16-22 June 2005. In Ma Pavlova, choreography by Roland Petit. Born in France in 1924, Petits work is intimately entwined with the dance scene of the 20th century. His best-known ballet, Carmen, created in 1949 and set to music from Georges Bizets opera, was created for his company, with Rene (Zizi) Jeanmaire, who later became his wife, in the title role. Other well-known early works include Le Jeune homme et la mort and Ballabile. Petit later turned to less classical forms, such as choreographing films, like Hans Christian Andersen and Daddy Long Legs, and music hall revues. He returned to ballet in the 1960s when commissioned to present the Festivals Populaires de Ballet at the Chaillot theatre in France. In 1972 he founded the Ballet de Marseilles, which he directed until 1997. Among his later dances are Symphonie Fantastique, The Blue Angel and Ma Pavlova (1986). Petits chic and theatrical style has made him an extremely popular figure, especially in French dance.