Pas de Quatre facts for kids
Pas de Quatre is a famous romantic ballet. It means "dance for four" in French. This special ballet has music by Cesare Pugni and was choreographed by Jules Perrot. It was first performed in London on July 12, 1845, at Her Majesty's Theatre. People loved it right away!
Pas de Quatre: A Ballet for Stars
This ballet was created for the four most famous ballerinas of that time. These dancers were Marie Taglioni, Carlotta Grisi, Fanny Cerrito, and Lucile Grahn. Imagine having four of the best dancers in the world on one stage!
The Challenge of Bringing Stars Together
It was very difficult to get these four amazing dancers to perform together. They were all very talented and also very competitive. Each one wanted to be the best! Benjamin Lumley, who managed the theatre, worked very hard to make it happen. He was very patient and clever. Thanks to him, the ballet became a reality.
Another famous ballerina, Fanny Essler, was not asked to join. She was a big rival of Marie Taglioni. Fanny Essler had even threatened to dance Taglioni's most famous piece, La Sylphide. So, to avoid more problems, she was not included in Pas de Quatre.
A Special Performance
The ballet was performed only four times. It was a very exclusive show! Queen Victoria and Prince Albert even came to watch the third performance. This shows how important and exciting the ballet was back then.
