Dancers
Agnès Letestu
Jose Martinez
Emmanuel Thibault
Paris Opera Ballet

Delightful, traditional, beautifully-shot classical dancing here from Paris National Opera Ballet, recorded in 2003.

Paquita's story - from the original ballet of 1846 by Joseph Mazilier - is the sort of melodramatic, exotically Spanish tale that formed the staple of 19th-century stage works. A young gypsy girl saves the life of a handsome officer who had been targeted by an evil gypsy warlord; she falls in love with him, but they cannot marry because of her status. However, she discovers, rather conveniently, that she is in fact a foundling of noble birth (and his cousin, indeed) so they can wed after all...

Pierre Lacotte's choreography is taken from Marius Petipa's original stagings in 1847 and 1881, and features music by Minkus and Delvedez. The excellent Agnes Letestu and Jose Martinez dance the principal roles.