Ninon Dubois Le Clerc or Ninon Leclaire (1750 in France - 4 May 1779, Stockholm), was a French ballerina and courtesan. She was a member of the

Royal Swedish Ballet The Royal Swedish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in Europe. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, King Gustav III founded the ballet in 1773 as a part of his national cultural project in response to the French and Italian dominance in this fi ...

and regarded as one of the stars of the royal ballet during her career there. As a courtesan she was known for her relationship with the Russian ambassador Ivan Simolin and the poet

Johan Henric Kellgren Johan Henrik Kellgren (1 December 1751 – 20 April 1795) was a Swedish poet and critic. Biography He was born at Floby in Västergötland (now part of Falköping Municipality, Västra Götaland County). He studied at the Royal Academy of Turku, ...

, who wrote a poem in lamentation over her death in consumption.

Sources

* Gunilla Roempke (1994): ''Vristens makt – dansös i mätressernas tidevarv''. Stockholm: Stockholm Fischer & Co. * Carl Forsstrand (1911): ''Sophie Hagman och hennes samtida. Några anteckningar från det gustavianska Stockholm''. Andra Upplagan. Wahlström & Widstrand, Stockholm * Anna Ivarsdotter Johnsson, Leif Jonsson: ''Musiken i Sverige. Frihetstiden och Gustaviansk tid 1720-1810'' * Klas Ralf (1973): ''Operan 200 år. Jubelboken''. Prisma 18th-century French ballet dancers 18th-century Swedish ballet dancers Royal Swedish Ballet dancers 1750 births 1779 deaths French courtesans Gustavian era people {{Sweden-bio-stub