Daria Sukhorukova as Paquita

Daria Sukhorukova as Paquita (Rus. Дарья Сухорукова) in Paquita, Ballet in two acts, choreography by Marius Petipa and Alexey Ratmansky. Music by Édouard Deldevez and Ludwig Minkus. Shot on 10.12.2014 in Bayerische Staatoper Munich, during main rehearsal. Conductor Myron Romanoul.

Daria Sukhorukova (Rus. Дарья Сухорукова) is principal dancer with Bavarian State Ballet. She was born in St. Petersburg, completed her dance education at Vaganova Academy oc Classical Ballet in her home town and directly received a contract at the Mariinsky Theatre in 2001. In the season 2007/2008, she joined the Bavarian State Ballet as a First Soloist and became a Principal Dancer in the season 2010/2011.

Alexei Ratmansky (Rus: Алексей Осипович Ратманский) b. August 27, 1968, Leningrad, is a Russian choreographer and former ballet dancer. As of April 2014 he is the artist in residence at the American Ballet Theatre. From 2004 to 2008 he was the director of the Bolshoi Ballet. Ratmansky was born in St. Petersburg and trained under Pyotr Pestov and Anna Markeyeva at the Bolshoi Ballet School. He graduated in 1986. He then danced in Kiev and was a principal dancer with the Ukrainian National Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Royal Danish Ballet. Ratmansky’s choreographic career first became in 1997, he is noted for restaging traditionally classical ballets for large companies.

Paquita is a ballet in two acts and three scenes, composed by Ludwig Minkus, with libretto by Joseph Mazilier and Paul Foucher. Originally choreographed by Joseph Mazilier to the music of Edouard Deldevez. First presented by at the Salle Le Peletier by the Paris Opera Ballet on 1 April 1846. The work was retained in the repertory of the Opéra until 1851.

In 1847, Paquita was staged for the first time in Russia for the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg by Marius Petipa and Pierre-Frédéric Malavergne, being the first work ever staged by Petipa in Russia. In 1881 Petipa produced a revival of the ballet for which he added new pieces specially composed by Ludwig Minkus. This included the Pas de trois (a.k.a. the Minkus Pas de trois or Paquita Pas de trois) for the first act, and the Paquita Grand pas classique and the Mazurka des enfants (Children’s mazurka) for the last act. Petipa’s version of Paquita was retained in the repertory of the Mariinsky Theatre until 1926. Marius Petipa’s 1881 additions for Paquita survived long after the full-length ballet left the stage. Today these pieces, particularly the Grand pas classique, are major cornerstones of the traditional classical ballet repertory and have been staged by ballet companies throughout the world.

Alexei Ratmansky in cooperation with renowned dance scholars and artists restaged a production of “Paquita” for the Bavarian State Ballet. Reconstruction and new creation in one, the full-length classic will be premiered on December 13, 2014 at the Nationaltheater Munich.

Photo by Jack Devant ballet photography © with kind permission of the Bayerische Staatsoper and Bayerisches Staatsballett, special thanks to Mr Wolfgang Oberender and Miss Susanne Ullmann.