Jules Perrot

Jules Perrot, circa 1850

Jules-Joseph Perrot (18 August 1810 in Lyon, France – 29 August 1892 in Paramé) was a ballet dancer and choreographer. He became Balletmaster of the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg. He created some of the most famous ballets of the 19th century including Pas de Quatre, La Esmeralda, Ondine, and Giselle with Jean Coralli.

Paris

Perrot danced often with the great Romantic ballerina, Marie Taglioni. Their partnership was short-lived. She eventually refused to dance with him fearing that he would outshine her.

Perrot left the Opéra in 1835 to tour European dance centers such as London, Milan, Vienna and Naples. In Naples he noticed the talent of Carlotta Grisi. He coached her and presented her as the next great ballerina in an 1836 performance in London with himself as her partner.

London

Following the success of Giselle, Perrot choreographed Alma, ou La Fille du Feu (London 1842) for Fanny Cerrito. It was hailed as a major choreographic success. For the next six years he choreographed regularly at Her Majesty's Theatre in London. The ballets he created included Ondine (1843), La Esmeralda (1844) Le Judgement de Paris (1846) and the famous Pas de Quatre on 12 July 1845.

St Petersburg

Next, Perrot was engaged as a dancer in St. Petersburg for the Imperial Ballet. He was later appointed Balletmaster there. He remained with the Imperial Ballet until 1858. While there, he married Capitoline Samovskaya, a pupil at the Imperial Theater School. They had two children. Uncommitted about whether to remain in Russia or return to Paris, his mind was made up by an incident in his apartment: without any apparent cause, a large mirror fell from the wall and crashed into many small pieces. He returned to Paris to a life of comparative leisure.

Perrot died on holiday in Paramé 29 August 1892.

Other websites

• The Grand Pas des Naiads from the Kirov/Mariinsky Ballet's revival of Perrot's Ondine, music by Cesare Pugni, choreography by Pierre Lacotte