Gaétan Vestris facts for kids
Gaetano Apolline Baldassarre Vestris (born April 18, 1729 – died 1808) was a famous French ballet dancer. He was born in Florence, Italy. Gaetano Vestris made his first appearance at the opera in 1749. He became known for his amazing dance skills and his confident personality.
A Life in Dance
Gaetano Vestris came from a family of performers. He learned to dance from a famous teacher named Louis Dupré. This was at the Royal Academy in Paris. Later, he joined the Paris Opéra, a very important dance company. He even taught dance to King Louis XVI of France!
Gaetano Vestris was a pioneer in ballet. He was the first dancer to perform without a mask. This allowed him to use his face to show emotions. It made his performances much more expressive.
By 1751, Gaetano was very successful. He was also quite proud of his talents! People say he once declared, "There are only three great men in Europe: the king of Prussia, Voltaire, and I." This shows how confident he was in his dancing. He was also very good at mimicking others.
From 1770 to 1776, Gaetano Vestris was a master and composer of ballets. He later retired, giving his position to Jean Georges Noverre. He received a pension, which is like a retirement payment.
Vestris married a dancer named Anna Heinel (1753–1808). She was from Germany and was also very successful at the opera. Gaetano Vestris even performed again at the age of seventy-one! This was to celebrate his grandson's first performance.
The Talented Vestris Family
Gaetano had several children who also became dancers. He was the partner of French ballerina Marie Allard. Their son, Auguste Vestris (1760–1842), was considered the greatest male dancer of his time.
Auguste Vestris made his first performance at just 12 years old with the Paris Opéra. He was the company's leading dancer for 36 years! Auguste's son, Auguste Armand Vestris (1788–1825), also became a dancer. He was married to Lucia Elizabeth Vestris. Auguste Armand made his debut at the opera in 1800. However, he left Paris to dance in England, Italy, and Vienna. He never returned to perform in France.
Gaetano's brother, Angiolo Vestris (1730–1809), was also a dancer. He later became an actor at the Comédie-Italienne. Angiolo married Marie Rose Gourgaud, who was the sister of the actor Dugazon. Gaetano and Angiolo's sister, Thérèse (1726-1808), was also a dancer. The Vestris family was truly a family of performers!
See also
In Spanish: Gaetano Vestris para niños
