Classical variation guide
Mireille de Poitiers · Gavotte Variation
Also known as Lully's Gavotte · Flames of Paris Gavotte · Gavotte Variation · Mireille Variation
The Flames of Paris · Act II · Court Ballet
Female
Intermediate
Vasily Vainonen / competition variation edition
Boris Asafyev after Jean-Baptiste Lully
About this variation
A rare courtly solo for Mireille de Poitiers from the Versailles divertissement. Often called Lully's Gavotte, it replaces Jeanne's revolutionary attack with poised musical detail, elegant port de bras, and the formal charm of an eighteenth-century stage artist.
Performance quality
Courtly, gracious, musical, and delicately theatrical
Training focus
Clarify the gavotte rhythm, articulate each transfer of weight through the pointe shoe, and coordinate softly rounded port de bras with precise head and eye focus. Let the phrasing breathe without allowing the steps to lose momentum.
Key elements
Balances · Quick footwork · Sustained adagio · Character acting