Carlotta Zambelli (4 November 1875 – 28 January 1968) was an Italian prima ballerina and ballet teacher. Apart from a year in St. Petersburg, she spent her entire career in Paris.

Early life

Zambelli was born in Milan. When she was seven, Zambelli studied at the ballet school of

La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

under Cesare Carnesecchi Coppini and Adelaide Viganò. In August 1894, she was discovered by

Pedro Gailhard Pedro or Pierre Gailhard, full name Pierre Samson Gailhard, (1 August 1848 – 12 October 1918) was a French opera singer and theatre director. Gifted with an exceptional singing bass voice, Pedro Gailhard made his debut at the Opéra-Comique i ...

, director of the Paris Opera, who took her to Paris together with her friend Clotilde Piodi.

Career

She made her début at the

Paris Opera The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be ...

in 1894 with ''Faust (ballet), Faust'' and triumphed the following year in the ''Hellé'' divertimento, impressing the Parisians with her Italian technique and her fouettés. When Rosita Mauri retired in 1898, Zambelli took her place, earning the distinction of prima ballerina. She was the last foreigner to be designated prima ballerina at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg where she was a great success during the year she spent there in 1901 performing the leading roles in ''Coppélia'', ''Giselle'' and ''Paquita''. She then returned to Paris where she was the reigning ballerina at the Opéra until her retirement in 1930. She created leading roles in ''Namouna'' (1908), ''Javotte'' (1909), ''España'' (1911), ''Sylvia (ballet), Sylvia'' (1919), ''Taglioni chez Musette'' (1920) and ''Cydalise et le Chèvre-pied'' (1923). Thereafter she taught at the Opera ballet school where she had begun teaching in 1920 and went on to found the Académie Chaptal. She retired from teaching in 1955. Among her most successful students were Lycette Darsonval, Yvette Chauviré and Odette Joyeux. She was awarded the Legion of Honour in 1956. She died in Milan on 28 January 1968.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zambelli, Carlotta 1875 births 1968 deaths Italian female dancers Italian ballerinas La Scala Theatre Ballet dancers Knights of the Legion of Honour Paris Opera Ballet étoiles, Zambelli Dancers from Paris Italian expatriates in France