Adeline Genée
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Adeline Genée (6 January 1878 - 23 April 1970) was a Danish/British ballet dancer.
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[edit] Early years
Anina Kirstina Margarete Petra Jensen was born in Århus, Denmark. Her uncle, Alexandre Genée, gave her dancing lessons from the age of three. When she was eight, Alexandre and his wife, the former Antonia Zimmerman, adopted her. As well as changing her last name to Genée, she changed her first name to Adeline in honour of the Italian opera star Adelina Patti. Adeline's debut was with her uncle's touring company at the age of ten in Oslo (at that time called Christina).
In 1895, she became the principal dancer at the Royal Opera House in Copenhagen. Subsequently, in 1896, she danced with the Berlin Court Opera Ballet and the Munich Opera Ballet. And in 1897, she accepted a booking for six weeks in England. In the event, she stayed for ten years.
[edit] At the Empire
While dancing with the Ballet of the Empire Theatre in London, she was so admired for her classical style in Monte Christo that she was offered the position of Prima Ballerina at the same theatre. She performed in "The Press", "Les Papillons" and the British premiere (1906) of Coppelia. The period probably represents the lowest point in the history of English ballet. It consisted of short dances in variety programs. Adeline did much to raise the status of ballet by reviving earlier productions and creating an audience for more elaborate works.
She was versatile enough to dance light musical hall roles and in more severe classical roles. She was slender and elegant, often being described as like "Dresden china". In one respect she was very backward-looking, preferring a style of costume that belonged to the 1830s.
From April 1905, Adeline danced in 400 performances of the musical play, The Little Michus, at Daly's Theatre.
[edit] Around the world
In November 1907, she sailed to the USA to perform in The Soul Kiss at the New York Theatre. The producer, Florenz Ziegfeld, described her on the posters as "The World's Greatest Dancer". In the USA, ballet was unknown at this time, and had to be part of a musical spectacular.
In 1910, she married Frank S. N. Isitt and gradually reduced the frequency of her appearances. In 1911, Alexis Kosloff presented her with a silver trophy, inscribed "To the World's Greatest Dancer". For several years, Adeline alternated between a season in London and one in New York. Diagilev saw her and immediately offered her a contract but she refused it. Adeline devised her own ballet, called La Camargo. On 21 June 1913, she returned to her greatest role, as Swanilda in Coppelia, this time in Melbourne.
On 6 August 1913, she danced in Sydney. In 1916, Adeline went on a sixteen-week tour of Australia with J.C. Williamson's company. The Australian navy wildly cheered her dancing a hornpipe in a charity performance billed as "Navy Night". On returning to London, she gave her last major performance in April 1916 at the Coliseum in The Pretty Prentice. Thereafter, she concentrated on occasional charity performances and commemorations. In 1923, Adeline was awarded the Order of "Ingenu et Arti" by the King of Denmark.
[edit] Teaching ballet in England
For most people, that would have been enough, but Adeline went on to become a founder of the "Association of Teachers of Operatic Dancing of Great Britain" in December 1920. Philip Richardson, editor of "Dancing Times", was distressed by the low quality of dance in Britain, and eagerly supported Adeline.
By 1935, the group's reputation had risen so far that it was granted a Royal Charter with Queen Mary as its patron.
In 1947, the group began teacher training. Adeline was its president until her retirement in 1954, and was succeeded by Dame Margot Fonteyn. Adeline became a Dame of the British Empire in 1950.
[edit] The Genée Award
In 1931, the Adeline Genée Gold Medal Awards were first given by the Association to aspiring young dancers, aged up to 19. It is still awarded annually, by the Royal Academy of Dance, the current name of the Association. Competitors come from all over the world to London for what is one of the most important awards in dance.
Adeline last performed at the Colosseum in London on March 4, 1933, when the theatre changed from a music hall into an opera house. She gives her name to the Genee Theatre in East Grinstead and the Genée studio in the Royal Academy of Dance, Battersea, London.
