For a time she left the stage in order to pursue her studies as a
dancer. After seven years of the usual and always taxing training she
reappeared, at the age of fourteen, first in “La Muette de Portici,”
following with success in a ballet of her own composition, “Le Cinq
Seul,” then creating the _rôle_ of the Princess Astride, in a ballet
entitled “Waldemar,” and followed with the title-_rôle_ in “Hertha,”
both Scandinavian in subject.
Then she proceeded to Paris, and after studying a while under Barrez,
was recalled suddenly to Copenhagen to take part in a fête arranged
in honour of the Queen of Denmark, and so did not make her Parisian
_début_ until she appeared at the Opera in “Le Carnaval de Venise,”
in 1838, in which she achieved an immediate success, only excelled
in the following year when she captured all Parisians’ hearts in the
ballet which Taglioni had already made famous--“Sylphide.”
Unhappily, in the spring of 1840, her career was interrupted by an
accident while rehearsing a _variation_ which she was to perform at
the benefit of Madame Falcon, the singer; and in consequence of
inflammation of the knee she was laid up for some time in spite of
the most careful attention. She never appeared at the Paris Opera
again; but in the next few years her recovery was sufficient to allow
of her achieving many successes in London, as well as taking part in
the famous Quartette.
In 1844 she appeared in “Lady Henriette” at Drury Lane, and in the
following Spring was engaged for the entire season of the Italian
Opera at Her Majesty’s, where she won the most dazzling of her
successes in a ballet entitled “Eoline,” produced in April, 1845.
A contemporary critic records the production in the following
amusingly naïve terms: “The ballet ‘Eoline,’ with its poetic story,
and its lovely feminine features (_sic_), was the great hit of the
first night, spite the difficulties of complicated scenery and
mechanical effects. The ballet worked wonders, and Lucile Grahn
exhibits nightly the most delightful grace and modesty of deportment,
in addition to certainty and aplomb of position, reminding one of
Canova’s masterpieces of sculpture.”
Grahn made a great success as Catarina in “La Fille du Bandit,”
during May, 1848. According to one critic it “exhibited her talents
in a higher degree than anything she has previously appeared in. As
the bandit’s daughter she assumes a dignified bearing, like that of
one born to command, and supports it throughout whether in dancing or
action ... and the grace of her solos commands numerous encores.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account