''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 Arthur Saint-Léon (17 September 1821, in Paris – 2 September 1870) was the '' Maître de Ballet'' of St. Petersburg Imperial Ballet from 1859 until 1869 and is famous for creating the choreography of the ballet '' Coppélia''. Biography He ...

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 (; ; 31 May 1802, in Genoa – ) was an Italian composer of ballet music, a pianist and a violinist. He studied composition with Bonifazio Asioli and violin with Alessandro Rolla. In his early career he composed operas, symph ...

. The ballet was first presented on 23 May 1844 by the Ballet of Her Majesty's Theatre, 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 'cant ...

) 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 181029 August 1892) was a French 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 () 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 Russian Ballet, the Mariinsky Ballet is one of the world's ...

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 went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...

dates), 1855 at the

Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre The Saint Petersburg Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre (The Big Stone Theatre of Saint Petersburg, ) was a theatre in Saint Petersburg. It was built in 1783 to Antonio Rinaldi's Neoclassical design as the Kamenny (i.e., Stone) Theatre; Giovann ...

, in

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

, Russia. ''Principal Dancers -''

Maria Surovshchikova-Petipa Mariia Sergeyevna Surovshchikova-Petipa (27 February 1836 – 16 March 1882) was prima ballerina to the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatres and wife of the noted choreographer Marius Petipa. Life Mariia Sergeyevna Surovshchikova was born in St ...

(as Kathi, the Vivandière), and Jules Perrot (as Hans). *Revival by

Marius Petipa Marius Ivanovich Petipa (; born Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa; 11 March 1818) was a French and Russian ballet dancer, pedagogue and choreographer. He is considered one of the most influential ballet masters and choreographers in ballet history ...

for the Imperial Ballet, first presented on 8/20 October 1881 at the

Imperial Mariinsky Theatre The Mariinsky Theatre (, also transcribed as Maryinsky or Mariyinsky) is a historic opera house in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th-century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces ...

, 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 invent ...

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 Ann Hutchinson Guest ( Hutchinson; 3 November 1918 – 9 April 2022) was an American authority on dance notation and movement analysis, long based in the United Kingdom. She studied more than 80 dance notation systems and translated 20 to Laba ...

. In 1978 Pierre Lacotte staged the piece for the

Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet The Mariinsky Ballet () 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 Russian Ballet, the Mariinsky Ballet is one of the world's ...

(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 1840s ballets 1844 works Ballets premiered at Her Majesty's Theatre