Maestro Marius Ivanovich Petipa, Maître de Ballet of the Imperial Theatres. St. Petersburg, February 14, 1898. Photo reads - "Souvenir à Mlle. A. Vaganova. M. Petipa 14/2 98. St. Pétersbourg"

Marius Ivanovich Petipa (ru. Мариус Иванович Петипа) (born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa on 11 March 1818 in Marseille, France - died in Gurzuf in the Crimea, Russian Empire, in what is today the Ukraine, on 14 July 1910) - was a ballet dancer, teacher, and choreographer. Marius Petipa is often given the title "Father of Classical Ballet", and is cited nearly unanimously by the most noted artists of the classical ballet to be the most influential balletmaster and choreographer that has ever lived (among them - George Balanchine, who cited Petipa as his primary influence). Image File history File links Size of this preview: 441 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1728 × 2348 pixel, file size: 613 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) photo by an unknown photographer of Marius Petipa, St. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 441 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1728 × 2348 pixel, file size: 613 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) photo by an unknown photographer of Marius Petipa, St. ... Russian ( , transliteration: , ) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia and the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages. ... March 11 is the 70th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (71st in leap years). ... 1818 (MDCCCXVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar. ... City flag Coat of arms Motto: By her great deeds, the city of Massilia shines Location Coordinates Time Zone CET (GMT +1) Administration Country Region Provence-Alpes-Côte dAzur Department Bouches-du-Rhône (13) Subdivisions 16 arrondissements (in 8 secteurs) Intercommunality Urban Community of Marseille Provence M... Gurzuf (Russian:Гурзу́ф) is a settlement on the Crimea peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea. ... Motto: Процветание в единстве - Prosperity in unity Anthem: Нивы и горы твои волшебны, Родина - Your fields and mounts are wonderful, Motherland Location of Crimea (red) on the map of Ukraine. ... Anthem God Save the Tsar! The Russian Empire in 1914 Capital Moscow Language(s) Russian Religion Russian Orthodoxy Government Monarchy Emperor  - 1721–1725 Peter the Great  - 1894–1917 Nicholas II History  - Accession of Peter I May 7, 1682 NS, April 27, 1682 OS²  - Empire proclaimed October 22, 1721 NS, October... July 14 is the 195th day of the year (196th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... The art of classical ballet can trace its origins to the early seventeenth century, when dancers performed to entertain audiences between scenes of an especially lengthy opera in Italy and Russia. ... The great balletmaster Jules Perrot as depicted by French painter, Edgar Degas (1875) Ballet Master (also Balletmaster, Ballet Mistress, or Maître de ballet) is the term used for an employee of a ballet company who is responsible for the level of competence of the dancers in their company. ... Choreography (also known as dance composition) is the art of making structures in which movement occurs, the term composition may also refer to the navigation or connection of these movement structures. ... George Balanchine (January 9 (O.S.) = January 22 (N.S.), 1904–April 30, 1983) was one of the 20th centurys foremost choreographers, and one of the founders of American ballet. ...

Petipa is equally noted for the ballets he created, some of which have survived to the present day in versions either faithful to, inspired by, or reconstructed from the original - The Pharaoh's Daughter (1862); Don Quixote (1869); La Bayadère (1877); The Talisman (1889); The Sleeping Beauty (1890); The Nutcracker (choreographed by Lev Ivanov, with Petipa's counsel and instruction) (1892); The Awakening of Flora (1894); The Calvary Halt (AKA Halte de Cavalerie) (1896); Raymonda (1898); and Harlequin's Millions (AKA Harlequinade) (1900). Petipa also resurrected a substantial amount of works created by other choreographers which had long left the stage of other European theatres. By way of Petipa's productions, many of these works lived on to the present day - Le Corsaire (1856, 1863, 1868, 1885, and 1899); Giselle (1850 with counsel and instruction from Jules Perrot, 1884, 1899); La Esmeralda (1866, 1872, 1886, and 1899); Coppelia (1884, 1894 with Enrico Cecchetti); Paul Taglioni's La Fille Mal Gardée (1885 with Ivanov); The Little Humpbacked Horse (AKA The Tsar Maiden) (1895); and Swan Lake (1895 with Ivanov). There are a number of various divertissements and incidental Pas from Petipa's original works and revivals that have survived in performance even when the full-length work did not, either in versions based on Petipa's original or choreographed anew by others - the Grand Pas Classique, Pas de Trios and Children's Polonaise and Mazurka from Paquita (1881); the Venetian Carnival Grand Pas de Deux (AKA the Fascination Pas de Deux from Satanella) (1859/1870); The Talisman Pas de Deux (1889); the La Esmeralda Pas de Deux (1899); the Diane and Actéon Pas de Deux (1903/1931 in a version by Agrippina Vaganova); The Cavalry Halt Pas de Deux (1896); the Don Quixote Pas de Deux (1869); the La Fille Mal Gardée Pas de Deux (1885/1894); and the Harlequinade Pas de Deux (1900). All of the full-length ballets and individual pieces which have survived in performance are today considered to be cornerstones of the Classical Ballet repertory. The Pharaohs Daughter is a ballet by Marius Petipa, first performed in 1862. ... The ballet Don Quixote is based on the famous Miguel Cervantes novel Don Quixote de la Mancha. ... La Bayadére is a ballet, originally in 4 Acts and 7 scenes with apotheosis, choreographed by the Balletmaster Marius Petipa to music by Lèon Minkus. ... Mathilde Kschessinskaya costumed as Niriti for the Grand Pas des Fleurs of Act II in Nikolai Legats revival of Petipas The Talisman, St. ... Sleeping Beauty (Op. ... (left to right) Sergei Legat, as the Nutcracker, an unidentified child as a gingerbread soldier, and Lydia Rubtsova as Marianna in Vsevolozhskys costumes for the Ivanov/Petipa/Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker, St. ... Lev Ivanov (1834 – 1901) was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer. ... The Apothéose - La révélation dOlympe from the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballets reconstruction of the Petipa/Drigo The Awakening of Flora. ... Natalia Bessmertnova as Raymonda and Gediminas Taranda as Abderakhman in the Grand Pas daction from the Bolshoi Ballets production of the Petipa/Glazunov Raymonda. ... See also Commedia dellarte // The Harlequinade is a type of theatrical performance piece, usually a slapstick adaptation of the Commedia dellarte, which dates back to England in the mid 18th century. ... The Bavarian State Ballet in the scene Le Jardin Animé from the companys partial reconstruction of Marius Petipas 1899 revival of Le Corsaire, Munich, 2007 Le Corsaire (The Pirate) is a ballet in three acts, with a libretto based on the poem The Corsair by Lord Byron. ... Anna Pavlova as Giselle in Act I (ca. ... Jules-Joseph Perrot (born August 18, 1810 in Lyon, France; died August 18, 1892 in Paramé) was a dancer and choreographer who created some of the most famous ballets of the 19th century. ... Poster advertising Carlotta Grisi in the Pas de Truandaise for the premiere of the ballet La Esmeralda, given at Her Majestys Theatre, London, 1844 La Esmeralda is a ballet in 3 acts, 5 scenes, inspired by Notre Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo. ... Coppélia is a ballet by Leo Delibes based upon a story by E.T.A. Hoffmann entitled The Sandman. It concerns an inventor who makes a life-size dancing doll. ... Enrico Cecchetti (born: 21 June 1850, Rome - died: 13 November 1928, Milan) was an Italian ballet dancer, founder of the Cecchetti method. ... Nadia Nerina as Lise and David Blair as Colas in the Pas de Ruban from Act I of Sir Frederick Ashtons La Fille Mal Gardée, London, 1960 La Fille Mal Gardée (The Badly Watched Daughter) is a Ballet presented in 2 Acts, inspired Choffarts engraving of... Altynai Asylmuratova as Odette in the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballets production of Swan Lake, St. ... Paquita is a ballet in two acts and three scenes. ... Satanella Pas de Deux (AKA The Fascination Pas de Deux from Satanella or The Venetian Carnival Grand Pas de Deux or The Carnival in Venice Pas de Deux) is a famous Classical Pas de Deux, with choreography by Marius Petipa, and with music by Cesare Pugni on a theme by... Le Diable Amoureux (The Devil in Love, 1772) is an occult romance by Jacques Cazotte which tells of a demon, or devil, who falls in love with Alvaro, an amateur human dabbler, and attempts, in the guise of a young woman, to win his affections. ... Olga Preobrajenskaya as Queen Nisia in the Pas de Venus from the Petipa/Pugni Tsar Kandavl, St. ... Vaganova as Odette-Odile, 1900es Agrippina Yakovlevna Vaganova (July 6, 1879 - November 5, 1951) was an outstanding Russian ballet teacher who developed the Vaganova method. ...

Early Life and Career

Marius Petipa was born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa in Marseilles, France on March 11, 1818. His mother Victorine Grasseau was a well-known tragic actress and teacher of drama, while his father, Jean Petipa was a much respected Balletmaster, choreographer, and teacher. At the time Marius Petipa was born his father was engaged as Premier Danseur (Principal Male Dancer) to the Ballet du Grand-Théâtre de Marseille (AKA the Ballet du Salle Bauveau), and in 1819 was appointed Maître de Ballet (First Balletmaster/Chief Choreographer) to the theatre. The young Marius spent his early childhood traveling throughout Europe with his family, as his parents' professional engagements took them from city to city. By the time he was six years old his family had relocated to Brussels, Belgium, where his father was appointed both Maître de Ballet and Premier Danseur to the Ballet du Théâtre de la Monnaie, and one of the first of the first teachers of the Conservatoire de la Danse, which he helped to establish. The young Marius received his general education at the Grand College in Brussels, while also attending the Brussels Conservatoire where he studied music and learned to play the violin. Marseilles redirects here. ... March 11 is the 70th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (71st in leap years). ... 1818 (MDCCCXVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar. ... The great balletmaster Jules Perrot as depicted by French painter, Edgar Degas (1875) Ballet Master (also Balletmaster, Ballet Mistress, or Maître de ballet) is the term used for an employee of a ballet company who is responsible for the level of competence of the dancers in their company. ... L’Opéra de Marseille is an opera company located in Marseille, France. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... For other uses, see Brussels (disambiguation). ... La Monnaie (Dutch: De Munt) is an opera house in Brussels. ... The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. ...

Portrait of Marius Petipa at age nine in his début performance as a Savoyard in his father Jean Petipa's production of La Dansomani, Brussels, 1827

Petipa's father began Marius' lessons in ballet at the age of seven. At first the young boy resisted, caring very little for the artform, but very soon he came to love the ballet that was so much the life and identity of his family, and he excelled quickly. He made his début in 1827 at the age of nine in his father's production of Pierre Gardel's La Dansomani, performing in the juvenile role of a Savoyard. Soon afterward the Belgian Revolution of 1830 left Jean Petipa without employment, and the Petipa family was left in dire straits for some years. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Year 1827 (MDCCCXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Episode of the Belgian Revolution of 1830, Egide Charles Gustave Wappers (1834), in the Musée dArt Ancien, Brussels The Belgian Revolution was a conflict in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands that began with a riot in Brussels in August 1830 and eventually led to the establishment of... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 (MDCCCXXX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1834 the Petipa family relocated to Bordeaux, France where Marius' father had secured the position of Maître de Ballet to the Ballet du Grand Théâtre. Here, Marius completed his academic education, as well as his ballet training under the great Auguste Vestris, and by 1838 at the age of twenty he was appointed Premier Danseur to the Ballet de Nantes in Nantes, France. During this time in Nantes the young Petipa began to try his hand at choreography, creating a string of one-act ballets and divertissements. Year 1834 (MDCCCXXXIV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Bordeaux (Bordèu in Gascon) is a France. ... The Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, is a Theatre in Bordeaux, France, first inaugurated on 17 April 1780. ... Marie-Jean-Augustin Vestris, known as Auguste Vestris (27 March 1760 - 5 December 1842) was a French dancer. ... | Jöns Jakob Berzelius, discoverer of protein 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... For a place in Brazil, see Nantes, Brazil Nantes (Breton: Naoned) is a city in western France, near the Atlantic coast. ... Divertimento is a music genre, with most of its examples stemming from the 18th century. ...

In July 1839 the twenty-one year old Petipa accompanied his father on a tour of the United States with a group of dancers. Among the many engagements was a performance of Jean Coralli'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 complete disaster however, 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 performance receipts and subsequently 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 be-friended so that he may continue on to Paris. By 1840 he had made his début as a dancer with the famous Comédie Française, and during his début he partnered the legendary Ballerina Carlotta Grisi in a benefit performance held for the actress Rachel. Petipa also took part in performances with the Ballet du Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique (or the Paris Opera Ballet, as it is known today), where his brother Lucien Petipa was engaged as Premier Danseur. 1839 (MDCCCXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Jean Coralli (1779-1854), born Jean Coralli Peracini, was a French choreographer. ... A view of Broadway in 1909 Broadway, as the name implies, is a wide avenue in New York City. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... 1840 is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Comédie-Française, late 18th century Interior view, late 18th century The Comédie-Française or Théâtre Français is the only state theater in France. ... We dont have an article called Carlotta grisi Start this article Search for Carlotta grisi in. ... Portrait of Mlle Rachel by William Etty, 1840s Rachel (18 February 1821 - 4 January 1858) was a French Jewish actress who was considered the greatest of her time. ... Théâtre de lAcadémie Royale de Musique, Paris, circa 1865 Théâtre de lAcadémie Royale de Musique (also been known as the Théâtre Imperial de l´Opéra , Le Rue Peletier, or simply, Le Peletier, but more familiarly, as the Paris Opéra) was the... The Paris Opera Ballet is the ballet company of the Paris Opera. ... Lucien Petipa Lucien Petipa (1815-1898) was a French ballet dancer in the early 1800s (Romantic period) and was the brother of the famous balletmaster of the Russian Imperial Ballet (late eighteen-hundreds), Marius Petipa. ...

Bordeaux

Petipa was offered the position of Premier Danseur to the Ballet du 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. While performing with the company his skills as not only a dancer but as a partner were much celebrated - his partnering with Carlotta Grisi during a performance of La Péri was talked about for years to come, particularly one acrobatic catch of the ballerina that dazzled the audience, prompting the famous dramatist Théophile Gautier to say that the feat would become "...as famous as the Niagra Falls". While in Bordeaux Petipa began mounting his own original productions, which were viewed with considerable respect, among them - La Jolie Bordelaise (The Beauty of Bordeaux), La Vendange (The Grape Picker), L’Intrigue Amoureuse (The Intrigues of Love), and Le Langage des Fleurs (The Voice of the Flowers). 1841 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Nadia Nerina as Lise and David Blair as Colas in the Pas de Ruban from Act I of Sir Frederick Ashtons La Fille Mal Gardée, London, 1960 La Fille Mal Gardée (The Badly Watched Daughter) is a Ballet presented in 2 Acts, inspired Choffarts engraving of... Anna Pavlova as Giselle in Act I (ca. ... Pierre Jules Théophile Gautier (August 30, 1811 – October 23, 1872) was a French poet, dramatist, novelist, journalist, and literary critic. ...

(left to right) Victor Semenov as the Grasshopper, Elena Lukom as the Butterfly, and Vladimir Ponomareyev as the Phoenix Moth in the Petipa/Krotkov The Whims of the Butterfly, St. Petersburg, 1919

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... (left to right) Victor Semenov as the Grasshopper, Elena Lukom as the Butterfly, and Vladimir Ponomareyev as the Phoenix Moth in the Petipa/Krotkov The Whims of the Butterfly, St. ...

Madrid

In 1843 Petipa was offered the position Premier Danseur at the King's Theatre in Madrid, Spain, where for the next three years he would acquire an acute knowledge of traditional Spanish Dancing, while producing new works, most of them 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 Grenada (The Flower of Grenada), and Départ Pour la Course des Taureaux (Leaving for the Bull Races). 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 and, 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 performances with the Ballet du Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique where he partnered Thérèse Elssler, sister of Fanny Elssler. Year 1843 (MDCCCXLIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... A performance at Opera House, Haymarket, predecessor of Her Majestys Theatre in circa 1808. ... This article is about the Spanish capital. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Théâtre de lAcadémie Royale de Musique, Paris, circa 1865 Théâtre de lAcadémie Royale de Musique was the official theatre of the French theatrical institution known as the Académie Royale de Musique from 1816 until 1873, and was principle venue of the Parisian opera... Fanny Essler (23 June 1810, Vienna-27 November 1884) was an Austrian dancer. ...

St. Petersburg, Russia

Early career

Petipa accepted the position of Premier Danseur to the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg, Russia, a position which had become vacant upon the departure of the French Danseur Emile Gredlu. On May 24, 1847 the twenty-nine year old Petipa arrived in the imperial capital. It is possible that Petipa's name was changed from Victor Marius Alphonse to Marius Ivanovich upon being baptised into Russian Orthodoxy. Carlotta Brianza and Paul Gerdt of the Imperial Ballet as Princess Aurora and Prince Desire in the 1890 premiere of the Sleeping Beauty. ... May 24 is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Baptism in early Christian art. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

For his début, Petipa mounted the first Russian production of Joseph Mazilier's celebrated ballet of 1846 Paquita, staged with assistance of the Danseur Frédéric Malevergne. In this work Petipa made a successful début on September 26, 1847 in the largely mimed role of Lucien d’Hervilly. Petipa then staged another of Mazilier's works with his father (who had followed Petipa to Russia not long after he arrived there), the celebrated 1840 ballet Le Diable Amoureux (The Devil In Love), first presented in St. Petersburg under the title Satanella on February 10, 1848, for which Petipa performed the lead male role of Fabio. It is significant to note that Petipa's father became teacher of the Classe de Perfection for the graduating class of Ballerinas at the Imperial Ballet School (school of the Imperial Ballet - known today as the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet), and held the position until his death in 1855 at the age of fifty-nine. Joseph Mazilier (1808-1868) Famous 19th century Balletmaster and choreographer, most noted for his ballets Paquita (1844) and Le Corsaire (1856) Category: ... Paquita is a ballet in two acts and three scenes. ... September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Le Diable Amoureux (The Devil in Love, 1772) is an occult romance by Jacques Cazotte which tells of a demon, or devil, who falls in love with Alvaro, an amateur human dabbler, and attempts, in the guise of a young woman, to win his affections. ... February 10 is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1848 (MDCCCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Mariinsky Ballet is the most famous ballet school in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet), located in the Mariinsky Theatre of St. ... Argippina Vaganova in the title role of Marius Petipas 1899 production of the Perrot/Pugni La Esmeralda, St. ...

At the time Petipa had arrived in St. Petersburg, the Imperial Ballet had been in a considerable decline since the 1842 departure of the great Marie Taglioni, who had been engaged in the Imperial Capital as guest Ballerina. The productions of Paquita and Satanella brought about a measure of praise and attention for the company. According to the critic Raphael Zotov - "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." 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Marie Taglioni, in a colored lithograph, circa 1831 (Victoria & Albert Museum). ...

In December of 1849 Petipa then presented his own original, full-length ballet, Leda, the Swiss Milkmaid. Later that month Petipa staged the ballet sections of Friedrich von Flotow's Alessandro Stradella for the Moscow Imperial Bolshoi Opera, which would prove to be the first and last choreography he would stage for the next six years, as his duties as a dancer would soon take first place to those as fledgling choreographer. 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Leda, the Swiss Milkmaid is a Demi-Caractère ballet in 2 Acts-2 Scenes, with choreography by Marius Petipa, and music by Adalbert Gyrowetz. ... Friedrich von Flotow (27 April 1812 – 24 January 1883) was a German composer. ... Alessandro Stradella (April 3, 1639 - February 25, 1682) was an Italian composer of the middle Baroque. ... The Bolshoi Theatre of Moscow, Russia The Bolshoi Theatre (Russian: , Bolshoy Teatr, Large Theater) is a theatre and opera company in Moscow, Russia, which gives performances of ballet and opera. ...

Students of the Imperial Ballet School in the Petipa/Minkus Children's Polonaise and Mazurka from Act II of Paquita, St. Petersburg, 1881

In the winter of 1849, the great French Balletmaster Jules Perrot arrived in St. Petersburg, having accepted the position of Maître de Ballet to the Imperial Ballet. He was accompanied by his chief collaborator, the prolific Italian ballet composer Cesare Pugni, who was appointed First Imperial Ballet Composer. The majority of the works that Perrot would go on to stage in St. Petersburg were revivals of ballets he had already produced with Pugni in London for the Ballet of Her Majesty's Theatre, where he had been engaged previously as Maître de Ballet. Petipa not only danced the principal roles in many of Perrot's productions (those in which Perrot did not dance the lead himself) but also assisted in staging them (such as Giselle in 1850, and Le Corsaire in 1858), all the while learning a great deal from the man who at the time was arguably the greatest choreographer in all Europe. Although Petipa did not create his own original works during this period, he was nonetheless allowed by Perrot to stage a substantial number of dances for various operas, many of which survived well into the early 20th century. It was around this time that Petipa began teaching at the Imperial Ballet School. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 508 pixelsFull resolution (1200 × 762 pixel, file size: 280 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 508 pixelsFull resolution (1200 × 762 pixel, file size: 280 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of... The Mariinsky Ballet is the most famous ballet school in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet), located in the Mariinsky Theatre of St. ... Paquita is a ballet in two acts and three scenes. ... Jules-Joseph Perrot (born August 18, 1810 in Lyon, France; died August 18, 1892 in Paramé) was a dancer and choreographer who created some of the most famous ballets of the 19th century. ... Maestro Cesare Pugni, London, circa 1843 Cesare Pugni (31 May 1802?, Genoa?, Italy — 26 January 1870, St. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... A perfomance at Opera House, Haymarket, predecessor of Her Majestys Theatre in circa 1808. ... Anna Pavlova as Giselle in Act I (ca. ... The Bavarian State Ballet in the scene Le Jardin Animé from the companys partial reconstruction of Marius Petipas 1899 revival of Le Corsaire, Munich, 2007 Le Corsaire (The Pirate) is a ballet in three acts, with a libretto based on the poem The Corsair by Lord Byron. ...

By 1850 Petipa's first child, a son named Marius Mariusovich Petipa (1850-1919) was born. His mother, Marie Thérèse Bourdin, with whom Petipa had a brief liaison, died only five years later. In 1854 Petipa married the Ballerina Mariia Surovshchikova-Petipa. Together they had two children - Marie Mariusovna Petipa (1857-1930) (who would go on to become a celebrated dancer with the Imperial Ballet, creating the role of the Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty in 1890), and Jean Mariusovich Petipa (1859-1971?). In spite of his marriage, Petipa was well-known for his many affairs with woman, which he made no effort in hiding, much to the chagrin of his wife. Sir Edward Burne-Jones painted The Sleeping Beauty. ...

On January 9, 1855 Petipa presented his first original ballet in over six years, a divertissement titled The Star of Grenada, for which he collaborated for the first time with the composer Pugni. The work was presented not on the main stage of the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre (principal theatre of the Imperial Ballet and Opera until 1886) but in the theatre of the Mikhailovsky Palace. It would be two years until Petipa would present his next work, mounted especially for a gala performance at Peterhof on October 8, 1857 - The Rose, the Violet, and the Butterfly, to the music of Grand Duke Peter II of Oldenburg (AKA Prince Oldenburg) proved to be very successful, though when it was presented on the stage of the Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre two weeks later the production was credited to Perrot. On April 23, 1859 Petipa mounted The Parisian Market to the music of Pugni, with his wife Mariia in the lead role of Lizetta. The ballet was a great success, so much so that Petipa was invited to Paris two years later to mount the work at the Théâtre de l'Académie Royale de Musique under the title Le Marché des Innocents, with his wife reprising her role. January 9 is the 9th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1855 (MDCCCLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Star of Grenada is a ballet Divertissement. ... The St. ... Russian Museum - Wikipedia /**/ @import /skins/monobook/IE50Fixes. ... Peterhof: the Samson Fountain and Sea Channel Peterhof (Russian: , Petergof, originally Piterhof, Dutch for Peters Court) is a series of palaces and gardens, laid out on the orders of Peter the Great, and sometimes called the Russian Versailles. It is located about twenty kilometers west and six kilometers south... October 8 is the 281st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (282nd in leap years). ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... The Rose, the Violet, and the Butterfly is a ballet divertissement in one Act, with choreography by Marius Petipa, and music by Grand Duke Peter II of Oldenburg (AKA Prince Oldenburg). ... The House of Oldenburg is a North German noble family and one of Europes most influential Royal Houses. ... April 23 is the 113th day of the year (114th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1859 (MDCCCLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Mariia Surovshchikova-Petipa as Lizetta in the Petipa/Pugni The Parisian Market, Paris, 1861 The Parisian Market (AKA Les Marché des Innocents) is a Comic ballet in 1 Act, with choreography by Marius Petipa, and music by Cesare Pugni. ... Théâtre de lAcadémie Royale de Musique, Paris, circa 1865 Théâtre de lAcadémie Royale de Musique (also been known as the Théâtre Imperial de l´Opéra , Le Rue Peletier, or simply, Le Peletier, but more familiarly, as the Paris Opéra) was the...

In 1858 Perrot retired to his native France, never to return to Russia again, and Petipa hoped to succeed him as Maître de Ballet - choreography was a logical alternative to dancing for the now 41 year old Petipa, who was soon to retire from the stage, and he had shown much promise in the annals of creating ballets. But it was not to be - the great French choreographer Arthur Saint-Léon was given the position instead by the director of the Imperial Theatres Andrei Saburov, and soon a healthy and productive rivalry between he and Petipa ensued, bringing the Imperial Ballet to new heights throughout the 1860s. Petipa's ten years as an assistant to Perrot had taught him much, and although he had only staged two ballets of his own in previous decade, the success of The Parisian Market, as well as the many dances for various operas he staged allowed him to perfect his talent, and in 1862 he staged a ballet that shown with the genius for which he would be forever remembered. Arthur Saint-Léon (1821-1870) was the Maître de Ballet (see Ballet Master) of the Imperial Ballet from 1859 until 1869. ...

The Pharaoh's Daughter

The great Italian Ballerina Carolina Rosati had been engaged as guest artist with the Imperial Ballet since 1855, and by 1861 her contract with the company was coming to an end. Upon leaving St. Petersburg, the Ballerina had decided to retire from the stage forever. By contract she was allowed one last benefit performance in an all new production, and in late 1861 she requested from the director Saburov that preparations begin post haste. Saburov soon put all other rehearsals and projects on hold, and asked Petipa if he could stage a ballet for Rosati in only six weeks. Confidently, Petipa answered "Yes, I shall try, and probably succeed."

Svetlana Zakharova as the Princess Aspicia in the Pas de Flèche from the Bolshoi Ballet's revival of the Petipa/Pugni The Pharaoh's Daughter, Moscow, 2003

While in Paris staging his ballet The Parisian Market, Petipa had received the completely worked out scenario from the dramatist Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges for a ballet titled The Pharaoh's Daughter (Saint-Georges was a much celebrated and sought-after librettist, having created among many other libretti the scenario for the Romantic masterwork Giselle). Petipa decided that this scenario, set in exotic ancient Egypt, would be perfect for the effective production Rosati so desired. During this time Europe was fascinated with all things concerning the art and culture of the ancient Egyptian Pharaohs, and Petipa was sure that a ballet on such a subject would be a great success. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 452 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (483 × 640 pixel, file size: 57 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo taken by an unknown photographer at the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, Russia of the Ballerina Svetlana Zakharova in the ballet The Pharaohs Daughter, circa 2002. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 452 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (483 × 640 pixel, file size: 57 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photo taken by an unknown photographer at the Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, Russia of the Ballerina Svetlana Zakharova in the ballet The Pharaohs Daughter, circa 2002. ... The Pharaohs Daughter is a ballet by Marius Petipa, first performed in 1862. ... Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges (November 7, 1799 - December 23, 1875), French dramatist, was born in Paris. ... The Pharaohs Daughter is a ballet by Marius Petipa, first performed in 1862. ... Anna Pavlova as Giselle in Act I (ca. ...

Petipa began work immediately, collaborating with the composer Pugni, who wrote his melodious and apt score with the quickness for which he was well known. The Pharaoh's Daughter premiered on January 18, 1862 to an unrivaled success - the work exceeded even the opulent tastes of the age, 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, having been performed 203 times by February of 1903. The great success of the work earned for Petipa the position of second Balletmaster, with perhaps only Saint-Léon's contract preventing him from attaining the coveted post of Maître de Ballet. The ballet reconstitution one can see today is due to French choreographer Pierre Lacotte. The Pharaohs Daughter is a ballet by Marius Petipa, first performed in 1862. ... January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Saint-Léon answered the success of Petipa's The Pharaoh's Daughter with a ballet adaptation of Pyotr Yershov's famous poem The Little Humpbacked Horse. The work proved to be a great success equal to that of The Pharaoh's Daughter, with its series of fantastical Grand Ballabile set on an enchanted Isle and under-water, grand processions, and well staged national dances. Though Saint-Léon was by title and technicality Petipa's superior, the two men were viewed as equals by the critics and balletomanes, and would rival one another with splendid productions throughout the 1860s, with the two of them having not only their own respective audiences 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 his works mostly for the great Marfa Muravieva (interestingly, nearly every work Petipa and Saint-Léon produced during the 1860s was set to the music of the composer Pugni). Petipa's final ballet of the 1860s would prove to be one of his most successful and enduring works - Don Quixote was mounted for the Ballet of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, and was the first ballet in which Petipa collaborated with the Czech composer Léon Minkus. For the 1947 animated Russian film, see The Humpbacked Horse. ... The ballet Don Quixote is based on the famous Miguel Cervantes novel Don Quixote de la Mancha. ... The Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow houses the world renowned Bolshoi Ballet, which has been home to some of the worlds greatest ballet dancers, including Anna Pavlova, Vaslav Nijinsky, Rudolf Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Natalia Makarova. ... Position of Moscow in Europe Coordinates: , Country District Subdivision Russia Central Federal District Federal City Government  - Mayor Yuriy Luzhkov Area  - City 1,081 km²  (417. ... Léon Minkus Léon Fedorovich Minkus (born Ludwig Aloisius Minkus March 23, 1826, Grossmeseritsch (Czech Velké Meziříčí), near Brünn (Czech Brno), Austria-Hungary - 1917, Vienna) was the most popular and performed Ballet Composer of the 19th century. ...

Maître de Ballet of the Imperial Ballet

In 1868 Petipa presented the exotic grand ballet Tsar Kandavl (AKA Le Roi Candaule). This work, set to the usually tuneful and apt music of Pugni was an enormous success, going on to break attendance records at the theatre. In 1869 Saint-Léon's contract was set to expire. The failues of his two most recent ballets - his 1866 Le Poisson Doré (a ballet adaptation of Pushkin's 1835 poem The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish), and his 1869 Le Lys (The Lily) - caused the Minister of the Imperial Court to not renew his contract. While in the Café de Divan in the Avenue de l'Opéra in Paris Saint-Léon died of a heart attack on September 2, 1870, and not long before him so had the composer Pugni, Petipa's chief collaborator, on January 26 of that same year. Olga Preobrajenskaya as Queen Nisia in the Pas de Venus from the Petipa/Pugni Tsar Kandavl, St. ... The Corps de Ballet of the Imperial Ballet in the Scène Sous-Marine (Under-Water Scene) from Act II of the Saint-Léon/Minkus Le Poisson Doré. St. ... Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (Russian: Алекса́ндр Серге́евич Пу́шкин, IPA: ,  ) (June 6 [O.S. May 26] 1799 – February 10 [O.S. January 29] 1837) was a Russian Romantic author who is considered to be the greatest Russian poet[1][2][3][4] and the founder of modern Russian literature. ... The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish (1950 animated film) The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish (Сказка о рыбаке и рыбке) is a 1835 poem by Aleksandr Pushkin. ... Le Lys (The Lily) (AKA Liliya) is a fantastic ballet in 3 acts/4 scenes, with choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon and music by Léon Minkus. ... The Avenue de lOpéra is a street in Paris, France. ... September 2 is the 245th day of the year (246th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... January 26 is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Students of the Imperial Ballet School in the Petipa/Richter A Fairy Tale, St. Petersburg, 1891. A young Anna Pavlova is kneeling while holding the left end of the birdcage

Petipa was named Première Maître de Ballet en Chef on February 29, 1870. For the remainder of the 19th century Petipa would transform the ballet of St. Petersburg with his ballet à grand spectacle, all the while redifining the pure-dance element in ballet. His masterfully composed ensembles, Grand Pas, variations, and incidental dances demanded the highest execution of technique from his dancers. Although the Imperial Ballet School (school of the Imperial Theatres) had always been among the greatest ballet academies in Europe, a renaissance in the quality of teaching methods of the instructors of the school began, improving the quality of teaching even more. As a result a syllabus of sorts began to evolve for training the young students, though it would be decades before this form of teaching the art of ballet would be cultivated, perfected, and given a name - the Vaganova method. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Students of the Imperial Ballet School in the Petipa/Richter A Fairy Tale, St. ... Photographic postcard of Anna Pavlova as Aspicia in The Pharoahs Daughter, circa 1910 Anna Pavlova as Nikiya in the Grand Pas Classique of the Shades from Act III of La Bayadere, circa 1902 Anna Pavlova is also the name of an Olympic gymnast. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is the most famous ballet school in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet), located in the Mariinsky Theatre of St. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

In 1875 Petipa and his wife, Mariia Surovshchikova-Petipa separated, and in 1882 she died of virulent smallpox in Pyatigorsk. 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), Marius Mariusovich Petipa II (1884-1922), and Vera Mariusovna Petipa (1885-1961). With so many children, Petipa stood at the head of a rather large family by the time he reached his 70s, having many grand-children, 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. But he was also by no means a "penny-pincher", always lavishing presents upon his children and grandchildren, or giving them money whenever he could. Smallpox (also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera) is a highly contagious disease unique to humans. ... Pyatigorsk (Russian: Пятигорск) is a city of a population of over 200,000 (2002) located in Stavropol Krai on the Podkumok River in the Northern Caucasus Federal District of Russia about twenty kilometers from Mineralnye Vody, at 44°2′N 43°4′E. The name Pyatigorsk means five mountains in Russian...

In 1877 Petipa mounted his greatest masterwork to date - La Bayadère, set in exotic ancient India, proved to be a work that would endure well into modern times. The cheered premiere on January 23, 1877 turned out to be a point of intersection for the art of ballet - La Bayadère contained Petipa's masterfully choreographed Grand Pas Classique set in the context of a vision scene (or Ballet Blanc) that would in essence mark the transition of the Romantic ballet evolving into what we now know today to be the Classical Ballet - The Kingdom of the Shades. This scene was and has remained perhaps one of the ultimate tests for the Corps de Ballet, the Classical Ballerina, and the Premier Danseur. La Bayadére is a ballet, originally in 4 Acts and 7 scenes with apotheosis, choreographed by the Balletmaster Marius Petipa to music by Lèon Minkus. ... January 23 is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1877 (MDCCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

By the early 1880s Petipa began mounting revivals of older ballets more frequently. Many of these works had all but disappeared from the stages of Europe in spite of the great receptions they had been given upon their premieres, and Petipa would breathe new life into them in such a way that many of them would endure to the present day in stagings derived from his versions. Among them, his definitive revival of Mazilier's Paquita in 1881, for which he added a Grand Pas Classique, Pas de Trois and Children's Polonaise and Mazurka to the music of Minkus - these dances, particularly the Grand Pas Classique, would go on to be one of his most enduring and celebrated compositions, surviving well into the present day. Another was Mazilier's 1856 Le Corsaire - a ballet Petipa had revived in 1856, 1863, and 1868, he would present his most definitive staging to date in 1885. Paquita is a ballet in two acts and three scenes. ... The Bavarian State Ballet in the scene Le Jardin Animé from the companys partial reconstruction of Marius Petipas 1899 revival of Le Corsaire, Munich, 2007 Le Corsaire (The Pirate) is a ballet in three acts, with a libretto based on the poem The Corsair by Lord Byron. ...

Students of the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in the Dance of the Lotus Blossums from the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet's reconstruction of the Petipa/Minkus La Bayadère, St. Petersburg, 2001

Petipa also revived Giselle - another ballet that Petipa had revised quite a few times, 1884 would see his definitive revival of the work, a version which it is said is still performed in his staging largely unchanged by the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet. Other ballets Petipa would revive during the 1880s - Saint-Léon's final ballet Coppelia in 1884, Paul Taglioni's 1864 version of La Fille Mal Gardée (with his Second Balletmaster Lev Ivanov) in 1885 for the visiting Italian Ballerina Virginia Zucchi, and Perrot's La Esmeralda in 1886, again for Zucchi. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Argippina Vaganova in the title role of Marius Petipas 1899 production of the Perrot/Pugni La Esmeralda, St. ... La Bayadére is a ballet, originally in 4 Acts and 7 scenes with apotheosis, choreographed by the Balletmaster Marius Petipa to music by Lèon Minkus. ... Anna Pavlova as Giselle in Act I (ca. ... Carlotta Brianza and Paul Gerdt of the Imperial Ballet as Princess Aurora and Prince Desire in the 1890 premiere of the Sleeping Beauty. ... Coppélia is a ballet by Leo Delibes based upon a story by E.T.A. Hoffmann entitled The Sandman. It concerns an inventor who makes a life-size dancing doll. ... Nadia Nerina as Lise and David Blair as Colas in the Pas de Ruban from Act I of Sir Frederick Ashtons La Fille Mal Gardée, London, 1960 La Fille Mal Gardée (The Badly Watched Daughter) is a Ballet presented in 2 Acts, inspired Choffarts engraving of... Lev Ivanov (1834 – 1901) was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer. ... Poster advertising Carlotta Grisi in the Pas de Truandaise for the premiere of the ballet La Esmeralda, given at Her Majestys Theatre, London, 1844 La Esmeralda is a ballet in 3 acts, 5 scenes, inspired by Notre Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo. ...

In 1881, the new Emperor Tsar Alexander III appointed Ivan Vsevolozhsky director of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres, an extremely cultured, and noble aristocratic that would prove to be one of Petipa's greatest confidants and collaborators. In 1886 he prompted the inspection of the Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre by architects who found the building to be unsafe, and rather than spend millions of roubles on a renovations, Vsevolozhsky soon transferred both the ballet and opera to the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre, much to the chagrin of the orchestra and opera singers who found Mariinsky's acoustics to be weaker. Both companies remain at that theatre today. Alexander III (10 March 1845 – 1 November 1894) reigned as Emperor of Russia from 14 March 1881 until his death in 1894. ... Ivan Vsevolozhsky, circa 1880 Ivan Alexandrovich Vsevolozhsky (1835 - 1909) was the Director of the Imperial Theatres in Russia from 1881 to 1898. ... The St. ... ISO 4217 Code RUB User(s) Russia and self-proclaimed Abkhazia and South Ossetia Inflation 10. ... The Mariinsky Theatre of St. ...

The Golden Age of Petipa and the Imperial Ballet

The ballets of Petipa were lavish spectacles that could have only been produced in the opulent atmosphere of the Imperial Russian court, which was at the time the wealthiest and most resplendent in all Europe. The treasury of the Tsar lavished over 10,000,000 roubles a year on the Imperial Ballet, opera, and the Imperial Theatrical School, home of the Imperial Ballet School (today the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet). Every season Petipa presented a new ballet, as well as revivals of older works, the staging of dance sections for operas, and the preparations of various galas and celebrations for royal nuptuals, birthdays, official state visits, or for visiting Royalty. Tsar (Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian цар, Russian  , in scientific transliteration respectively car and car ), occasionally spelled Czar or Tzar and sometimes Csar or Zar in English, is a Slavonic term designating certain monarchs. ... ISO 4217 Code RUB User(s) Russia and self-proclaimed Abkhazia and South Ossetia Inflation 10. ... The Mariinsky Ballet is the most famous ballet school in history (formerly the Kirov Ballet), located in the Mariinsky Theatre of St. ... Vaganova as Odette-Odile, 1900es Agrippina Yakovlevna Vaganova (July 6, 1879 - November 5, 1951) was an outstanding Russian ballet teacher who developed the Vaganova method. ...

The works of the Imperial Ballet were presented to a public that adored the ballet, and knew the artform very intimately. They had the highest expectations and standards, with many critics from various newspapers reporting in detail every performance. To create ballets for such a public meant that Petipa had to constantly maintain the utmost level of perfection and excellence in his works. With the art of ballet flurishing in this kind of an environment, the 19th century saw the Imperial Ballet reached what is considered to be it's "golden age".

Diana Vishneva as the Princess Aurora (center), Veronika Part as the Lilac Fairy (left), and Adrien Fadayev as Prince Desiré (right) in the Grand Adagio from the Vision Scene of the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet's reconstruction of Petipa's original 1890 production of The Sleeping Beauty, St. Petersburg, 1999

This era began in the late 1880s when Petipa presented his colossal extravaganza set in ancient Rome The Vestal, set to the music of the composer Mikhail Ivanov, a student of Tchaikovsky's. Then, in 1889, the director Vsevolozhsky commissioned Tchaikovsky to score music for Petipa's The Sleeping Beauty in 1889. The ballet's premiere on January 3, 1890 was, a resounding success, and is today considered to be the quintessential Classical Ballet, as well as among Petipa's ultimate masterpieces of choreography. The ballet proved to be so popular in fact that by April of 1903 it had been performed 100 times in only thirteen years, being one of the most popular works in the Imperial Ballet's repertory, second only to Petipa's The Pharaoh's Daughter. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 725 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (776 × 642 pixel, file size: 126 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Photo by Nina Alovert of dancers in the ballet The Sleeping Beauty. St. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 725 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (776 × 642 pixel, file size: 126 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg)Photo by Nina Alovert of dancers in the ballet The Sleeping Beauty. St. ... Sleeping Beauty (Op. ... Mikhail Mordkin as Lucio in the Petipa/Ivanov The Vestal, St. ... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский, sometimes transliterated as Piotr, Anglicised as Peter Ilich), (May 7, 1840 – November 6, 1893 (N.S.); April 25, 1840 – October... Sleeping Beauty (Op. ... January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ...

In essence, what is now considered to be the art of Classical Ballet and classical technique came into its own in the 1890s in St. Petersburg, where virtuoso Ballerinas were finally met in technique from the Danseurs, and lavish productions accentuated the masterful choreography Petipa created for not only his new works but for his many revivals of older ballets, such as Perrot's Ondine and Philippe Taglioni's original La Sylphide, both staged in 1892. Ondine or The Naiad and the Fisherman is a ballet in Three acts, Five scenes. ... Filippo Taglioni (also known as Philippe Taglioni; November 5, 1777 - February 11, 1871) was an Italian dancer and choreographer and personal teacher to his own daughter, the famous Romantic ballerina Marie Taglioni. ... La Sylphide is one of the worlds best-known ballets. ...

Vsevolozhsky then commissioned a second score for a ballet from Tchaikovsky. The Nutcracker was perhaps doomed from the start - the libretto, created by Petipa from E. T. A. Hoffman's tale was completely devoid of the dramatic action and mime sequences then in vogue with ballet audiences, and the role of the lead Ballerina was reduced merely to a Grand Pas de Deux in the second act. Petipa soon passed on the duties of mounting the ballet to his Second Balletmaster Lev Ivanov. It is believed that this was done because Petipa fell ill, but illness did not keep him from rehearsing other ballets during that time. It is likely Petipa "washed his hands" of the ballet, as long experience showed him that such a work would not be well received (there are many contemporary accounts that site Petipa as choreographer of The Nutcracker, with Ivanov merely putting on the "finishing touches"). The Nutcracker premiered on December 6, 1892 on a double bill with Tchaikovsky's opera Iolanta, and was indeed received in manner that in no way pointed to the place the work would one day have in the ballet repertory. Petipa's illness kept him from composition for nearly the whole of 1893, but he still found strength to supervise the production of a work where perhaps the greatest Ballerina since Marie Taglioni would make her début on the Imperial stage. (left to right) Sergei Legat, as the Nutcracker, an unidentified child as a gingerbread soldier, and Lydia Rubtsova as Marianna in Vsevolozhskys costumes for the Ivanov/Petipa/Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker, St. ... ETA Hoffman Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (January 24, 1776 - June 25, 1822), was a German romantic and fantasy author and composer. ... December 6 is the 340th day of the year (341st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... This article describes the Tchaikovsky Gilbert and Sullivan, see Iolanthe. ... Marie Taglioni, in a colored lithograph, circa 1831 (Victoria & Albert Museum). ...

A ballet adaptation of Charles Perrault's Cinderella (or Zolushka) was chosen for the new production of the 1893-1894 season to music by the composer Baron Boris Fitinhof-Schell, and being that Petipa was ill the choreography fell into the hands of Lev Ivanov and Enrico Cecchetti. In the title role the new guest Ballerina, the Italian virtuosa Pierina Legnani made her début, and on the evening of the premiere, December 3, 1893, her phenomenal technique and beauty of execution swept all before her. In the coda of the Grand Pas d'action of the last act she astounded the audience by performing a feat never before executed by any Ballerina - 32 fouettés en tournant. The public demanded an encore, and Legnani performed no less that twentyeight more fouettés - according to press accounts of the performance she never moved an inch. Legnani's success in Cinderella was so great she was quickly named Prima Ballerina Assoluta of the Imperial Ballet, and though her initial contract was for only two years, she was nevertheless invited to remain with the Imperial Ballet for eight more years. In 1894 the Ballerina Mathilde Kschessinskaya was named Prima Ballerina of the Imperial Ballet, second only in rank to Legnani, and although she was eventually named Prima Ballerina Assoluta it was nevertheless Legnani who proved to be Petipa's greatest muse, as nearly every new ballet he mounted throughout his remaining years with the Imperial Ballet were with Legnani in the principal role, among them - Raymonda in 1898, and Les Ruses d'Amour in 1900 - while he would give Kschessinskaya almost all of the leads in his revivals - among them, his 1898 revival of The Pharaoh's Daughter and his 1899 revival of La Esmeralda. Charles Perrault, 1665 Charles Perrault (January 6, 1628 – May 16, 1703) was a French author who laid foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, and whose best known tales include Le Petit Chaperon rouge (Little Red Riding Hood), La Belle au bois dormant (Sleeping Beauty), Le Chat bott... Mariia Anderson as the Fairy Godmother in the Petipa/Ivanov/Cecchetti/Fitinhof-Schell Cinderella, St. ... Piano reduction of the Wedding March written especially by Fitinhof-Schell for the wedding of Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna in 1895 Baron Boris Alexandrovich Fitinhof-Schell (AKA Boris Schell) (born 1829 in St. ... Enrico Cecchetti (born: 21 June 1850, Rome - died: 13 November 1928, Milan) was an Italian ballet dancer, founder of the Cecchetti method. ... Pierina Legnani (1863-1923) was an Italian ballerina responsible for the inclusion of 32 consecutive fouettés en tournant en pointe to the ballet Swan Lake. ... December 3 is the 337th (in leap years the 338th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Dancer performing Fouetté en tournant 32 fouettés en tournant (fr. ... Mathilde Kschessinska (Polish: Matylda KrzesiÅ„ska, 19 August 1872 (O.S.) Ligovo near Peterhof — 7 June 1971 Paris), (also known as Her Serene Highness Princess Romanova-Krasinskaya since 1921) was the first Russian prima ballerina assoluta in the world. ...

The Corps de Ballet of the Imperial Ballet in the Grand Pas des Nerieds (AKA The Under-Water Scene) from Petipa's revival of the Saint-Léon/Pugni The Little Humpbacked Horse, St. Petersburg, 1895

In 1894 Petipa returned to choreography from his illness with his first completely original ballet since The Sleeping Beauty. Set to the score by Drigo, the one-act The Awakening of Flora was mounted especially for the celebrations at Peterhof of the wedding of Tsar Alexander III's daughter, the Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna to the Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, premiering on July 28, 1894. The short work was hailed as a masterpiece, as was Drigo's score. Drigo would in fact prove to be Petipa's chief collaborator for his remaining ten years with the Imperial Ballet - the composer not only wrote completely new scores, but the bulk of his duties would be in revising older scores for Petipa's revivals, as well as the endless task of scoring supplemental Pas and variations. Image File history File links Little_Humbacked_Horse_-Underwater_Scene_-1885. ... Image File history File links Little_Humbacked_Horse_-Underwater_Scene_-1885. ... Mathilde Kschessinskaya as Flora (left) and Vera Trefilova as Amour/Cupid (right) in the Petipa/Drigo The Awakening of Flora, St. ... Peterhof: the Samson Fountain and Sea Channel Peterhof (Russian: , Petergof, originally Piterhof, Dutch for Peters Court) is a series of palaces and gardens, laid out on the orders of Peter the Great, and sometimes called the Russian Versailles. It is located about twenty kilometers west and six kilometers south... Grand Duchess Xenia as a young woman. ... Alexander Mihailovich of Russia (13 April 1866 - 26 February 1933) was Grand Duke and bother-in-law of Emperor Nicholas II, influential in the soon-to-be-doomed Russian monarchy. ... July 28 is the 209th day of the year (210th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1893 Tchaikovsky died, and in February 1894 a memorial concert was given in his honor at the Mariinsky Theatre. For the occasion Lev Ivanov mounted the second scene from Tchaikovsky's 1877 Swan Lake - a work first produced in