''La Vivandière'' (or ''Markitenka'', as it is known in Russia) is a

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

in one act with choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon and

Fanny Cerrito Francesca "Fanny" Cerrito (11 May 1817 – 6 May 1909) was an Italian ballet dancer and choreographer. She was a ballerina noted for the brilliance, strength, and vivacity of her dancing. She was also one of few women in the 19th century to be r ...

, and music by

Cesare Pugni Cesare Pugni (; russian: Цезарь Пуни, Cezar' Puni; 31 May 1802 in Genoa – ) was an Italian composer of ballet music, a pianist and a violinist. In his early career he composed operas, symphonies, and various other forms of orches ...

. The ballet was first presented on 23 May 1844 by the

Ballet of Her Majesty's Theatre Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established ...

, London, England. The principal dancers were Fanny Cerrito (as Kathi, the

Vivandière Vivandière or cantinière is a French name for women who are attached to military regiments as sutlers or canteen keepers. Their actual historic functions of selling wine to the troops and working in canteens led to the adoption of the name 'c ...

) and Arthur Saint-Léon (as Hans).

Revivals/Restagings

*Revivals by Arthur Saint-Léon for the Ballet of Her Majesty's Theatre - 1845, 1846, and 1848. *Restaging by

Jules Perrot Jules-Joseph Perrot (18 August 1810 – 29 August 1892) was a dancer and choreographer who later became Ballet Master of the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia. He created some of the most famous ballets of the 19th century including ...

for 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 ...

under the title ''Markitenka'', first presented on 13/25 December ( 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), 1855 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 ...

, in

St. Petersburg 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 ...

, Russia. ''Principal Dancers -'' Maria Surovshchikova-Petipa (as Kathi, the Vivandière), and Jules Perrot (as Hans). *Revival by Marius Petipa for the Imperial Ballet, first presented on 8/20 October 1881 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 ...

, in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The ''La Vivandière Pas de Six''

*A ''Pas de Six'' from Saint-Léon's original version of this ballet was notated in his own method of

dance notation Dance notation is the symbolic representation of human dance movement and form, using methods such as graphic symbols and figures, path mapping, numerical systems, and letter and word notations. Several dance notation systems have been invented ...

known as ''La Sténochorégraphie'' as an example, in a manual book that was published in Paris (1848). In 1975 the ''Pas de Six'' was reconstructed, along with Pugni's original music, by the dance notation expert Ann Hutchinson-Guest and

Pierre Lacotte Pierre Lacotte (born 4 April 1932) is a French ballet dancer and choreographer who specialised in the reconstruction of lost choreographies of romantic ballets. His mother was an affirmed musician and he manifested very early his interest for da ...

for the Joffrey Ballet. In 1978 Lacotte staged the piece for the

Kirov/Mariinsky 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 ...

(the former Imperial Ballet), who still retain the piece in their repertory. The ''Pas de Six'' has since been staged by many ballet companies all over the world, and is known as either the ''La Vivandière Pas de Six'', or the ''Markitenka Pas de Six'' (as it is known in Russia). The La Vivandière Pas de Six has been realised on a DVD/Blu ray.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vivandiere, La, Or Markitenka Ballets by Jules Perrot Ballets by Arthur Saint-Léon Ballets by Marius Petipa Ballets by Cesare Pugni 1844 ballet premieres Ballets premiered at Her Majesty's Theatre