Marius Petipa (1818-1910) was a renowned French ballet dancer and choreographer known as the "father of classical ballet" who spent most of his career in Russia choreographing over 60 ballets. He established classical ballet as the dominant style, focusing on technical virtuosity and elaborate productions. Some of his most famous ballets choreographed to Tchaikovsky's music include The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, and Swan Lake.

1. The Age of
Petipa
Part 1: Marius Petipa

3. Marius Petipa
March 11, 1818 – July 14, 1910
• Known as “the father of classical ballet”
• Born in Marseilles, France
• Moved to St. Petersburg, Russia in 1847
• Choreographed more than 60 ballets

4. Family history
• Jean Antoine Petipa (father) was a famous
French dancer and teacher.
• Lucien Petipa (older brother) was a world
famous dancer.
• At 7yrs old Jean began teaching Marius ballet.
• Marius HATED it! (But he was talented.)

5. Dance Scene of the 19th Century
• French was the international language
• Famous dancers of the day: Marie
Taglioni, Fanny Elssler, Carlotta Grisi, Lucile
Grahn, Fanny Cerrito
• Famed ballet masters: Jules Perrot, Filippo
Taglioni, Arthur Saint Leon
• Famed teachers: Carlo Blasis, Enrico
Cecchetti, Auguste Vestris

6. Marie Taglioni

7. Fanny Elssler

8. Pas de Quatre

9. Getting back to Marius…
• General education from Grande College in
Brussels
• Made performance debut in 1831 in father’s
production of La Dansomanie
• Belgian revolution made family move to
Bordeaux then Nantes, where Petipa became a
principal.
• After touring North America, returned to
Bordeaux to continue dancing and begin
experimenting with choreography.
• Partnered Carlotta Grisi in La Peri.

11. Travels abroad
• Moved to Madrid, Spain
• had a love affair with wife of Marquis de
Chateaubriand (member of French Embassy)
• Challenged to a duel by Chateaubriand…
• Promptly left Spain and never returned
• 1847 moved to St Petersburg, Russia

12. Russian Connection
• End of 17th century, Peter the Great evolves
arts in Russia by inviting artists from other
countries.
• 1738 Empress Anna begins the Imperial Ballet
School.
• Most of the great European dancers
performed in Russia.
• Taglioni’s partner, Christian Johanson, stayed
as teacher and choreographer.

14. Petipa In Russia
• Continued dancing, staging works and
dabbling in choreography
• 1854 marries ballerina Maria Sergeyevna
Surovshchikova
• 1858 retires form dancing, focuses energy on
choreography
• Created A Regency Marriage, The Parisian
Market, & The Blue Dhalia for wife.

15. Politics of dance
• 1862 La Fille du Pharaon
• Appointed company ballet master
• 1869 replaces Saint-Leon as director of
Maryinsky
• Established “ballet a grand spectacle”
• 1882 married ballerina Lubova Leonidovna
• Retired 1903 after The Magic Mirror failed

16. Petipa’s impact on ballet
• Established Classical over Romantic by
focusing on technical virtuosity rather than
pantomime or dramatic expression
• Emphasized central role of the female
ballerina and bravura steps of the male
danseur
• Used elaborate stage designs and large casts
• Created choreographic formula still used
today

17. Petipa ballets
• Don Quixote
• La Bayadere
• Bluebeard
• Cinderella
• Raymonda
• Harliquinade
• Le Corsair

18. Tchaikovsky ballets
• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky composed:
• Swan Lake
• Sleeping Beauty
• The Nutcracker

19. Sleeping Beauty 1890

20. The Nutcracker 1892

21. The Nutcracker (Sugarplum
pas de deux)

22. Swan Lake 1895

23. Lev Ivanov
• February 1834- July 1901
• Incredibly musical
• 1852 joined Imperial Ballet under Jules Perrot
• 1885 appointed assistant to Petipa at
Maryinksy Theater
• In shadow of others throughout career

24. Ivanov’s choreographic contribution
• Tendency towards Romantic over Classical
• Petipa took full credit despite Ivanov’s
contribuions
• Believed to have choreographed :
– Sleeping Beauty romantic vision scene
– Swan Lake Act 2
– The Nutcracker (Petipa was sick, had to give
credit)

25. Changes and endings
• Early 1900s fashions and audience interests
began shift away from Petipa’s Classical style
• 1903 Petipa creates The Magic Mirror under
pressure to change… flopped miserably
• 1903 retired
• 1906 Petipa’s memoirs are published; met with
criticism and attacks
• 1907 moves to southern Russia because of bad
health
• 1910 dies