Marie Taglioni, Comtesse de Voisins was a Swedish-born ballet dancer of the Romantic ballet era partially of Italian descent, a central figure in the history of European dance.
17 Facts About Marie Taglioni
2.
Marie Taglioni spent most of her life in the Austrian Empire and France.
3.
Marie Taglioni was one of the most celebrated ballerinas of the romantic ballet, which was cultivated primarily at Her Majesty's Theatre in London and at the Theatre de l'Academie Royale de Musique of the Paris Opera Ballet.
4.
Marie Taglioni is credited with being the first ballerina to truly dance en pointe.
5.
Marie Taglioni's brother, Paul, was a dancer and an influential choreographer; they performed together early in their careers.
6.
Marie Taglioni was married to Comte Auguste Gilbert de Voisins in 1835, but separated in 1836.
7.
Marie Taglioni later fell in love with Eugene Desmares, a loyal fan, who had defended her honour in a duel.
8.
Desmares and Marie Taglioni gave birth to an child in 1836.
9.
Marie Taglioni moved to Vienna with her family at a very young age where she began her ballet training under the direction of Jean-Francois Coulon and her father.
10.
Marie Taglioni had a rounded back that caused her to lean forward and had slightly distorted proportions.
11.
Marie Taglioni worked hard to disguise her physical limitations by increasing range of motion and developing her strength.
12.
Marie Taglioni focused her energy on her shape and form to the audience and less on bravura tricks and pirouettes.
13.
In Vienna, Marie Taglioni danced her first ballet choreographed by her father titled "La Reception d'une Jeune Nymphe a la Cour de Terpsichore".
14.
Marie Taglioni rose to fame as a danseuse at the Paris Opera when her father created the ballet La Sylphide for her.
15.
In 1837 Marie Taglioni left the Ballet of Her Majesty's Theatre to take up a three-year contract in Saint Petersburg with the Imperial Ballet.
16.
Marie Taglioni retired from performing in 1847; for a time she took up residence at the Ca' d'Oro on the Grand Canal in Venice.
17.
Marie Taglioni died in Marseille on 22 April 1884, the day before her 80th birthday.