The ballet féerie genre was characterized by its fantasy elements and spectacular visuals, mostly lacking any dramatic content or thematic depth.

The success of Luigi Manzotti and Romualdo Marenco's premiere of Excelsior at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan in 1881, followed by equally successful premieres in London and St. Petersberg, prompted other such spectacles as Round the World in Eighty Days and Voyage à la Lune, in which Virginia Zucchi made her debut in Saint Petersburg in 1885.

Petipa, however, held no such admiration for the ballet féerie, detesting the lack of artistic merit and the emphasis on modern pageantry in Excelsior.

Despite his distaste for the genre, Petipa’s subsequent work, such as Le Roi Candaule, was influenced by the ballet féerie and utilized rearrangements of grand-scale ensemble scenes in his newer productions.

Act II presents various games — croquet, bingo, billiards, a spinning top, draughts, cards, and others — all allegorically played by various dancers.