Daria Sukhorukova in Paquita Grand pas classique

Daria Sukhorukova in Paquita Grand pas classique, 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.

Paquita ballet is telling the story of a Spanish gypsy girl called Paquita, who falls in love with a French nobleman called Lucien. Unfortunately, due to their differences in background and social standing, the two characters are incompatible. Later it is discovered that the gypsies are not her real family, and that they saved her from a pirate massacre when she was just a child. Travelling the country, they find and reunite her with her original family, revealing her to be the daughter of a nobleman, and she and Lucien are united.

Paquita Grand pas classique — 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 for the first act, and the Paquita Grand pas classique and the Mazurka des enfants
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. In 1978 the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet’s newly appointed artistic director Oleg Vinogradov staged a new version of the Paquita grand pas classique for the company, a staging largely based on the version Pyotr Gusev staged for the Maly Theatre Ballet in 1952. The Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet still retain Vinogradov’s version in their repertory, and many companies throughout the world include his version of the piece in their repertories.

In 2014 Alexey Ratmansky restaged new version in Bayerische Staatsoper, 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.