James Harvey D'Egville facts for kids
James Harvey D'Egville (born around 1770, died around 1836) was an important English dancer and choreographer. He created many ballets and performed for royalty.
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Family of Dancers
James came from a family of talented dancers. His father, Pierre D'Egville, was a ballet master. A ballet master is someone who teaches and creates dances for a theatre. Pierre worked at famous places like the Drury Lane and Sadler's Wells Theatres. James's brother, George D'Egville, was also a dancer.
Early Performances
James D'Egville started his career dancing in Paris, France. He performed at the Paris Opera from 1784 to 1785.
Dancing for Royalty
When he returned to England in 1786, James continued to dance. He performed in a ballet called The Nosegay at the Haymarket Theatre. He danced alongside Maria Theresa Kemble. The Royal Family was in the audience, watching his performance!
Soon after, in July 1786, James appeared in another ballet. It was called Jamie's Return. He danced with Maria Theresa Kemble and his brother George. People really enjoyed this show. An artist named Miller even painted a picture of the three dancers.
Becoming a Choreographer
From 1799 to 1809, James D'Egville worked as a choreographer at the King's Theatre. Today, this theatre is known as Her Majesty's Theatre. James had actually danced there as a child in 1783.
Teaching New Dancers
As a choreographer, James taught many students. One of his pupils was Mary Ann Dyke. She later became a famous actress named Mary Ann Duff. Another talented student was Arabella Menage.
Public Opinion on His Ballets
In 1827, a magazine called London Magazine wrote about James D'Egville. They made some jokes about his ballets. The magazine said that his ballets were so bad, they made young men lose interest in dancing! Of course, this was just their opinion, and many people still enjoyed his work.
See also
- Cesare Bossi
