Colette Janine Marchand (29 April 1925 – 5 June 2015) was a French

prima ballerina A ballet dancer is a person who practices the art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. Ballet dancers ...

and actress. She was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 9th Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performanc ...

in 1952 for her performance as Marie Charlet in ''

Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (, ; ) is a cabaret in Paris, on Boulevard de Clichy, at Place Blanche, the intersection of, and terminus of Rue Blanche. In 1889, the Moulin Rouge was co-founded by Charles Zidler and Joseph Oller, who also owned the Olympia (Par ...

'', directed by

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered classics. He rec ...

. During the height of her dance career she was considered one of the great dancers in Europe, known as ''Les jambes'' (The Legs), along with Violetta Elvin,

Zizi Jeanmaire Renée Marcelle "Zizi" Jeanmaire (29 April 1924 – 17 July 2020) was a French ballet dancer, actress and singer. She became famous in the 1950s after playing the title role in the ballet ''Carmen'', produced in London in 1949, and went on to a ...

Yvette Chauviré Yvette Chauviré (; 22 April 1917 – 19 October 2016) was a French prima ballerina assoluta and actress. She is often described as France's greatest ballerina, and was the mentor of another pair of well-known prima ballerinas named, Sylvie Guill ...

, Janine Charrat, and

Margot Fonteyn Dame Margaret Evelyn de Arias Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, DBE ( Hookham; 18 May 191921 February 1991), known by the stage name Margot Fonteyn (), was an English ballerina. She spent her entire career as a dancer with th ...

. Marchand traveled around the world as a dancer and danced with many of the great ballet dancers of the 1940s and 1950s.

Personal life

Marchand was born in Paris, the daughter of Alice (née Lioret) and Roger Marchand. She began her career at the

Paris Opera Ballet The Paris Opera Ballet () is a French ballet company that is an integral part of the Paris Opera. It is the oldest national ballet company, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it. It is still regarded a ...

She married Jacques Bazire, the musical director for the Roland Petit Ballet. She died on 5 June 2015, aged 90, and was survived by her sister, Yvonne (Marchand) Le Bras.Colette Marchand obituary
nytimes.com; accessed 23 June 2015.

Career

She performed as a première ballerina on Broadway in

Roland Petit Roland Petit (13 January 192410 July 2011) was a French ballet company director, choreographer and dancer. He trained at the Paris Opera Ballet school, and became well known for his creative ballets. Life and work The son of shoe designer Ro ...

's Les Ballets de Paris (1949 & 1950). In the 1950 show, Marchand performed a ballet piece titled ''The Boiled Egg'', for which she received rave reviews. In 1951, she had a featured role in the Broadway musical '' Two on the Aisle'', which ran for 276 performances. In the early 1950s while performing on Broadway, Marchand was featured in several magazines, including ''Life'', and she made appearances on New York City television shows, including the '' Ford Star Revue'', the ''Colgate Comedy Hour'', and the ''

Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the '' CBS Sunday Nig ...

''. In 1951, she lent her voice to

Isidore Isou Isidore Isou (; 29 January 1925 – 28 July 2007), born Isidor Goldstein, was a Romanian-born French poet, dramaturge, novelist, film director, economist, and visual artist. He was the founder of Lettrism, an art and literary movement which ...

's '' Venom and Eternity''. In 1952, she received a

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...

as Most Promising Newcomer - Female for her performance in ''

'' as well as a nomination for the BAFTA for Most Promising Newcomer. In 1953 she was directed by

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

in '' The Lady in the Ice''. Her other film appearances were rare: '' Hungarian Rhapsody'', ''Par Ordre du Tsar'' and the musical short ''Romantic Youth'' (also as choreographer) (all 1954). ,

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Marchand, Colette 1925 births 2015 deaths 20th-century French actresses French prima ballerinas New Star of the Year (Actress) Golden Globe winners French film actresses Actresses from Paris Dancers from Paris