When I re-stage a ballet from the great Marius Petipa, I feel two very different duties;

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The first one is to be absolutely faithful to his spirit, as it is almost impossible to be sure of his original choreography. Reading his book, having had the immense privilege to learn his ballets from an almost direct transmission in Leningrad, infused in me the messages he wanted to deliver to the world.

 

Knowing his immense respect for popular dances and for the need of his audiences, I used my Spanish experience to re-stage Don Quixote and Paquita, my French culture for Sleeping Beauty and Pas de 4; I did a lot of research in Indian dances for Bayadère. Reading German romantic poets and philosophers were very helpful for Swan Lake and Giselle.

 

I keep very strongly in mind the need of audiences to dream and be enchanted.

 

My second duty is to devote a lot of time in helping the dancers to master the difficulties of the choreography. Only when they feel free from technical problems, they can forget them and create art.

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They dance then with all their flesh and soul, delivering unforgettable moments to the audience.