of rubles a year on the Imperial Ballet, opera, and the Imperial Ballet School (today known as the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet). Each new season required that Petipa create a new multi-act ''Grand ballet'', that he choreograph the dance sections for various operas, and that he prepare galas and ''divertissements'' for court performances, royal nuptials, etc. With the ballet thriving in such an environment, the late 19th and early 20th centuries saw what is considered to be the '' golden age'' of Russian ballet. This era coincided with an important change: upon the retirement of Ludwig Minkus in 1886, the director Ivan Vsevolozhsky abolished the official post of ''Ballet Composer'' in an effort to diversify the music supplied for new works. Petipa presented his colossal ''grand ballet'' set in ancient Rome '' La Vestale'' in 1888, which was staged for the benefit performance of the visiting Italian ballerina
Elena Cornalba Elena may refer to: People * Elena (given name), including a list of people and characters with this name * Joan Ignasi Elena (born 1968), Catalan politician * Francine Elena (born 1986), British poet Geography * Elena (town), a town in Veliko ...
. The ballet was set to the music of the composer Mikhail Ivanov, a noted music critic. The next year, Ivan Vsevolozhsky commissioned the Italian Riccardo Drigo—principal conductor of the Imperial Ballet & Italian Opera—to compose the score for Petipa's '' Le Talisman'', also staged for Cornalba. Although the ballet was not a success Drigo's score was much praised by contemporary critics. The director Vsevolozhsky commissioned the great composer Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky to compose the score for Petipa's '' The Sleeping Beauty'', which premiered on . The ballet proved to be one of Petipa's masterpieces of choreography. ''The Sleeping Beauty'' proved to be so popular that by April 1903 it had been performed 100 times, making it one of the most popular works in the Imperial Ballet's repertory, second only to Petipa's ''The Pharaoh's Daughter''. Petipa was diagnosed with a severe case of the skin disease pemphigus in 1892. The constant pain and itching brought on by this disease caused Petipa to refrain from choreography for the Imperial Ballet's entire 1892–1893 theatrical season. It has been widely accepted by history that the responsibility of staging Tchaikovsky's second work for the Imperial Ballet '' The Nutcracker'', fell to the Imperial Theatre's second Ballet Master Lev Ivanov. With regard to who was ultimately responsible for the choreography for ''The Nutcracker'', many sources contradict one another. Some claim either that Petipa was responsible for staging the entire ballet or that he merely supervised Ivanov's progress. ''The Nutcracker'' premiered on a double bill with Tchaikovsky's opera ''
Iolanta ''Iolanta'', Op. 69, (russian: Иоланта, links=no ) is a lyric opera in one act by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. It was the last opera he composed. The libretto was written by the composer's brother Modest Tchaikovsky, and is based on the Danish play ...
'' at the Mariinsky Theatre. Many critics of the day considered the work to not even be a ballet at all, with far too much emphasis on spectacle, something made all the more unsuccessful since the ballerina's role was reduced to a ''Grand Pas de deux'' in the final scene. The critics also complained that Ivanov's choreography was banal, with only a few passages succeeding simply because Ivanov imitated the choreography of Petipa's dances from other works. One such passage mentioned in reviews was the ''Valse des flocons de neige'' (''Waltz of the Snowflakes''), which was said to be almost identical to a waltz from Petipa's 1879 ballet ''
La Fille des Neiges ''The Daughter of the Snows'' (also known as ''Snegurochka'' or ''La Fille des neiges'') is a ballet in three acts and five scenes, with choreography by Marius Petipa and music by Ludwig Minkus. The libretto by Marius Petipa is based on the play ...
'' (''The Daughter of the Snows''). Petipa's illness kept him from working for nearly all of the 1892-1893 season. It was during this time that Enrico Cecchetti, the great Italian dancer and teacher, began to assist Lev Ivanov in substituting for Petipa in the staging of ballets and rehearsals. In 1893 Petipa supervised Cecchetti and Ivanov's staging of the ballet '' Cinderella'', set to the music of
Baron Boris Fitinhof-Schell Baron Boris Alexandrovich Fitinhoff-Schell (russian: Борис Александрович Фитингоф-Шель, tr. ) (1829? in Morshansk – in St. Petersburg, Russia) was a Russian composer of Baltic German descent. Biography Fi ...
. The Italian ballerina Pierina Legnani made her début in the title role, and on the evening of the premiere, , her perfection of technique and execution caused a sensation, with critics and balletomanes hailing her as the supreme ballerina of her generation. In the last act she astounded the audience by performing a feat never before executed by any Ballerina: 32 fouettés en tournant. Petipa was so enamored with the stellar ballerina that he bestowed upon her the rarely held title of ''Prima ballerina assoluta'', and over the course of the next eight years, Petipa staged many new ballets especially for her talents. Petipa returned to choreography from his long infirmity with the one-act '' Le Réveil de Flore'' (''The Awakening of Flora''), set to the music of Riccardo Drigo. The ballet had its premiere on at Peterhof Palace. Petipa staged ''Le Réveil de Flore'' in honor of the wedding of Tsar Alexander III's daughter, the Grand Duchess Xenia to the Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich. The ballet was soon transferred to the Mariinsky Theatre. In 1893 Tchaikovsky died, and in February 1894 a gala was given in his honor at the Mariinsky Theatre. For the occasion Lev Ivanov mounted the second scene from Tchaikovsky's ''
Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...
'', first produced in Moscow in 1877. The gala was a success, with the excerpt from ''Swan Lake'' being the biggest success on the program. It was soon decided that a revival of the full-length work would be staged for the 1894–1895 season, with Ivanov staging the second and fourth scenes and Petipa staging the first and third scenes. Riccardo Drigo would revise Tchaikovsky's 1877 score in accordance with Petipa's instructions, and Tchaikovsky's brother Modeste would revise the ballet's scenario. The premiere on with Legnani in the dual rôle of Odette/Odile was a triumph, and in Petipa and Ivanov's version ''Swan Lake'' would go on to become one of the greatest of all ballets, remaining one of the ultimate tests for the classical ballerina and the ''corps de ballet''.


The turn of the 20th century

Petipa would spend a great deal of his final years reviving older ballets. In the winter of 1895 Petipa presented lavish revivals of his 1889 '' Le Talisman'', and Saint-Léon's 1864 ''
The Little Humpbacked Horse Pyotr Pavlovich Yershov (russian: link=no, Пётр Павлович Ершов; – ) was a Russian poet and author of the famous fairy-tale poem ''The Little Humpbacked Horse'' (''Konyok-Gorbunok''). Biography Pyotr Yershov was born in the vil ...
'' (as ''La Tsar-Demoiselle''), both with Legnani in the principal rôles. The turn of the 20th century saw Petipa present more revivals: ''
The Pharaoh's Daughter ''The Pharaoh's Daughter'' (russian: Дочь фараона, french: La Fille du pharaon), is a ballet choreographed by Marius Petipa to music by Cesare Pugni. The libretto was a collaboration between Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Pet ...
'' in 1898; '' La Esmeralda'', ''
Giselle ''Giselle'' (; ), originally titled ''Giselle, ou les Wilis'' (, ''Giselle, or The Wilis''), is a romantic ballet (" ballet-pantomime") in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam. Considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon, ...
'' and '' Le Corsaire'' in 1899; '' La Bayadère'' in 1900 and '' Le Roi Candaule'' in 1903. These revivals would prove to be Petipa's "finishing touch" on these works. Petipa also mounted new works. For the celebrations held at the
Moscow Imperial Bolshoi Theatre The Bolshoi Theatre ( rus, Большо́й теа́тр, r=Bol'shoy teatr, literally "Big Theater", p=bɐlʲˈʂoj tʲɪˈatər) is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, originally designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds ballet and ope ...
in honor of the coronation of Emperor Nicholas II, Petipa presented the one-act ballet to Drigo's music, '' Le Perle'', which proved to be the greatest success during the gala of . ''Le Perle'' was truly a ''ballet à grand spectacle'': based on the un-staged danced scene ''La Pérégrina'' from
Verdi's Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...
opera '' Don Carlos'', which was to have been choreographed by Petipa's brother Lucien. The ballet featured some of Petipa's most grand choreography for a 200-member cast, all set to Drigo's
Wagnerian Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
score that boasted an off-stage choir. In 1896 Petipa was given a benefit performance to celebrate 50 years in service to the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres. For the occasion, Petipa created one of the most lavish ballets he ever staged: '' Bluebeard'', based on the Perrault fairytale to the music of Pyotr Schenk, was given its premiere on . The ballet was given a sumptuous production. Many critics felt that the ballet was merely a gargantuan excuse for spectacle and dances, something made all the more apparent with the spectacular showcasing of Pierina Legnani in the principal role of Ysaure. The final tableau consisted of a three-part astrological ''divertissement'' titled ''The Temple of the Past, Present & Future''. The ''Temple of the Future'' completed the scene with the ''Pas de deux éléctrique'' performed by Legnani and Nikolai Legat to a tremendous ovation from the audience. In spite of the criticisms of ''Bluebeard'', the critics unanimously praised the seventy-eight-year-old Petipa's seemingly limitless imagination in the creation of classical dances, proving once again that no other choreographer in Europe could claim to be his rival. On the nearly eighty-year-old Petipa presented one of his greatest ballets, ''
Raymonda ''Raymonda'' (russian: Раймонда) is a ballet in three acts, four scenes with an apotheosis, choreographed by Marius Petipa to music by Alexander Glazunov, his Opus 57. It was first presented by the Imperial Ballet at the Imperial Mariinsky ...
'', set in Hungary during the middle ages to the music of
Alexander Glazunov Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov; ger, Glasunow (, 10 August 1865 – 21 March 1936) was a Russian composer, music teacher, and conductor of the late Russian Romantic period. He was director of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory between 1905 ...
, which premiered to great success. Petipa's ''Pas classique hongrois'' from the last act of the ballet would go on to be one of his most celebrated and enduring excerpts, with the challenging choreography he lavished onto Legnani (who danced the title rôle) becoming one of the ultimate tests of the classical ballerina. Petipa presented what would prove to be his final masterpiece on at the Hermitage Theatre, '' Les Millions d'Arlequin'' (or ''Harlequinade''), a balletic ''Harlequinade'' set to Drigo's music. ''Harlequinade'' was dedicated by both Drigo and Petipa to the new Empress, Alexandra Feodorovna, a work which would prove to be the last enduring flash of Petipa's choreographic oeuvre.


Final years with the Imperial Ballet

In spite of his vast accomplishments, Petipa's final years with the Imperial Ballet were difficult. By the turn of the 20th century new innovations in the art of classical dance began to become apparent. With all of this, Petipa's rocky relationship with the new director of the Imperial Theatres,
Vladimir Telyakovsky Vladimir may refer to: Names * Vladimir (name) for the Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Macedonian, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak and Slovenian spellings of a Slavic name * Uladzimir for the Belarusian version of the name * Volodymyr for the Ukr ...
, appointed to the position in 1901, served as a catalyst to the Ballet Master's end. Telyakovsky made no effort in disguising his dislike of Petipa's work, as he felt that the art of classical ballet had become stagnant under him, and felt that other choreographers should have a chance at the helm of the Imperial Ballet. But even at the age of eighty-three, and suffering from the constant pain brought on by a severe case of the skin disease pemphigus, the old Maestro showed no signs of slowing down, much to Telyakovsky's chagrin. One example of Telyakovsky's efforts in his attempt to "de-throne" Petipa came in 1902 when he invited Alexander Gorsky, former ''premier danseur'' to the Imperial Ballet, to stage his own version of Petipa's 1869 ballet ''Don Quixote''. Gorsky had been engaged as Ballet Master to the Ballet of the Moscow Imperial Bolshoi Theatre, and in 1900 he mounted a complete revision of ''Don Quixote'' in a version radically different from Petipa's original. Petipa became furious when he learned this new version would be staged for the St. Peterburg troupe, as he had not even been consulted on the production of a ballet that was originally his creation. While watching a rehearsal of Gorsky's production at the Mariinsky Theatre, Petipa was heard yelling out ''"Will someone tell that young man that I am not yet dead?!"''. Petipa was further frustrated by the fact that the Imperial Theatre's newly appointed régisseur Nicholas Sergeyev was being paid large sums to travel throughout the Russian Empire and stage many of the ageing Ballet Master's works. In late 1902 Petipa began work on a ballet adaptation of the tale ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' titled '' The Magic Mirror''. Petipa mounted the work for his own benefit performance, which was to mark a "semi-retirement" for the Ballet Master. The ballet, set to the music of the avant-garde composer
Arsenii Koreshchenko Arseny Nikolayevich Koreshchenko (russian: Арсений Николаевич Корещенко, 18 December 1870 – 6 January 1921) was a Russian pianist and composer of classical music, including operas and ballets. Biography Koreshchen ...
, was given on at the Mariinsky Theatre to an audience composed of the whole Imperial Family and many members of the St. Petersburg nobility. The production boasted bizarre décor and costumes that were considered to be unsuited for a classical ballet. In spite of this Petipa received a roaring ovation from the audience at the end of the performance. ''Le Miroir magique'' was given , and was considered to be an all-around failure, though Petipa's choreography was not mentioned among the criticisms. Not long afterwards rumour began to circulate that Petipa was to be replaced, and Telyakovsky even made an announcement to the ''Stock Trade Bulletin'', a St. Petersburg newspaper, that ''"...the ballet company will have to get used to a new Balletmaster – Alexander Gorsky. He will stage his own versions of 'The Little Humpbacked Horse' and 'Swan Lake'. He has staged both ballets (for the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre) entirely differently and in a much more original manner."'' In the end Gorsky never succeeded Petipa as ''premier maître de ballet''. The coveted post would later go to Mikhail Fokine. Telyakovsky knew that he could not legally end Petipa's employment, as he was still contracted as ''premier maître de ballet'', so he began a campaign to drive the aging Ballet Master from the theatre. In 1902 Telyakovsky established a committee of influential members of the Imperial Theatres in an effort to take away Petipa's powers with regard to casting, repertory, and the appointment of dancers, though much to Telyakovsky's annoyance the members of the committee appointed Petipa chairman. Soon Telyakovsky began purposely not sending carriages to collect Petipa for particular rehearsals, or not sending him lists of casting for various ballets, and even not informing Petipa of various rehearsals taking place, information which the Ballet Master was legally required to have. Nevertheless, Petipa's advanced age and failing health left him with little energy to contest the director. Petipa was invited in March 1904 to stage ''
The Pharaoh's Daughter ''The Pharaoh's Daughter'' (russian: Дочь фараона, french: La Fille du pharaon), is a ballet choreographed by Marius Petipa to music by Cesare Pugni. The libretto was a collaboration between Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Pet ...
'' at the Paris Opéra (the
Palais Garnier The Palais Garnier (, Garnier Palace), also known as Opéra Garnier (, Garnier Opera), is a 1,979-seatBeauvert 1996, p. 102. opera house at the Place de l'Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the Paris Opera from ...
) by relatives of Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges, who wrote the ballet's libretto, but his health prevented him from it. Despite the situation with Telyakovsky and the condition of his health, Petipa still managed to work, as he was constantly sought out by the dancers of the Imperial Ballet for advice and coaching, and he even managed to revise some of the dances in his older works. In 1904 Petipa coached the great Anna Pavlova for her performances in ''Giselle'' and her début in ''Paquita''. Petipa's diaries reflect the constant fear of his aging body, and that he had little time left to live. In light of this, the Ballet Master spent nearly every minute he could creating variations and various numbers, as well as reworking many of the dances in his older works. In 1903 Petipa presented completely new choreography for many of the ''pas'' in his 1868 ballet '' Le Roi Candaule''. For this revival Petipa created a new version of the celebrated ''Pas de Diane'' that would later be transformed by Agrippina Vaganova into the famous ''
Diane and Actéon Pas de Deux ''Le Roi Candaule'' (en. ''King Candaules'') is a ''Grand ballet'' in four acts and six scenes, with choreography by Marius Petipa and music by Cesare Pugni. The libretto is by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and is based on the history of ...
''. Such work prompted the Ballet Master to write in his diaries ''"I am amazing."'' Petipa then set to work on what would prove to be his final ballet. ''
La Romance d'un Bouton de rose et d'un Papillon LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...
'' to the music of Drigo was, according to Olga Preobrajenska, ''" ... a little masterpiece."'' The work was scheduled to be presented on for a performance at the Imperial Theatre of the Hermitage, but the director Telyakovsky abruptly cancelled the performance only two weeks before the premiere, the official explanation being the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War. For Petipa this was the final straw, and soon afterwards he was rarely seen at the theatre or at the Imperial Ballet School where rehearsals were held. The minister of the Imperial Court, the aristocrat Baron Fredericks gave Petipa the title "Ballet Master for life", and granted him a yearly pension of 9,000 roubles.


Remaining years and death

Petipa noted his final composition on 17 January 1905 in his diaries: a variation to the music of Cesare Pugni for the ''Prima ballerina'' Olga Preobrajenska from the old ballet '' La Danseuse en voyage''. Petipa wrote next to this entry ''" ... it's finished!"''. Petipa remained in St. Petersburg until 1907. At the suggestion of his physicians he left with his family to Yalta in southern Russia where the air was more agreeable with his health, and soon the Petipa family relocated to the resort Gurzuf in the Crimea, where the Ballet Master spent his remaining years. In 1907 Petipa wrote in his diary ''"I can state that I created a ballet company of which everyone said: St. Petersburg has the greatest ballet in all Europe."'' Petipa died on at the age of ninety-two, and was interred three days later in the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in St. Petersburg.


Notation of works

It was in 1891 that many of Petipa's original ballets, revivals, and dances from operas began to be notated in the method of dance notation created by Vladimir Stepanov. After the Russian Revolution of 1917 the Imperial Ballet's régisseur Nicholas Sergeyev left Russia with the notations in hand. Throughout the 1930's Sergeyev would make his most substantial contribution to the artform of classical dance by utilizing the notated choreographies to stage Petipa's '' The Sleeping Beauty'', his definitive version of ''
Giselle ''Giselle'' (; ), originally titled ''Giselle, ou les Wilis'' (, ''Giselle, or The Wilis''), is a romantic ballet (" ballet-pantomime") in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam. Considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon, ...
'', '' Coppélia'' (as danced by the Imperial Ballet), and '' The Nutcracker'' for the
Vic-Wells Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...
of London (later the Royal Ballet).


Ballets


Nantes, France

* ''Le Droit du seigneur'' (1838) * ''La Petite Bohémienne'' (1838) * ''La Noce à Nantes'' (1838)


Bordeaux, France

* ''La Jolie Bordelaise'' (1840) * ''L’Intrigue amoureuse'' (1841) * ''La Vendange'' (1842) * ''Le Langage des fleurs'' (1844)


Madrid, Spain

* ''Carmen et son toréro'' (1845) * ''La Perle de Séville'' (1845) * ''L’Aventure d’une fille de Madrid'' (1845) * ''Départ pour la course des taureaux'' (1845) * ''La Fleur de Grenade'' (1846) * ''Forfasella ó la hija del infierno'' (1846) * ''Alba-Flor la pesarosa'' (1847)


Russia

Imperial Bolshoi Kammeny Theatre The Saint Petersburg Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre (The Big Stone Theatre of Saint Petersburg, russian: Большой Каменный Театр) was a theatre in Saint Petersburg. It was built in 1783 to Antonio Rinaldi's Neoclassical ...
, St. Petersburg * '' Paquita'' (revival, after J. Mazilier). Staged with Frédéric Malevergne. Music by Edouard Deldevez and
Ludvig Minkus Ludwig Minkus (russian: link=no, Людвиг Минкус), also known as Léon Fyodorovich Minkus (23 March 1826, Vienna – 7 December 1917, Vienna), was a Jewish-Austrian composer of ballet music, a violin virtuoso and teacher. Minkus is not ...
. . * ''Le Diable amoureux'' (as ''Satanella'') (revival, after J. Mazilier). Staged with
Jean Petipa Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * Je ...
. Music by
Napoléon Henri Reber Napoléon Henri Reber (21 October 1807 – 24 November 1880) was a French composer. Life and career Reber was born in Mulhouse, Alsace, and studied with Anton Reicha and Jean François Lesueur, wrote chamber music, and set to music works of Fr ...
,
François Benoist François Benoist (10 September 1794 – 6 May 1878) was a French organist, composer, and pedagogue. Benoist was born in Nantes. He took his first music lessons under Georges Scheuermann. Benoist studied music at the Conservatoire de Paris and ...
and Konstantin Liadov. . * ''
Léda, ou la Laitière Suisse ''Lydia, the Swiss Milkmaid'' (a.k.a. ''Lydia, ou la Laitière Suisse'', or as ''Natalie, oder Das schweizer Milchmädche'') is a ''Demi-Caractère ballet'' in 2 acts, with choreography by Filippo Taglioni and music by Adalbert Gyrowetz. First p ...
'' (revival, after F. Taglioni). Staged with
Jules Perrot Jules-Joseph Perrot (18 August 1810 – 29 August 1892) was a dancer and choreographer who later became Ballet Master of the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia. He created some of the most famous ballets of the 19th century including ...
and Jean Petipa. Music by
Adalbert Gyrowetz Vojtěch Matyáš Jírovec (Adalbert Gyrowetz) (20 February 1763 – 19 March 1850) was a Bohemian composer. He mainly wrote instrumental works, with a great production of string quartets and symphonies; his operas and singspiele numbered mo ...
, Michele Carafa and Cesare Pugni. . * ''
Giselle ''Giselle'' (; ), originally titled ''Giselle, ou les Wilis'' (, ''Giselle, or The Wilis''), is a romantic ballet (" ballet-pantomime") in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam. Considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon, ...
'' (revival, after Jean Coralli and J. Perrot). Staged with Jules Perrot. Music by Adolphe Adam and Cesare Pugni. . * '' Le Corsaire'' (revival, after J. Mazilier). Staged with Jules Perrot. Music by Adolphe Adam and Cesare Pugni. . * '' Un Mariage sous la Régence''. Music by Cesare Pugni. . * '' La Carnaval de Venise'' (''pas de deux'' for Amalia Ferraris). Music by Cesare Pugni on a theme by Niccolò Paganini. . * '' Le Marché des parisien''. Music by Cesare Pugni. . *'' La Somnambule'' (revival, after
Jean-Pierre Aumer Jean-Louis Aumer (21 April 1774 – 6 July 1833), also referred to as Jean-Pierre Aumer, was a French ballet dancer and choreographer. Early life and career as a dancer Aumer was born in Strasbourg of a manual labourer and non-theatrical parents ...
). Music by Ferdinand Hérold and Cesare Pugni. . * '' Le Dahlia Bleu''. Music by Cesare Pugni. . * ''
The Pharaoh's Daughter ''The Pharaoh's Daughter'' (russian: Дочь фараона, french: La Fille du pharaon), is a ballet choreographed by Marius Petipa to music by Cesare Pugni. The libretto was a collaboration between Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Pet ...
''. Music by Cesare Pugni. . * '' La Beauté du Liban, ou l’Esprit des montagnes''. Music by Cesare Pugni. . * '' La Danseuse en voyage'' (revival, after J. Perrot). Music by Cesare Pugni. . * '' Florida''. Music by Cesare Pugni. . * '' Faust'' (revival, after J. Perrot). Music by Giacomo Panizza, Sir Michael Andrew Costa,
Niccolò Bajetti Faust ballets are a set of ballets, choreographed between the 18th and 20th centuries, based on the legend of Faust. As early as 1723, London-based John Rich put on a Faust-inspired ballet pantomime called ''The Necromancer'' at the Lincoln's I ...
and Cesare Pugni. . * '' Le Roi Candaule''. Music by Cesare Pugni. . * '' Catarina'' (revival, after Jules Perrot). Music by Cesare Pugni. . * '' Les Deux étoiles''. Music by Cesare Pugni. . * ''
La Camargo Marie Anne de Cupis de Camargo (15 April 1710 in Brussels – 28 April 1770 in Paris), sometimes known simply as La Camargo, was a French dancer. The first woman to execute the '' entrechat quatre'', Camargo was also allegedly responsible for ...
''. Music by Ludwig Minkus. . * '' Le Papillon'' (revival, after M. Taglioni). Music by Jacques Offenbach and Ludwig Minkus. . * '' La Naïade et le Pêcheur'' (revival, after J. Perrot). Music by Cesare Pugni. . * '' Les Brigands''. Music by Ludwig Minkus. . * ''
Les Aventures de Pélée ''Les Aventures de Pélée'' (''The Adventures of Peleus''; russian: Приключения Пелея) is a ballet in three acts and five scenes with choreography by Marius Petipa and music by Ludwig Minkus, with additional music adapted from wor ...
''. Music by Ludwig Minkus and Léo Delibes. . * '' Le Songe d’une nuit d’été''. Music by Ludwig Minkus and
Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sy ...
. . * '' La Bayadère''. Music by Ludwig Minkus. . * '' Roxana, la beauté du Monténégro''. Music by Ludwig Minkus. . * ''
La Fille des Neiges ''The Daughter of the Snows'' (also known as ''Snegurochka'' or ''La Fille des neiges'') is a ballet in three acts and five scenes, with choreography by Marius Petipa and music by Ludwig Minkus. The libretto by Marius Petipa is based on the play ...
''. Music by Ludwig Minkus. . * '' Frisac, ou la Double Noce''. Music arranged by Ludwig Minkus from the airs of
Giacomo Meyerbeer Giacomo Meyerbeer (born Jakob Liebmann Beer; 5 September 1791 – 2 May 1864) was a German opera composer, "the most frequently performed opera composer during the nineteenth century, linking Mozart and Wagner". With his 1831 opera ''Robert le di ...
,
Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...
, Vincenzo Bellini and Gioacchino Rossini. . * ''
Mlada ''Mlada'' (russian: Млада, italic=yes, the name of a main character) was a project conceived in 1870 by Stepan Gedeonov (1816–1878), director of the Saint Petersburg Imperial Theatres, originally envisioned as a ballet to be composed by ...
''. Music by Ludwig Minkus. . * '' La Fille du Danube'' (revival, after F. Taglioni). Music by Adolphe Adam and Ludwig Minkus. . * '' Zoraïa, ou la Maure en Espagne''. Music by Ludwig Minkus. . * ''La Vivandière'' (as ''Markitenka'') (revival, after A. Saint-Léon). Music by Cesare Pugni. . * ''
Pâquerette ''Pâquerette'' is a ballet in three acts, with choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon and music by François Benoist. The ballet was first presented by the Ballet of the Académie Royale de Musique on January 15, 1851 in Paris, France, with Fanny Ce ...
'' (revival, after A. Saint-Léon). Music by François Benoist and Ludwig Minkus. . * ''
Pygmalion, ou La statue de Chypre ''Pygmalion, ou La Statue de Chypre'' ( ''Pygmalion, or The Cyprus Statue'') is a ballet in 4 Acts-6 Scenes, with choreography by Marius Petipa and music by Prince Nikita Trubestkoi A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand pr ...
''. Music by
Prince Nikita Trubestkoi A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
. . * '' Coppélia'' (revival, after A. Saint-Léon). Music by Léo Delibes. . * ''Le Diable à Quatre'' (as ''La Femme capricieuse'') (revival, J. Mazilier). Music by Adolphe Adam, Cesare Pugni and Ludwig Minkus. . * ''La Fille Mal Gardée'' (as ''La Précaution inutile'') (revival, after Paul Taglioni). Staged with Lev Ivanov and Virginia Zucchi. Music by
Peter Ludwig Hertel Peter Ludwig Hertel (21 April 1817 – 13 June 1899) was a German composer of dance music and Ballet (music), ballet music. He is best known as the composer of the ballet ''La fille mal gardée''. He also composed the music for the Faust ballet ' ...
, Ferdinand Hérold and Cesare Pugni. . Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg * '' Les Pilules magiques''. Music by Ludwig Minkus. . * '' L’Ordre du Roi''. Music arranged by Albert Vizentini from the airs of
Johann Strauss II Johann Baptist Strauss II (25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (german: links=no, Sohn), was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed ov ...
, Léo Delibes, Daniel Auber,
Jules Massenet Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet (; 12 May 1842 – 13 August 1912) was a French composer of the Romantic era best known for his operas, of which he wrote more than thirty. The two most frequently staged are '' Manon'' (1884) and ''Werther' ...
and Anton Rubinstein. . * '' La Esmeralda'' (revival, after J. Perrot). Music by Cesare Pugni. . * ''
Fiametta ''Fiametta'' or ''Fiammetta'', (also known as ''The Flame of Love'', ''The Salamander'' or ''Néméa'') is a ballet in four acts and four scenes, choreographed by Arthur Saint-Léon to music by Ludwig Minkus, first presented by the Ballet of t ...
'' (revival, after A. Saint-Léon). Music by Ludwig Minkus. . * '' La Vestale''. Music by Mikhail Ivanov. . * '' Le Talisman''. Music by Riccardo Drigo. . * '' The Sleeping Beauty''. Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. . * '' Nénuphar''. Music by Nikolai Krotkov. . * ''
Kalkabrino ''Kalkabrino'' is a ballet in three acts and three scenes, with choreography by Marius Petipa and music by Léon Minkus. Première performance The ballet was first presented by the Imperial Russian Ballet on 13 February 1891, on the Julian cale ...
''. Music by Ludwig Minkus. . * '' La Sylphide'' (revival, after F. Taglioni). Music by
Jean Madeleine Schneitzhoeffer Jean Madeleine Marie Schneitzhöeffer (13 October 1785 – 14 October 1852) was a French composer. Life Born in Toulouse, Schneitzhöeffer was a student of Charles Simon Catel at the Conservatoire de Paris. He won second prize for piano in 1803 ...
and Riccardo Drigo. . * '' The Nutcracker''. Staged by Petipa and Lev Ivanov. Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. . * ''Cendrillon'' (as ''Zolushka''). Staged by Lev Ivanov and Enrico Cecchetti under the supervision of Petipa. Music by Baron Boris Fitinhof-Schell. . * ''
Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...
'' (revival, after J. Reisinger). Staged with Lev Ivanov. Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in a revision by Riccardo Drigo. . * ''The Little Humpbacked Horse'' (as ''La Tsar-Demoiselle'') (revival, after A. Saint-Léon). Music by Cesare Pugni and Riccardo Drigo. . * '' La Halte de la cavalerie''. Music by
Johann Armsheimer Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name ''Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning "Yahweh is Gracious" ...
. . * '' Barbe-bleue''. Music by Pyotr Schenck. . * ''
Raymonda ''Raymonda'' (russian: Раймонда) is a ballet in three acts, four scenes with an apotheosis, choreographed by Marius Petipa to music by Alexander Glazunov, his Opus 57. It was first presented by the Imperial Ballet at the Imperial Mariinsky ...
''. Music by
Alexander Glazunov Alexander Konstantinovich Glazunov; ger, Glasunow (, 10 August 1865 – 21 March 1936) was a Russian composer, music teacher, and conductor of the late Russian Romantic period. He was director of the Saint Petersburg Conservatory between 1905 ...
. . * '' The Magic Mirror''. Music by Arseny Koreshchenko. . Other venues in Russia * '' L’Étoile de Grenade''. Music by Cesare Pugni. .
Palace of the Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna The Mikhailovsky Palace (russian: Михайловский дворец, tr=Mikhailovskiy dvorets) is a grand ducal palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is located on Arts Square and is an example of Empire style neoclassicism. The palace cu ...
, St. Petersburg. * '' La Rose, la Violette et le Papillon''. Music by Prince Pyotr Georgievich of Oldenburg. . Estate of Prince Pyotr Georgievich of Oldenburg, Tsarskoye Selo. * '' Terpsichore''. Music by Cesare Pugni. . Imperial Theatre, Tsarskoye Selo. * '' Titania''. Music by Cesare Pugni. . Palace of the Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, St. Petersburg. * '' L’Amour bienfaiteur''. Music by Cesare Pugni. . For students of the Imperial Ballet School, St. Petersburg. * '' L’Esclave''. Music by Cesare Pugni. . Imperial Theatre, Tsarskoye Selo. * '' Don Quixote''. Music by Ludwig Minkus. . Imperial Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow. * '' Trilby''. Music by
Yuli Gerber Yuli may refer to: People *Yuli Berkovich a scientist who did experiments with seed germination in zero gravity in the International Space Station *Yuli Burkin, a Russian writer (sci-fi) and musician *Yuli Daniel, a Soviet dissident writer, poet, ...
. . Imperial Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow. *'' Ariadne'' (revival, after J. Reisinger). Music by Yuli Gerber. . Imperial Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow. * '' La Nuit et le Jour''. Music by Ludwig Minkus. . Imperial Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow. For the coronation gala of Emperor Alexander III and Empress Maria Fyodorvna. * '' L’Offrande à l’Amour''. Music by Ludwig Minkus. . In honor of Empress Maria Fyodorovna. Imperial Theatre, Peterhof. * ''
Les Caprices du papillon ''The Whims of the Butterfly'' (also known as ''The Caprices of a Butterfly'', or ''Les Caprices du Papillon'') is a ballet in 1 act, with choreography by Marius Petipa, and music by Nikolai Krotkov. Libretto by Marius Petipa, based on the poem ' ...
''. Music by
Nikolai Krotkov Nikolai or Nikolay is an East Slavic variant of the masculine name Nicholas. It may refer to: People Royalty * Nicholas I of Russia (1796–1855), or Nikolay I, Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855 * Nicholas II of Russia (1868–1918), or Nik ...
. . Imperial Theatre, Peterhof. For the wedding of Princess Alexandra of Greece to the Grand Duke Pavel Alexandrovich. * ''
La Forêt enchantée ''La Forêt enchantée'' ( en. ''The Enchanted Forest'') ( ru. «Очарованный лес», ''Ocharovanyi les'') is a ''ballet fantastique'' in one act, originally choreographed by Lev Ivanov to the music of Riccardo Drigo, first presented ...
'' (revival, after Lev Ivanov). Music by Riccardo Drigo. . Olga Island, Peterhof. * '' Un conte de fées''. Music by (?) Richter. . For students of the Imperial Ballet School, St. Pertersburg. * '' Le Réveil de Flore''. Music by Riccardo Drigo. . Imperial Theatre, Peterhof. For the wedding of the Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna to the Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich. * '' La Perle''. Music by Riccardo Drigo. , Imperial Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow. For the coronation gala of Emperor Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Fydorovna. * ''Les Noces de Thétis et Pélée'' (one-act version of ''Les Aventures de Pélée''). Music by Ludwig Minkus and Riccardo Drigo. , Olga Island, Peterhof. * ''
Les Ruses d'Amour Marius Ivanovich Petipa (russian: Мариус Иванович Петипа), born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa (11 March 1818), was a French ballet dancer, pedagogue and choreographer. Petipa is one of the most influential ballet masters an ...
'' (or ''The Trial of Damis''). Music by Alexander Glazunov. . Imperial Theatre of the Hermitage, Winter Palace, St. Petersburg. * ''The Seasons (Glazunov), Les Saisons''. Music by Alexander Glazunov. . Imperial Theatre of the Hermitage, Winter Palace, St. Petersburg. * ''Les Millions d'Arlequin''. Music by Riccardo Drigo. . Imperial Theatre of the Hermitage, Winter Palace, St. Petersburg. *''Les Elèves de Dupré'' (1 act version of ''L’Ordre du roi''). Music by Riccardo Drigo, based on the pastiche arranged by Albert Vinzentini. . Imperial Theatre of the Hermitage, Winter Palace, St. Petersburg. * ''The Heart of the Marquis, Le Cœur de la marquise''. Music by Ernest Guiraud, with spoken verse by Frédéric Febvre. . Imperial Theatre of the Hermitage, Winter Palace, St. Petersburg. * ''
La Romance d'un Bouton de rose et d'un Papillon LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...
''. Music by Riccardo Drigo. Never premiered (scheduled to have premiered at the Imperial Theatre of the Hermitage, Winter Palace, St. Petersburg).


Cultural depictions

* ''Anna Pavlova (film), Anna Pavlova'', film by Emil Loteanu; portrayed by Pyotr Gusev (1983).


References


Sources

* Beaumont, Cyrl W. ''Complete Book of Ballets''. * Garafola, Lynn / Petipa, Marius. ''The Diaries of Marius Petipa''. Trans, Ed., and introduction by Lynn Garafola. Published in ''Studies in Dance History.'' 3.1 (Spring 1992). * Ivor Forbes Guest, Guest, Ivor Forbes. ''Jules Perrot – Master of the Romantic Ballet''. * Guest, Ivor Forbes. ''Letters from a Ballet Master – The Correspondence of Arthur Saint-Léon''. Introduction by, and Edited by Ivor Guest. * Nekhendzi, A. (comp.) "Marius Petipa, Materials, recollections, articles" () Ed. Yuri Slonimsky ''et al.'' (Leningrad State Theater Museum 1971). * Petipa, Marius. ''Memuary Mariusa Petipa solista ego imperatorskogo velichestva i baletmeistera imperatorskikh teatrov'' (''The Memoirs of Marius Petipa, Soloist of His Imperial Majesty and Ballet Master of the Imperial Theatres''). * Wiley, Roland John. ''Dances from Russia: An Introduction to the Sergeyev Collection'' Published in ''The Harvard Library Bulletin,'' 24.1 January 1976. * Wiley, Roland John, ed. and translator. ''A Century of Russian Ballet: Documents and Eyewitness Accounts 1810–1910''. * Wiley, Roland John. ''The Life and Ballets of Lev Ivanov''. * Wiley, Roland John. ''Tchaikovsky's Ballets''.
Biographical/analytical article on Petipa


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Petipa, Marius Choreographers of Mariinsky Theatre French ballet masters French ballet librettists Male ballet dancers from the Russian Empire French male ballet dancers Entertainers from Marseille 1818 births 1910 deaths Ballets by Marius Petipa, Marius Petipa Burials at Tikhvin Cemetery 19th-century French ballet dancers French emigrants to the Russian Empire