Throwback Thursday and Marius Petipa
Marius Petipa is often called the father of classical
ballet, or even the inventor of
classical ballet. He was born in
Marseille on March 11, 1822 and was encouraged by his choreographer father to
follow in his footsteps. Originally
Marius did not care for the art form, but over time that changed.
Marius and his father traveled and performed in many
countries, but following a love affair where a jealous rival challenged Marius
to a duel, they moved to St. Petersburg, Russia. His breakthrough piece of choreography came
in 1862 in La Fill du Pharaon, (see today’s link for an excerpt). From there his career
accelerated, giving the world longer, more complex ballets – including the
creation of the grand pas de deux. He
choreographed such enduring ballets as Paquita,
Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty and Swan
Lake.
Despite spending many years in Russia, Marius Petipa never
learned the language, yet he created some of the most famous ballets in
history, teaching his choreography to the dancers largely through pantomime.
Petipa died on July
14, 1910.
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Dance History Factoid #25:
“Marius Petipa has been called ‘the father of classical ballet’.”
Link of the Day:
Quote
of the Day:
“It is only those who never do anything who never make
mistakes.”
-
A. Favre
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