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‘Will that little hunchback ever learn to dance’ mocked Marie
Taglioni’s teacher in Paris. Despite being exceptionally plain
with very long arms and legs, Marie Taglioni became more than
the world’s most famous dancer. Her look became the defining image
of the ballerina, poised on the tips of her toes, wearing a long
white tutu and a floral wreath, her dark hair parted at the centre
and drawn back.
Marie Taglioni was born in Sweden into a family of dancers. She
trained in Paris, but was not considered talented until her father,
Filippo, became her teacher. In 1832, Filippo created
La Sylphide to show Taglioni to her best advantage. This supernatural, tragic
story with its romantic Scottish setting, combined with Taglioni’s
ethereal look, became a defining moment in Romantic ballet. Taglioni became
the rage of Europe.
The ethereal image of the sylph was reflected in fashion. Young
women often drank vinegar and water to make themselves look pale
and interesting.
Taglioni Mania
Taglioni became so popular that all kinds of things were named
after her. In Russia there were Taglioni caramels, cakes and hairstyles.
After her last performance in Russia in 1842, a pair of her ballet
shoes was sold for 200 roubles, cooked, garnished and served with
a special sauce, then eaten by a group of ballet fans. History
does not record whether the shoes had been worn or not. In England
the London to Windsor stagecoach was named after her.
Taglioni retired from dancing in 1847. In 1860 she choreographed
her only ballet Le Papillon (The Butterfly) for her pupil
Emma Livry. Tragically, in 1863, Emma’s stage costume brushed
against a gas jet and caught fire. She later died of burns.
Taglioni as Teacher
In the 1870s Taglioni lived in London where she taught social
dance to children and society ladies. She taught ballet to only
a few children — social dance was more profitable. Among
her pupils was Princess May of Teck, the future Queen Mary, grandmother
of Queen Elizabeth II, who for the rest of her life boasted that
she had been taught to curtsey by Mme Taglioni.
The drawing above shows Taglioni with her pupils. It was drawn
by one of her pupils, Margaret Rolfe, whose grandmother was Taglioni’s
greatest friend in London.
Please click on the object story button below the image to read
the Ballroom Guide’s instructions for fashionable dance
(1845).
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Introduction
18th Century Satire
