Deep Dives, Not Overwhelm

Kitri is a village girl. She's bold, comic, defiant, and joyful in a way that has nothing to do with nobility. She doesn't glide — she attacks. She doesn't suggest — she declares. She is also not Giselle. Ballet doesn't have as many stock female characters as people assume — and the difference between them lives entirely in the artistry.

If you're coaching a student preparing Flower Festival at Genzano, you may have found yourself asking exactly that question. Here's the short answer: it's a Bournonville ballet from 1858, and the full work is almost entirely lost. What survives is the pas de deux — and it has become one of the most performed pieces on the competition circuit precisely because it showcases the Bournonville style so completely.