The Two Stars (ballet)

"The Two Stars" or "The Stars" or "The Two Little Stars" (aka "Les Deux étoiles") is a "Anacreontic ballet" in 1 Act, with choreography by Marius Petipa, and music by Cesare Pugni. Libretto by Marius Petipa, based on an ancient Greek myth.

First presented by the Imperial Ballet on January 31/Feruary 6 (Julian/Gregorian calendar dates), 1871 at the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russia. "Principal Dancers-" Ekaterina Vazem (as the First Star), Alexandra Virginia (as The Second Star), and Pavel Gerdt (as Apollo)

Revivals/Restagings

*Restaging by Marius Petipa for the Ballet of the Moscow Imperial Bolshoi Theatre as "The Two Little Stars". First presented on February 25/March 3, 1878 in Moscow, Russia.

*Revival by Ivan Clustine for the Ballet of the Moscow Imperial Bolshoi Theatre as "The Stars". First presented on January 14/26, 1897 in Moscow, Russia. "Principal Dancers -" Ekaterina Geltzer (as the First Star), Adelaide Giuri (as the Second Star), and Vasily Tikhomirov (as Mars).

*Revival by Enrico Cecchetti for the Imperial Ballet, with Riccardo Drigo making additions and revising Cesare Pugni's original score. First presented at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre on November 1/14 1900 in St. Petersburg, Russia. "Principal Dancers -" Olga Preobrajenskaya (as the First Star), Nadezhda Bakerkina (as the Second Star), Nikolai Legat as Apollo, and Sergei Lukianov (as Mars)

Notes

*"The Two Stars" was the final work of the composer Cesare Pugni before he died on January 26, 1870.

*The 1870 premiere of "The Two Stars" was given as a benefit performance for the Imperial Ballet's "Premier danseur" Pavel Gerdt.