What is Paquita?
{{italictitle}} {{Infobox ballet | name = Paquita | image = Paquita -Carolotta Grisi, Lucien Petipa, & Georges Ellie -1844.JPG | image_size = 250px | caption = (left to right) Georges Ellie as Iñigo, [[Carlotta Grisi]] as Paquita, and Lucien Petipa as Lucien d'Hervilly in Act I, Scene 2. Paris, 1844 | choreographer = Joseph Mazilier | composer = Edouard Deldevez | librettist = Joseph Mazilier and Paul Foucher | based_on = | premiere = 1 April 1846 | place = [[Salle Le Peletier]], Paris | ballet_company = Paris Opera | characters = Paquita<br/>Iñigo<br/>Lucien d'Hervilly | designer = | setting = Act 1: Gypsy camp<br/>Act 2: Great hall | created_for = [[Carlotta Grisi]] | genre = Ballet-pantomime | type = [[Romantic ballet]] }} '''''Paquita''''' is a [[romantic ballet]] in two acts and three scenes. Its story was written by Joseph Mazilier and Paul Foucher. The music was composed by Edouard Deldevez. It was originally choreographed by Joseph Mazilier. ''Paquita'' was first performed in the [[Salle Le Peletier]] by the Paris Opera Ballet on 1 April 1846. It starred [[Carlotta Grisi]] and Lucien Petipa. ''Paquita'' remained in the repertory of the Opéra until 1851. The story takes place in [[Spain]] during the occupation of [[Napoleon]]'s army. The heroine is the young Gypsy girl, Paquita. She is really of noble birth. She was abducted by Gypsies when she was an infant. She saves the life of a young French officer, Lucien d'Hervilly. He is the target of a Spanish governor who desires to have him killed by Iñigo, a Gypsy chief. Paquita discovers that she is of noble birth. She is in fact the cousin of Lucien. She and Lucien marry. In 1847, ''Paquita'' was staged for the first time in Russia for the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg by [[Marius Petipa]] and Pierre-Frédéric Malevergne. It was Petipa's first ballet staged in Russia. In 1881, Petipa produced a revival of the ballet. He added new pieces specially co