Paquita
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Music: Leon Minkus
The first production of Paquita was staged in 1846 at the Paris Opera to the music of the French composer, Deldevez and the choreography of Mazilier. When the ballet was performed at the Marinsky Theater in Russia in 1881, Petipa added a Pas de Trois and a Grand Pas to the music of Minkus, which is the only part of the ballet that exists today. Since the ballet was not performed again until 1975 in Russia, the original choreography, except for the Petipa additions, was forgotten. Alexandra Danilova staged this ballet for Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo for its first performance in the U.S. in the early 1950s.
World Premiere: 1846, Paris Opera, Paris, France
Kansas City Ballet Premiere: April 13,2000, Lyric Theatre