Marius did not possess the excellent appearance or keen intellect of his older brother. But his talent for dance, dormant during his years of study, would manifest itself later. In 1838, the twenty-year-old artist received an invitation to be a premiere danseur in Nantes. In one season, Marius danced to his heart's content and began to choreograph, staging three ballets - The Rights of the Signor, Little Gypsy, and Wedding in Nantes, as well as dances in operas and divertissements. Unfortunately, an accident interrupted his successful career - in 1840, Petipa broke his leg while dancing and spent a month and a half in bed. "Here, I found out how the majority of sponsors treated the artists they exploited," recalled Petipa. The director of the opera refused to pay the injured Marius his rightful compensation, despite the fact that he received the injury while performing. But Petipa found a way to get what he was owed by law. "I came up with a new piece; with my hands, I showed the dancer how to act with her feet, and I figured myself into this pas, accompanying her on the castanets." Unfortunately, the favor of these impresarios did not look kindly on Marius, and he gladly went with his father to New York.

On September 2, 1839, the father and son, accompanied by a small troupe, set sail from London to America by ship. The journey lasted three weeks, but upon their arrival, again unfortunate news awaited the Petipas - the National Theatre that they were scheduled to perform in had just burned down. Luckily, their impresario (sponsor) found another theatre on Broadway. The ballets were a success, but still, the tour turned out to be unprofitable. The sponsor stopped paying the artists and they were without money for two weeks. The impresario, as Petipa writes, turned out to be an "international swindler." Moreover, an epidemic of yellow fever raged in New York. And Petipa, not wanting to face even more hardship, left the inhospitable America and returned to France.

By early 1840, the family finally moved to the capital of France, where Lucien had already taken root. But Paris was not too hospitable. Head of the family come

The best dancers aspired to get into his class. The eighty-year-old maestro taught without any allowance for age. "Cheerfulness did not change him in the same way as a light gait and a youthful appearance," the famous choreographer August Bournonville was surprised. "Holding the violin in his hands, he inspired himself and his students." Petipa attended Vestris's class for two months. Because of the cost of the lessons, he barely had enough to live. But even these two months were enough to be called Vestris' student, and he recieved a kind of professional higher education diploma.

As a result of the famous maestro's lessons, Marius finally began to encounter success in his career. Petipa wrote about it himself: "I was honored with a happiness that I didn't even dare to dream of - to participate in the benefit performance of the excellent artist Rachel [a famous actress of the time], where I danced with such a big star as Carlotta Grisi, who was legendary then. Participation in such an outstanding performance brought me great recognition, and a few days later, I received an invitation to Bordeaux as a preimere dancer.”

The name Petipa was not new to Bordeaux. On the stage of the Bordeaux Theater, his father staged ballets, and his brother, Lucien, danced. But according to the tradition of this theater, Marius had to earn the public's approval. Especially from the season ticket holders, on whom the financial support of the troupe depended. In his memoirs, written in old age, Petipa embellished the actual events, describing with great enthusiasm how excitedly he waitied for the verdict and how elated he was upon recieving the judges' approval. Unfortunately, this story looks completely different according to documents discovered by French researchers in the archives of Bordeaux. It turns out that the three roles Marius debuted on the Bordeaux stage in the ballets Giselle, Peri, and Vain Precaution caused rather conflicting responses in the press.

Some opinions were relatively benevolent: "M. Petipa is a very young dancer, but he already demonstrates excellent abilities. True, his dance is rather weak, but he is doing well; he has good facial expressions and posture; in general, we believe that he will be in place in the ballet troupe". A few were more crude: "There is youth, beauty, lightness and a good school, but he is harsh and inexperienced. These qualities are quite suitable for a second dancer." Still, others firmly concluded: "Mr. Marius Petipa, as the first dancer of various genres, did not justify the hopes associated with his name." The police commissioner, who monitored the ratio of applause to whistles (it was in this amusing way that the success of the debutant was assessed), spoke cautiously: "I think that Petipa's debut received an equal amount of both and it is unlikely that he will have the success he counted on." In the end, Petipa received an offer for the position of second dancer, which he readily accepted. His reputation in the press began to improve, and they wrote about him: "Every day, Mr. Marius Petipa is increasingly popular with the public." At the end of the season, the hardworking dancer received the first benefit performance in his life and was engaged for the next season.

Petipa's memoirs say that he staged four ballets in Bordeaux: The Beautiful Bordeaux, Grape Harvest, Love Intrigues, and The Language of Flowers which, according to him, "had great success and always made a good profit." And yet, at the end of the 1843-44 season, he abruptly left due to the threat of closure as a result of the theatre’s financial difficulties. Without no interest to wait for its collapse, Petipa went to Madrid, where, with the support of his brother Lucien, he received a place as a premiere dancer at the Teatro Real.

At the beginning of the summer of 1847, Marius relocated for the last time, arriving in St. Petersburg where he stayed for the remainder of his life. The beginning turned out to be a fairy tale: three months of vacation (the theatre season opened in September), a solid cash advance, and complete freedom. “After leaving the director, I blessed the sky, which sent me such grace," Petipa recalled. “That's happiness! Why, this is just a promised land!" With his newfound freedom, Marius stuck to a strict yet exhilarating schedule. First, in the mornings, ballet training, rehearsals, and choreographing new pieces. Then, in the afternoons, visiting museums, walking around St. Petersburg, and trips out of town - to the islands, Tsarskoe Selo, and Peterhof. By the beginning of the season, he was in excellent professional shape and immediately set about staging a new ballet, where he was destined for a leading male role.

Petipa's first major production in Saint Petersburg was Paquita, at the time the most recent premiere of the Paris Opera. The central role of the French officer Lucien was played by his brother (probably why the hero bore his name). Petipa was co-directed by his colleague, Pierre Frederic Malavergne, who played the role of the villain, Inigo. Marius gave himself a leading role, entering into an unspoken competition with his brother. The part of Paquita was intended for prima ballerina Elena Andreyanova. In three weeks, the ballet was complete, and on September 26, 1847, the premiere took place, which was an astounding success. The well-known critic R. Zotov wrote: "Recently returned travelers who saw this ballet in Paris confessed that our production is much more magnificent and that our troupe, our especially amazing corps de ballet, is in no way inferior to the one in Paris."

Later, Petipa proudly recalled that Emperor Nicholas I attended the premiere and awarded the debutant choreographer a ring with a ruby and 18 diamonds. The award was well deserved. R. Zotov even claimed that Petipa managed to revive the troupe, which was in decline, "appearing here in all its splendor," and even stated: "the production and success of Paquita will be a new era for the existence of our ballet." The critic’s predictions were correct. In the coming years, Petipa reignited a new era in Russian and world ballet history. All the while, the 29 year old Marius enjoyed the fruits of his life's first significant and unconditional victory.

The excitement of the young and successful choreographer and his exceptional acting talent captivated the troupe. Most likely, the pantomime and main plot events of the staging in Saint Petersburg remained relatively unchanged in comparison to the Parisian model. But the choreographic pieces of the first and final third act must have been pulled from Petipa’s imagination. After all, remembering and reproducing a whole ballet, seen even several times, is practically impossible. In addition, at the end of the final act, Paquita and Lucien - at the decree of Petipa - went out in Spanish costumes and danced El Jaleo de Cadix, created by Marius. He also choreographed the powerful dance of all the ball participants to the music of Konstantin Lyadov, which adorned the entire ballet. "The music thunders, the couples rush off - a magnificent, charming piece," a reviewer of the premiere expressed. “This is the poetry of life and the height of pleasure. Mohammed's paradise on earth!" admired the reviewer.

The success of Paquita cemented Petipa's position in the Imperial Theatre. At the request of the directorate, the ballet was also performed to Moscow, where it had no less success. In the same season, Petipa brought the ballet Satanella, or Love and Hell to the St. Petersburg stage. This time, his assistant was his father, who had moved to St. Petersburg, to take a position as teacher of the ballet school, which he held until his death in 1855. Both the Petipa brothers played central roles in this ballet.

In 1848, the well-known choreographer, Jules Perrot, became the chief choreographer of the Imperial Theatre. Ten years later, he was replaced by the equally famous Arthur Saint-Leon. After Arthur departed for Paris in 1869, where he died suddenly from a broken heart, the post of chief choreographer was taken by Marius Petipa. His candidacy was undeniable and expected: from his position as the premiere dancer (leading roles in Giselle, Esmeralda, Katarina- the Robber's Daughter, Peri, Le Corsaire, Faust, etc.), from 1855 (after the death of his father) teaching at the ballet school, to regularly composing ballets. Furthermore, everything he staged for his young wife Maria Surovshchikova-Petipa highlighted her beauty and grace. He managed to organize her a tour abroad, which was a huge success. But another major success happened in 1862 when Petipa staged the ballet The Pharaoh's Daughter. This magnificent masterpiece demonstrated his amazing imagination in choreographing large and small pieces and equally impressive skill in arranging the entire performance. Finally, after such an achivement, in 1871, he was officially appointed choreographer of the St. Petersburg troupe.

Until 1869, Petipa collaborated with Saint-Leon and resumed the creation of Perrault's ballets Le Corsaire and Faust, as well as choreographed new ballets to the music of the Imperial Theatre composer Caesar Pugni - Lebanese Beauty or Mountain Spirit, The Traveling Dancer, Florida, and Tsar Kandavl. Then, resuming Le Corsaire in 1868 for the second time, he created all the dances anew and added the "Secret Garden" to the music of Leo Delibes. This piece, like the Pas d'Esclave, Trio of Odalisques, Dances of the Corsairs, and other fragments, have been preserved in the performances of our time, demonstrating the artistic value of the old ballet.

Petipa’s creative energy knew no bounds after becoming the absolute owner of the troupe in 1869 and remaining so until 1903. He composed two or even three ballets a year, a myriad of dances in operas, and performances for special occasions and summer stages (all the while, he continued to work at the ballet school until 1887!). The most significant works of these years are Don Quixote (1869 - Moscow, 1871 - St. Petersburg), La Bayadère (1877), and the updated Paquita (in the first act, Pas de trois, in the last - a Children's Mazurka and the Classical Grand Pas). The new full-time composer Ludwig Minkus composed the music of all the ballets of the 1870s and 1880s. The long list of the works mentioned above, which are still performed on many stages in Russia and the world, gained further recognition because of the melodic dance scores of Minkus, created in collaboration with Petipa.

The most significant stage in Petipa’s life began in the 1890s when the choreographer was in his seventies. Within eight years, masterpieces were created that determined the further development of ballet as a whole - Sleeping Beauty (1890), The Nutcracker (1892), Swan Lake (1895), and Raymonda (1898). The creative take-off of the elderly master was advanced by working with great composers of the time: P.I. Tchaikovsky and, after him, A.K. Glazunov. But these historical meetings would hardly have taken place without the initiative of the Imperial Theater’s' highly cultured, wise directorr, I.A. Vsevolozhsky. He owned the idea of the ballet Sleeping Beauty (and after, The Nutcracker). However, most importantly, he managed to interest Tchaikovsky in this idea, who had previously lost interest in creating music for ballets after the failure of the Moscow production of his first score, Swan Lake (1877). Now, Petipa himself was to stage the ballet. The composer could not refuse such a proposal, and the scenic plan of the ballet, developed in detail by Petipa, made it possible to see the future performance, both in general and in particular.

The most significant stage in Petipa’s life began in the 1890s when the choreographer was in his seventies. Within eight years, masterpieces were created that determined the further development of ballet as a whole - Sleeping Beauty (1890), The Nutcracker (1892), Swan Lake (1895), and Raymonda (1898). The creative take-off of the elderly master was advanced by working with great composers of the time: P.I. Tchaikovsky and, after him, A.K. Glazunov. But these historical meetings would hardly have taken place without the initiative of the Imperial Theater’s' highly cultured, wise directorr, I.A. Vsevolozhsky. He owned the idea of the ballet Sleeping Beauty (and after, The Nutcracker). However, most importantly, he managed to interest Tchaikovsky in this idea, who had previously lost interest in creating music for ballets after the failure of the Moscow production of his first score, Swan Lake (1877). Now, Petipa himself was to stage the ballet. The composer could not refuse such a proposal, and the scenic plan of the ballet, developed in detail by Petipa, made it possible to see the future performance, both in general and in particular.

After the unexpected death of Tchaikovsky, the Mariinsky Theatre undertook the production of Swan Lake (1895). According to the updated stage directions, the first and third scenes were cchoreographed by Petipa and the second and fourth scenes by Lev Ivanov. Composer and conductor, Riccardo Drigo, seriously revised Tchiakovsky’s first ballet score which was considered to be quite lengthy, thus giving it a new life. The ballet continues in this renewed form on the stage of the Mariinsky Theatre today. After many renewals, the best fragments of Petipa remained unchanged - the pas de trois of the first picture and the famous "black" pas de deux of Odile and the prince in the third act.

Petipa created his last large-scale masterpiece, Raymonda, to the music of Alexander Glazunov (1898). His enormous choreographic experience allowed him to translate the grandiose symphonic power of the score into movement. In his last ballet, Petipa presented the conflicting confrontation between the European and Eastern worlds by contrasting large classical and characteristic suites. Finally, he resolved the conflict through a harmonious fusion of classical and distinctive Hungarian dance in the final Grand Pas.

Petipa's genius was inexhaustible, but external circumstances changed dramatically. Ivan Vsevolozhsky, the patron of Petipa, who appreciated his talent, was replaced as director of the imperial theatres by Vladimir Telyakovsky. The latter advocated a radical renewal of the artistic policy. Petipa seemed hopelessly outdated to the new director, and after an unsuccessful production of the ballet The Magic Mirror (1903), he retired. Petipa mostly spent the last years of his life at his country home in Gurzuf, writing memoirs and keeping a diary. Summing up his life, he wrote: "With gratitude and reverence, I remember the attitude of the Court towards me; I sincerely thank both the public and the press of St. Petersburg and Moscow for the welcome and sympathy that both my creations and I, myself, enjoyed ... The Lord is my second homeland, which I loved with all my heart and soul.”

The second homeland of Petipa has not forgotten his genius. His best creations continue their life on the stage. Books, dissertations, and hundreds of articles have been written about the choreographer. His bicentennial anniversary is widely celebrated in Russia. New generations of choreographers are learning from the culture and courage of his thinking, the mastery of form. In a word, Petipa is alive! Long live, Petipa!