Difference between revisions of "Marie Taglioni" - New World Encyclopedia

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Marie Taglioni, in a colored lithograph, circa 1831 (Victoria & Albert Museum).

Marie Taglioni (April 23 1804 – April 24 1884) was a famous Italian ballerina of the Romantic ballet era, a central figure in the history of European dance. Despite the fact that she was not a great beauty, Marie's delicacy and finesse were what caused her to achieve stardom in the romantic ballet era. In 1822, Taglioni made her debut as a dancer in Vienna. However, it wasn't until her starring role in ''La Sylphide'', a romantic ballet choreographed by her father, did she become famous throughout Europe. Although she wasn't the first to dance en pointe, she was the first ballerina to do so for the full length of a work.

Biography

Born in Stockholm, Sweden, Marie Taglioni was born into a well-known dancing family. Founded in the late 1700s by Carlo and his wife, Maria, they had two sons Filippo and Salvatore who became choreographers. Filippo, whose wife was Swedish, had two children, Marie and Paul. Disparaged by her Parisian ballet instructor at a young age, she was teased, "will that little hunchback ever learn to dance?" Calling her an 'ugly duckling,' her teacher discarded her at the age of six. After this unfortunate rejection, Filippo decided to train his young daughter himself. He put her through six hours of rigorous practice each day and at night she was reportedly so exhausted that someone had to undress her and put her into bed.

rose to fame as a dancer when her Italian father (and teacher) Filippo Taglioni created the ballet La Sylphide (1832) for her. Designed as a showcase for Marie's talent, it was the first ballet where the ballerina danced en pointe for the full length of the work. She perfected the technique using ballet slippers - not pointe shoes - which without reinforcement in the block of the shoes was incredibly difficult. Dancers had to use all of their muscles to stand en pointe.

Marie Taglioni was the first star of the romantic ballet era.

She left the Paris Opera Ballet in 1837 to take up a three-year contract in St. Petersburg at the Mariinsky Ballet (known as the Kirov Ballet through most of the 20th century). It was in Russia, after her last performance in the country (1842) (and at the height of the cult of the ballerina), that a pair of her pointe shoes were sold for two hundred rubles, reportedly to be cooked, served with a sauce and eaten by a group of balletomanes.

Marie retired from performing in 1847. For a time she took up residence at the Ca d'Oro on the Grand Canal in Venice. When the ballet of the Paris Opera was reorganized on stricter, more professional lines, she was its guiding spirit. With the director of the new Conservatoire de danse, Lucien Petipa and Petipa's former pupil the choreographer Louis Mérante she figured on the six-member select jury of the first annual competition for the Corps de ballet, held April 13, 1860.

Later she taught social dance to children and society ladies; she also took a limited number of ballet pupils. Her only choreographic work was Le Papillon (1860) for her student Emma Livry, who is infamous for dying in 1863 when her costume was set alight by a gas lamp (limelight) used for stage lighting. Marie lived much longer, dying in Marseilles in 1884.

Johann Strauss II composed the Marie Taglioni Polka (Op. 173) in her honour using music from ballets in which she had appeared.

[1] Marie Taglioni - the first woman to dance on pointe.

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 [[Image:Marie-taglioni-in-zephire.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Marie Taglioni, in a colored lithograph, circa 1831  (Victoria & Albert Museum).]]
-'''Marie Taglioni''' (April 23 1804 &ndash; April 24 1884) was a famous [[Italy|Italian]] [[ballerina]] of the [[Romantic ballet]] era, a central figure in the [[history of dance|history of European dance]]. Despite the fact that she was not a great beauty, Marie's delicacy and finesse were what caused her to achieve stardom in the [[romantic ballet]] era. In 1822, Taglioni made her debut as a dancer in [[Vienna]]. However, it wasn't until her starring role in [[''La Sylphide'']], a [[romantic ballet]] choreographed by her father, did she become famous throughout Europe. Although she wasn't the first to dance [[en pointe]], she was the first [[ballerina]] to do so for the full length of a work.
+'''Marie Taglioni''' (April 23 1804 &ndash; April 24 1884) was a famous [[Italy|Italian]] [[ballerina]] of the [[Romantic ballet]] era, a central figure in the [[history of dance|history of European dance]]. Despite the fact that she was not a great beauty, Marie's delicacy and finesse were what caused her to achieve stardom in the romantic ballet era. In 1822, Taglioni made her debut as a dancer in [[Vienna]]. However, it wasn't until her starring role in [[''La Sylphide'']], a romantic ballet choreographed by her father, did she become famous throughout Europe. Although she wasn't the first to dance [[en pointe]], she was the first [[ballerina]] to do so for the full length of a work.
 ==Biography==
-Born in [[Stockholm]], [[Sweden]], Marie Taglioni was born into a well-known dancing family. Founded in the late 1700s by Carlo and his wife, Maria, they had two sons Filippo and Salvatore who became choreographers. Filippo, whose wife was Swedish, had two children, Marie and Paul.
+Born in [[Stockholm]], [[Sweden]], Marie Taglioni was born into a well-known dancing family. Founded in the late 1700s by Carlo and his wife, Maria, they had two sons Filippo and Salvatore who became choreographers. Filippo, whose wife was Swedish, had two children, Marie and Paul. Disparaged by her Parisian ballet instructor at a young age, she was teased, "will that little hunchback ever learn to dance?" Calling her an 'ugly duckling,' her teacher discarded her at the age of six. After this unfortunate rejection, Filippo decided to train his young daughter himself. He put her through six hours of rigorous practice each day and at night she was reportedly so exhausted that someone had to undress her and put her into bed.
 rose to fame as a [[dancer]] when her Italian father (and [[teacher]]) [[Filippo Taglioni]] created the [[ballet]]'' [[La Sylphide]]'' (1832) for her. Designed as a showcase for Marie's talent, it was the first ballet where the ballerina danced ''[[en pointe]]'' for the full length of the work.  She perfected the technique using ballet slippers - not [[pointe shoes]] - which without reinforcement in the block of the shoes was incredibly difficult. Dancers had to use all of their muscles to stand en pointe.