A ballet to the music by Édouard Deldevez, Ludwig Aloisius Minkus, Cesare Pugni
“Paquita” is one of the jewels of the classical ballet repertoire, constantly reborn on the stages of world theatres. First performed in 1846 at the Paris Opera (choreographer Joseph Mazilier), and a year later staged by the famous Frenchman Marius Petipa at the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg, this work still fascinates ballet lovers today, almost two hundred years after its premiere. On our stage, “Paquita” is brought to life by choreographer Manuel Legris, already known to the Lithuanian audience from the ballet “Le Corsaire”.
The action of the performance takes place in Triana, the historic Gitano quarter of the Andalusian capital of Seville, the birthplace of Gitano dance and Spanish flamenco. The plot of the work is based on a real historical context, facts and figures, and although today it is difficult to distinguish between reality and fantasy, the story told in the production begins on 12 February 1853, when Spain was ruled by Queen Isabella II, and the whole of Seville was celebrating the opening of the Triana Bridge. Along with other inhabitants of Triana, Paquita, who is participating in the celebration, meets a charming French officer, Lucien. Unfortunately, the high-born gentleman is prevented from marrying Paquita because of her origin... In the end, however, the plot twists turn out successfully, and the audience is rewarded with a wonderful ballet performance – music and dances of Spanish colour, images of the pure beauty of the Grand Pas, and a good mood.
Premiere: 21 May 2026
