Lucile Grahn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lucile Grahn
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| Born |
Lucile Alexia Grahn-Young
June 30, 1819 |
| Died | April 4, 1907 (aged 87) |
| Nationality | Danish |
Lucile Alexia Grahn-Young (born June 30, 1819 – died April 4, 1907) was a very famous Danish ballerina. She was one of the most popular dancers during the time of Romantic ballet.
Contents
Early Life and Dance Training
Lucile Grahn started dancing at a young age. She studied at the Royal Danish Theatre School in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her teacher was a well-known ballet master named August Bournonville.
She officially started her dance career in 1834. In 1835, she got a main role as Astrid in Bournonville's ballet Valdemar.
A Wish to Dance in Paris
Lucile Grahn really wanted to dance with the famous Paris Opera Ballet. This caused some problems between her and her teacher, Bournonville. She even changed some dance steps in Valdemar to show off her skills. Bournonville was not happy about this.
In 1836, she created the main role in Bournonville's ballet La Sylphide. Soon after, she received special permission from the king to leave Denmark. After she left in 1836, she never returned to her home country.
Becoming an International Star
By 1839, Lucile Grahn had stayed away from Denmark longer than she was allowed. Because of this, she was removed from the Royal Danish Ballet's list of dancers. She was already performing with the Paris Opera Ballet.
From 1839 to 1845, Lucile Grahn danced in many big cities. She performed in London, St. Petersburg, and Milan. This helped her become known to many more people.
Dancing with the Best
In 1845, Lucile Grahn was recognized as one of the top dancers of her time. She was invited to perform in a very special ballet called Pas de Quatre. She danced alongside three other incredibly famous ballerinas: Fanny Cerrito, Carlotta Grisi, and Marie Taglioni.
Lucile Grahn was the least known of the four dancers. Because of this, she agreed to dance first in the performance. This was a big moment in her career.
Later Career and Retirement
After 1846, Lucile Grahn traveled all over Europe. She did not just dance; she also helped create several ballets. She brought back Perrot's ballet Catarina. She even created her own play called Bacchus et Ariadne.
In 1848, Grahn moved to Hamburg, Germany. She loved Germany so much that she built a home in Munich.
Lucile Grahn stopped dancing in 1856. She married Friedrich Young. After retiring from performing, she became a ballet mistress. She worked in Leipzig, Germany, from 1858 to 1861. Later, she worked at the Court Opera in Munich from 1869 to 1875.
She passed away in Munich in 1907. She left her large fortune to the city of Munich.
See also
In Spanish: Lucile Grahn para niños
