La Fille mal gardee
Choreography: Fernand Nault
Music: Peter Ludwig Hertel
La Fille mal gardee tells the story of Lisette, a mischievous, persistent country girl who manages to foil the plans of her mother, the Widow Simone, whose great ambition is to marry her daughter to the son of a well-off wine grower. Young Lisette prevails, however, after countless ploys and stratagems, and marries the man she loves, a poor peasant named Colas.
La Fille mal gardee is the masterpiece of French choreographer Jean Dauberval. First performed at the Grand Theatre in Bordeaux in 1786, this delightful, entertaining work was apparently inspired by a lithography seen by Dauberval, depicting a shrew chasing a young boy while a young girl dissolves into tears.
La Fille mal gardee is the oldest ballet in the repertory of today’s major dance companies. The tale of these lovers separated by class differences but joined in love remains representative of the new times heralded in 1789 by the French Revolution.
La Fille mal gardee was performed with the permission of Fonds choregraphique Fernand Nault.
World Premiere: 1959, Joffrey Ballet
Kansas City Ballet Premiere: February 23, 2006, Lyric Theatre, Kansas City, Missouri