Odette Valery (spelled Valéry in French publications), née Helene Vasilardi,"Odette Valery Here to Dance in Opera" (Nov. 9, 1908) ''New York Times'' (1883–?) was an Italian dancer of Greek parentage. She made her début at

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 ...

in 1898 at the age of fifteen. She moved to Paris where she danced with the Ballet Excelsior at the

Folies Bergère The Folies Bergère () is a cabaret music hall, located in Paris, France. Located at 32 Rue Richer in the 9th Arrondissement, the Folies Bergère was built as an opera house by the architect Plumeret. It opened on 2 May 1869 as the Folies Trév ...

. She came to regard dancing ''

en pointe Pointe technique ( ) is the part of classical ballet technique that concerns ''pointe work'', in which a ballet dancer supports all body weight on the tips of fully extended feet within pointe shoes. A dancer is said to be ''en pointe'' () whe ...

'' as "old-fashioned" and made her name doing reconstructions of ancient

Greek dances Greek dance (''choros'') is a very old tradition, being referred to by authors such as Plato, Aristotle, Plutarch and Lucian. There are different styles and interpretations from all of the islands and surrounding mainland areas. Each region form ...

in bare feet. Later she portrayed

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a ...

and did an Egyptian dance with a live asp. She was well-educated and spoke French, German, Italian, Spanish and Russian as well as some English and she played the piano well. In 1908, she caused a sensation in New York when she danced in the last act of ''

Samson and Delilah Samson and Delilah are Biblical figures. Samson and Delilah may also refer to: In music * ''Samson and Delilah'' (opera), an opera by Camille Saint-Saëns * ''Samson & Delilah'' (album), released in 2013 by V V Brown * "Samson and Delilah" (t ...

'' at the

Manhattan Opera House The Manhattan Center is a building in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Built in 1906 and located at 311 West 34th Street, it houses Manhattan Center Studios, the location of two recording studios; its Grand Ballroom; and the Hammerstein Ballroo ...

where she had been engaged by

Oscar Hammerstein I Oscar Hammerstein I (8 May 18461 August 1919) was a German-born businessman, theater impresario, and composer in New York City. His passion for opera led him to open several opera houses, and he rekindled opera's popularity in America. He was ...

. Her dance included the participation of one of three snakes (with fangs removed) which were cared for by their own groom, Robert, whom she had engaged in addition to other servants who traveled with her. In 1910 she was earning $1000 a week when dancing in the

Teatro Comunale di Bologna The Teatro Comunale di Bologna is an opera house in Bologna, Italy. Typically, it presents eight operas with six performances during its November to April season. While there had been various theatres presenting opera in Bologna since the early 1 ...

. She owned several automobiles and amassed a fortune in jewellery."A Tragedy of Stage Life" (May 21, 1912) ''Indianapolis Star'' She spent lavishly and by 1912, she was destitute. Her money ran out when she had to have an operation and as a result she could not work for an extended period. Although her weekly salary was what a workman earned in a year at the time, she hadn't saved a penny. She was found ill and starving in a cheap boarding house in

Notting Hill, London Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a cosmopolitan and multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting Hill Carnival and Portobello Road Mar ...

where she was being cared for by her seven-year-old son Gaeton. She had been surviving thus for a year by pawning her jewellery. She was found by a friend who was performing at Hammerstein's London Opera House. The friend took her in and was planning to send her back to her home in France to recover. She returned to Paris and although she was reputed to have had twenty-eight love affairs in one year at the height of her fame, she had few real friends and continued to live in poverty. It was a California heiress,

Aimée Crocker Aimée Isabella Crocker (December 5, 1864 – February 7, 1941) was an American princess, mystic, Bohemian, and author. She was known for her cultural exploration of the Far East, for her extravagant parties in San Francisco, New York and Paris, ...

, Mrs. Jackson Gouraud, who came to her aid on reading about her plight and gave a fund-raising ball in her honour at Martin's, New York. The hostess wore a live python around her neck for the event."$5,000 for a New Thrill" (January 25, 1914) ''Washington Post''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Valery, Odette 19th-century Italian ballet dancers 1883 births Italian ballerinas Italian female dancers Year of death unknown Italian people of Greek descent