What's New on Tour Egypt

"Daughter of Pharaoh"

The marvelous masterpiece of the Bolshoi's Ballet
In Egypt: April 2001


After a great success in Russia around two centuries, the state Bolshoi Ballet Company, the greatest bastions in the world, decided to present their wonderful performance "The Daughter of Pharaoh" for the first time in Egypt; at the plateau of Pyramids where the acts of the story of "le Roman de la Momie" by T. Gautier took place.

It's a story of a young Englishmen who was traveling through Egypt with his servant and at the foot of Pyramids, during his sleep, he had a fantastic "dream of the past".

  • Ballet in three acts, eight scenes, duration of performance is 3 hours
  • Libretto by J-H de Saint-Georges and M. Petipa
  • Edited by P. Lacotte, after the story by T. Gautier "le Roman de la Momie"
  • Production and choreography by Pierre Lacotte
  • Assistant to producer: Anne Salmont
  • Conductor/Co-producer: Alexander Sotnikov
  • Number of participants in performance: 240 persons and 80 persons in Orchestra

Daughter of Pharaoh

MISR TRAVEL and BOLSHOI THEATER presents DAUGHTER OF PHARAOH at the Plateau of Pyramids from April 10-14, 2001

  • Ballet in three acts
  • Libretto by J-H de Saint-Georges and M. Petipa
  • Edited by P. Lacotte, after the story by T. Gautier "le Roman de la Momie"
  • Production and choreography by Pierre Lacotte based on motifs from the ballet of the same name by Marius Petipa (1862)
  • Assistant to producer: Anne Salmont
  • Sets and costumes: Pierre Lacotte
  • Conductor and co-producer: Alexander Sotnikov
  • The place of performances: Pyramids Plateau - Sound and light theatre
  • Number of participants of the performance: 240 persons and 120 person orchestra
  • The 1st soloist in BOLSHOI THEATER Nina Ananiashvill is playing the Daughter of Pharaoh
  • The duration of each performance is 3 hours
  • It will be registered in video cassette
  • It will be transferred live by international satellite channels
  • 50,000 printing materials will be distributed all over the world in different languages
  • 10,000 posters in different languages will be distributed
  • In 1862 "DAUGHTER OF PHARAOH" had a long and happy stage biography produced by Marius Petipa for the BOLSHOI THEATRE in Petersburg.

    "DAUGHTER OF PHARAOH" was revived in 1885 and 1898. From it's very first performances, "DAUGHTER OF PHARAOH", which Petipa created in the space of five weeks, had a sensational success; it possessed everything the heart craved for, sentimentality and pathos, sumptuous exotica, and echoes of romanticism.

    During the last years, Pierre Lacotte received a whole series of romantic ballets from the world's best ballet companies and it's leading dancers; among these "Daughter of Danoub". Then Pierre accepted with joy the BOLSHOI THEATRE'S proposal to work with their marvelous company on a production of Cesare Pugni's "Daughter of Pharaoh" based on motifs of the ballet by his famous fellow countryman "The Russified Frenchman" Marius Petipa.

    The ballet consists of three acts (eight scenes).

    The story:
    A young Englishmen is traveling through Egypt with his servants. At the foot of the Pyramids they meet a caravan of Arab merchants who kindly invite them into their tent.

    Suddenly, a very powerful storm gets up and the travelers and merchants hurry to take shelter in the nearest pyramid.

    The caretaker of the Pyramids requested his uninvited guests not to make a noise and points to a tomb right at the back of the pyramid; in it lies the daughter of one of Egypt's most powerful pharaohs.

    The young Englishman falls asleep and soon all are wreathed in a light cloud of smoke. Fantastic dreams now take form: Mummies come to life and leave their Sarcophagi. After that comes the Daughter of the Pharaoh. Bending over the Englishman, she lays her hand on his heart. Then they became Egyptian.

    Then the princess disappeared and the Englishman hurries off to the forest in search of her. He finds her then visits the princess in her apartments and declares her his love.

    The king of Nubia came to ask for the hand of the Pharaoh's daughter and the Egyptian potentate agrees. The two men sign a treatment of friendship.

    Hearing that, the young Englishman is out of his mind with despair. The princess tries to calm him down and promises that she will never belong to anyone except him.

    Then the princess disappears and the Pharaoh became furious when he hears about his daughter's disappearance.

    The young Englishman and the princess are hiding in a fisherman's hut on the bank of the Nile.

    When the guards of the Nubian king came to the hut, the princess felt that the Nubian king will separate her forever from the man she loves. So she threw herself into the Nile.

    The mighty God of the river Nile, the ruler of the underworld, gives the princess a warm welcome and recognizes her to be the daughter of the great Egyptian Pharaoh.

    The princess wishes only one wish which is to see her beloved. The God of the Nile fulfills her wish. Then she begs the ruler of the Nile to return her to dry land. The Nile God does as she bids.

    The ruler of Egypt was in despair, and he commands to kill the young Englishman by a sacred snake.

    At the very moment, the sounds of joyful march can be heard. The fisherman found the princess and brought her back to the palace; he informed her father the king of Nubia who threatened her and forced her to jump into the river.

    The Pharaoh tears up the treaty of friendship with the king of Nubia and forgives the Englishman. Then he gives his blessing to the young couple.