Pas de Quatre
Ballet divertissement (light piece of ballet dance) choreographed by Jules Perrot in 1845, on the suggestion of Benjamin Lumley, Director at Her Majesty’s Theatre, to music composed by Cesare Pugni. (Pas de Quatre (Perrot), Wikipedia.)
The original cast of Pas de Quatre, that brought together on one stage, the four greatest ballerinas of the time, only danced four performances together 12th, 15th, 17th and 19th of July 1845. Ballerinas were (in order of appearance) Lucile Grahn (age 24), Carlotta Grisi (age 26), Fanny Cerrito (age 28), and Marie Taglioni (age 41). (Degen.) The collaboration and the ballet divertissement caused a sensation with the critics and the public alike. (Pas de Quatre (Perrot), Wikipedia.)
Perrot choreographed for ballerinas individual variations to display the best features of each. Petite allegros, pas de bourres and delicate footwork for Grahn, balancé’s and executed daring jumps for Cerrito, struck graceful poses for Grisi (arabesque, balance), and Taglioni – floated in the air with ethereal movements. (Yakovleva.) Ballerinas danced with demure lightness, delicacy and poise. Variations were performed in succession between an opening and finale that are danced by all the ballerinas together. (Pas de Quatre (Perrot), Wikipedia.)
These four ballerinas became the personification of four female types in general, four temperaments: Cerrito – choleric, Grahn – sanguine, Grisi – phlegmatic and Taglioni – melancholic. (Yakovleva.) Pas de Quatre variations were named after the dancers Grisi, Cerrito, Grahn and Taglioni. (Degen).
Classical ballet technique was executed in the Pas de Quatre, and it captured the essence of Romantic style. The stage was decorated minimalistically – romantic backdrop and soft lights. Ballerinas were dressed in a similar, white, airy mousseline. Three of the dancers decorated head with floral wreath, and only Cerrito pinned the flowers around the low bun. (Degen.)
Perro intentionally did not create choreography with the story in mind, but rather chose to accentuate the theme. Ballerinas did not transform into sylph, naiad or bayadères. But, they remained to be the dancers on the stage, and demonstrated the great art of virtuosity, artistry and technical prowess. (Degen.)
Perro created a new genre – the dance portrait (Degen.) Dance choreography consisted from graceful poses, adagio movements, petite allegro, grand allegro, fast footwork, graceful changes of position, and the elegant and fluid arm movements that have become a signature element of Pas de Quatre. (Pas de Quatre (Perrot), Wikipedia.)
The music of C. Pugni is characterized by freshness, melodic flexibility, clear rhythmic patterns, plasticity, and vibrant dance quality. (Pugni, Cesare. Wikipedia) He composed several pieces of music to compliment different dance styles of each ballerinas. Only Cerritos dance number is composed in waltz.
''Perrot created a new ballet genre,
and signature elements of the Pas de Quatre''
I did not knew about this ballet, before the assignment in university. When watching (reconstruction) it for the first time, I was mesmerized by the idealistic and ethereal communication between dancers. It was eye catching and intriguing personally.
Pas de Quatre ballet, in my eyes is a classic, beautiful, easy to watch, and very romantic. My favorite so far. It is hard to believe that it was created almost 200 years ago, has influenced generations and created a fundamentals for ballet variations, technique, and storytelling on the stage. Truly significant and revolutionary, full of elegance and poise.
Pas de Quatre - Staatsballet Berlin & Bolshoi Ballet
Pas de Quatre ballet – video represents modern interpretation of famous ballet divertissement created in 1845. It was created in collaboration between Staatsballet and Bolshoi Ballet. Staging of this Pas de Quatre version was done by Anton Dolin. Ballerinas in the video are: Elisa Carrillo Cabrera, Yolanda Correa, Kristina Kretova and Evelina Godunova.
Choreographer Dolin commented his work:
,,Choreography is not a reconstruction. More, it is a fantasy, based on historical materials and choreographers intuition’’ (Pas de Quatre, Wikipedia – rus)
Pugni’s original piano version of Pas de Quatre was used by composer Leighton Lucas to create orchestral arrangement, and maybe that version is used in the video. (Pas de Quatre (Perrot), Wikipedia.)
This could be one of the beautifully layered version of Pas de Quatre, one that honors both the individuality of each ballerina and the ensemble’s poetic unity.
Structural Breakdown
| Section | Type | Dancer(s) | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Entrée | Group Ensemble | Grahn, Grisi, Cerrito, Taglioni | Elegant opening; synchronized movement; visual harmony |
| 2. Variation I | Solo | Lucile Grahn | Light, quick allegro; airy grace; precise footwork |
| 3. Variation II | Solo | Carlotta Grisi | Fluid adagio; lyrical phrasing; expressive port de bras |
| 4. Duet Moment | Duet evolving to Trio | Taglioni & Grahn, joined by Grisi | Poetic interaction; mirrored movements; emotional resonance |
| 5. Variation III | Solo | Fanny Cerrito | Bold jumps; fiery allegro; dramatic flair |
| 6. Variation IV | Solo | Marie Taglioni | Ethereal adagio; floating balances; spiritual elegance |
| 7. Coda / Finale | Group Ensemble | All four dancers | Harmonious closing; celebratory unity; final tableau |
Sources
Degen, A & Stupnikov, I. Ballet Perrot. Belcanto. Accessed 28.26.2024. Балет Перро «Па–де–катр» (Pas de Quatre) | Belcanto.ru
Pas de Quatre (Perrot). Wikipedia. Accessed 28.6.2024. Pas de Quatre (Perrot) – Wikipedia
Pas de Quatre. Wikipedia (Russian language). Accessed 28.6.2024. Па–де–катр (балет) — Википедия (wikipedia.org)
Pugni, Cesare. Wikipedia. Accessed 1.7.2024 Пуни, Цезарь — Википедия (wikipedia.org)
Yakovleva, Ludmila. Arzamas, Journal. Pas de Quatre 1845. Accessed 28.6.2024 «Па–де–катр» (1845) • Arzamas
