La Perle (ballet)

La Perle is a ballet in one act, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa to music by Riccardo Drigo. It premiered on 14 January [O.S. 2 January] 1896 at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The ballet tells the story of a fisherman who dives into the sea and encounters the Queen of the Pearls. He falls in love with the Pearl, and the ballet follows their relationship and the challenges they face.

La Perle was created specifically for the ballerina Pierina Legnani, who danced the title role. The ballet is noted for its challenging variations, particularly those for the ballerina as the Pearl. The libretto was by Baron Horace de Gunzbourg.

The ballet enjoyed a moderate success during its initial run, but was not revived in Russia after the Revolution. However, individual variations from La Perle have been excerpted and performed independently. The pas de deux is the most commonly performed excerpt.

The choreography and score have undergone various reconstructions and interpretations over the years.