La Rose, la violette et le papillon (The Rose, the Violet, and the Butterfly) is a ballet

Ballet

Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...

 divertissement

Divertissement

Divertissement is used, in a similar sense to the Italian 'divertimento', for a light piece of music for a small group of players, however the French term has additional meanings....

in one act, with choreography by Marius Petipa

Marius Petipa

Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa was a French ballet dancer, teacher and choreographer. Petipa is considered to be the most influential ballet master and choreographer of ballet that has ever lived....

, and music by Prince Pyotr Georgievich of Oldenburg (a.k.a. Prince Oldenburg). The libretto was by Jules Perrot

Jules Perrot

Jules-Joseph Perrot was a dancer and choreographer who later became Balletmaster of the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia...

.

First presented by the Imperial Ballet

Mariinsky Ballet

The Mariinsky Ballet is a classical ballet company based at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russian Ballet, the Mariinsky Ballet is one of the world's leading ballet companies...

 on . , for the Imperial court at the theatre of Tsarskoe Selo, St. Petersburg, Russia, a second premiere was given by the Imperial Ballet on . at the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russia. The Principal Dancers were Mariia Surovshchikova-Petipa (the Rose), Matil'da Madaeva (the Violet), and Marfa Muravieva (as the Butterfly).

Plot outline

A rose and a violet have both become enamoured by a gorgeous butterfly who flutters around them, paying court to their sweet embrace. The blossoms attempt to succeed the other with their floral charms, however at the end of these proceedings, the butterfly chooses to fly away rather than exclude one over the other.

Trivia

• When this ballet was given its second premiere at the St. Petersburg Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre October 20/November 1, 1857, the choreography was incorrectly credited to the Balletmaster Jules Perrot
  Jules Perrot
  Jules-Joseph Perrot was a dancer and choreographer who later became Balletmaster of the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia...
  
   in the theatre program.

• Music from this ballet was interpolated into Petipa and Perrot's 1858 revival of Le Corsaire
  Le Corsaire
  Le Corsaire is a ballet typically presented in three acts, with a libretto originally created by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges loosely based on the poem The Corsair by Lord Byron. Originally choreographed by Joseph Mazilier to the music of Adolphe Adam, it was first presented by the ballet of...
  
  , in which it was titled the Pas d'Esclave. The piece has remained a part of the performance tradition of Le Corsaire to the present day.