Pierina Legnani

Pierina Legnani (September 30, 1863 – November 15, 1930) was an Italian ballerina considered one of the greatest ballerinas of all time.

Biography

Legnani was born on September 30, 1863, in Milan and originally studied with famous ballet dancer at La Scala, where she developed her technical expertise. Her professional career took off when she appeared as prima ballerina in the Casati ballet, Salandra, at Alhambra Theatre in London. She was titled prima ballerina for La Scala in 1892, before moving to St Petersburg in 1892, where she reached fame dancing with the Tsar's Imperial Ballet at the Maryinsky Theatre until 1901.

Under the direction of famous ballet choreographer Marius Petipa, Legnani originated numerous roles including, ''Cinderella'' in 1893, '' Swan Lake'' in 1895, '' Raymonda'' in 1898, and ''La Camargo'' in 1901. She is widely reputed to be the first ballerina to perform 32 fouettés en tournant in the coda of the Grand Pas d'action of the ballet ''Cinderella''.

The execution of 32 turns on pointe is a bravura achievement emphasizing the dancer's strength and technique. A sequence of 32 fouetté turns was later choreographed into the Black Swan solo in act 3 of ''Swan Lake'' and is still used to this day. Legnani was one of only two ballet dancers appointed prima ballerina assoluta at the Maryinsky Theatre.

Her last performance was in the Minkus/Petipa ballet ''La Camargo'' on January 28, 1901, after which she retired to live in her villa at Lake Como.

After retiring from the stage she lived in Italy and served on the examining board of La Scala Ballet School until 4 months before her death. She died on November 15, 1930.

Repertoire

Ballets of Marius Petipa featuring Pierina Legnani:
*''Cinderella'' from Petipa/Ivanov/Cecchetti (music by Fitingof-Shell, 1893), Legnani was the first to establish 32 fouettés en tournant.
*''The Talisman'' (music by Riccardo Drigo, 1895)
*''La Perle'' (music by Drigo, 1896)
*'' Raymonda'' (music by Aleksandr Glazunov, 1898)
*''Les ruses d’amour'' (music by Glazunov)
*'' Coppélia'' (version from Petipa/Cecchetti, music by Léo Delibes, 1896)
*''The Cavalry Halt'' (music by Johann Armsheimer, 1896)

Gallery

File:LegatPierinaLenianicar.jpg, Caricature of Legnani as Odette in ''Swan Lake'' by the brothers Nikolai and Sergei Legat
File:Cinderella -title role -Pierina Legnani -1893.jpg, Legnani in the title role of ''Cinderella''. St. Petersburg, 1893.
File:LegnaniInCinderella.jpg, Legnani in the title of ''Cinderella''. St. Petersburg, 1893.
File:Lhh95.JPG, Legnani as the Tsar Maiden in Petipa's revival of ''The Little Humpbacked Horse''. St Petersburg, 1895.
File:Legnani-whitepearl.jpg, Legnani as the White Pearl in ''La Perle'', a ballet created for the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II. Moscow, 1896.
File:Pierina Legnani in Raymonda, act I, 1898 - "Danse du voile".JPG, Legnani in the title role of ''Raymonda''. St. Petersburg, 1898.
File:Corsaire -Pavel Gerdt as Conrad -Pierina Legnani as Medora -Alfred Bekefi as Pasha -1899.jpg, Legnani as Medora in Petipa's final revival of ''Le Corsaire'', with Pavel Gerdt as Conrad (left) and Alfred Bekefi as the Saïd Pasha (right). St. Petersburg, 1899.
File:Pierina Legnani-Camargo-1901.jpg, Legnani in the title role of ''La Camargo'', revived by Lev Ivanov. St. Petersburg, 1901.
File:Legat and Legnani Camargo.jpg, Legnani in the title role of ''La Camargo'' with Nikolai Legat as Vestris. St. Petersburg, 1901

References

;Notes

External links

*

Pierina Legnani (1863 – 1930) in Lev Ivanov's (1834-1901) revival of the choreographer Marius Petipa (1818-1910) and the composer Ludwig Minkus's (1826-1917) 1872 ballet ''La Camargo''.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Legnani, Pierina
Prima ballerina assolutas
Italian ballerinas
Mariinsky Ballet principal dancers
1863 births
1923 deaths