(1819–1910), French choreographer and dancer. A choreographer of the Imperial Ballet, Marius Petipa is considered the creator of the classic Russian ballet. He was born in Marseilles, France, and spent most of his professional life with the Russian Imperial Ballet. After a moderately successful career as a dancer, he was appointed principal dancer at the Imperial Theater in St. Petersburg in 1847, ballet master in 1862, and chief ballet master in 1869. He then dominated the Imperial Ballet until 1903, choreographing more than 60 full-length ballets. (See also Ballet.)