Born in Marseille on March 11, 1818, Marius Petipa was a dancer and choreographer who worked for nearly 60 years at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg and had a significant influence on modern classical ballet. He directed many of the greatest artists in Russian ballet and developed some of the most significant ballets in classical repertoire. Mr. Petipa and his brother Lucien received their early training from their father, Jean, a ballet master. After Mr. Petipa’s debut in Nantes, France, he danced in Belgium, France, the United States, and Spain. Mr. Petipa debuted at St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre in 1847 in Paquita and staged his first original ballet, A Regency Marriage, there in 1858. His first outstanding success was La Fille du Pharaon in 1862. Mr. Petipa produced more than 60 ballets in St. Petersburg. He collaborated with Tchaikovsky on The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty and created productions of Swan Lake, Raymonda, and Giselle that continue to be staged today. Mr. Petipa’s other well-known ballets include Don Quixote, La Bayadère, and Le Corsaire.