The ballet Piccoli was first staged at the Théatre Marigny in Paris in December 1940 during the German occupation as part of a commission of ten ballets for Goncharova from the "Compagnie des Ballets de Boris Kniaseff" The ballet was coreographed by Kniaseff with music by Constantin Konstantinov. La Maîtresse was danced by Yvette Chauviré. During 1947 Colonel de Basil bought the production rights for"Piccoli" from Kniaseff, and staged the ballet in London on September 12th.