''Camargo'' (or ''La Camargo'') is a ''grand ballet'' in three acts and nine scenes, with choreography by

Marius Petipa Marius Ivanovich Petipa (russian: Мариус Иванович Петипа), born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa (11 March 1818), was a French ballet dancer, pedagogue and choreographer. Petipa is one of the most influential ballet masters an ...

and music by

Ludwig Minkus Ludwig Minkus (russian: link=no, Людвиг Минкус), also known as Léon Fyodorovich Minkus (23 March 1826, Vienna – 7 December 1917, Vienna), was a Jewish-Austrian composer of ballet music, a violin virtuoso and teacher. Minkus is no ...

. The

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges (7 November 1799 – 23 December 1875) was a French playwright, who was born and died in Paris. He was one of the most prolific librettists of the 19th century, often working in collaboration with others. Sa ...

and Marius Petipa is based on an incident in the life of the 18th-century dancer

Marie Camargo Marie Anne de Cupis de Camargo (15 April 1710 in Brussels – 28 April 1770 in Paris), sometimes known simply as La Camargo, was a French dancer. The first woman to execute the ''Glossary of ballet, entrechat quatre'', Camargo was also allege ...

, in which she and her sister Madeleine were abducted by the Comte de Melun in May 1728 and taken to his mansion. The ballet was first presented by the

Imperial Ballet The Mariinsky Ballet (russian: Балет Мариинского театра) is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russ ...

on December 7/19 ( Julian/

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...

dates), 1872 at the

Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre The Saint Petersburg Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre (The Big Stone Theatre of Saint Petersburg, russian: Большой Каменный Театр) was a theatre in Saint Petersburg. It was built in 1783 to Antonio Rinaldi's Neoclassical ...

St. Petersburg, Russia Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

. The Principal Dancers were

Adèle Grantzow Adele (born 1988) is an English singer-songwriter. Adele may also refer to: People * Adele (given name), a common female given name * Jan Adele (1936–2000), Australian actor * Adele, a character in the operetta ''Die Fledermaus'' Places * Ade ...

(as Marie Camargo), Alexandra Virginia (as Madeleine Camargo),

Lev Ivanov Lev Ivanovich Ivanov (russian: link=no, Лев Ива́нович Ива́нов; 2 March 1834, Moscow – 24 December 1901, Saint Petersburg) was a Russian ballet dancer and choreographer and later, Second Balletmaster of the Imperial Ballet. ...

(as Vestris, the ''Maître de Ballet'') and

Timofei Stukolkin Timofei Alekseyevich Stukolkin (russian: Тимофей Алексеевич Стуколкин; , the village Kozmino of Simbirsk province - , Saint Petersburg) was a Russian ballet dancer. ''Oxford Dictionary of Dance'' called him "one of the gr ...

(as the Comte de Melun).

Revivals

''Camargo'' was revived by Petipa's second ballet master

for the Imperial Ballet, especially for the farewell benefit performance in honour of the Imperial Ballet's ''Prima Balerina Assoluta''

Pierina Legnani Pierina Legnani (September 30, 1863 – November 15, 1930) was an Italian ballerina considered one of the greatest ballerinas of all time. Biography Legnani was born on September 30, 1863, in Milan and originally studied with famous ballet dan ...

, who left for her native Italy shortly thereafter. It was first presented at the

Imperial Mariinsky Theatre The Mariinsky Theatre ( rus, Мариинский театр, Mariinskiy teatr, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music th ...

on January 17–30, 1901, in St. Petersburg, Russia, with Legnani (as Marie Camargo),

Olga Preobrajenskaya Olga Iosifovna Preobrajenska (russian: О́льга Ио́сифовна Преображе́нская; born Preobrazhenskaya; – 27 December 1962) was a Russian ballerina of the Russian Imperial Ballet and a ballet instructor. Biogra ...

(as Madeleine Camargo),

Pavel Gerdt Pavel Andreyevich Gerdt (russian: Па́вел Андре́евич Ге́рдт), also known as Paul Gerdt (near Saint Petersburg, Russia, 22 November 1844 – Vamaloki, Finland, 12 August 1917), was the ''Premier Danseur Noble'' of the Imperial ...

(as Vestris, the ''Maître de Ballet'') and

Georgii Kiaksht Georgii may refer to: ;Given name *Georgii Zantaraia (born 1987), Ukrainian judoka of Georgian origin *Georgii Karpechenko (1899–1941) Russian and Soviet biologist * Georgii Frederiks (1889–1938), Russian geologist *Georgii Zeliony (18 ...

(as the Comte de Melun).

Revivals

See also