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. Genée'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. In 1897, she accepted a booking for six weeks in England. She gained such success that 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 Edwardian period probably represents the lowest point in the history of English ballet. It consisted of short dances in variety programs. Genée 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. Slender and elegant, she was often 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, Genée danced in 400 performances of the musical play, The Little Michus, at Daly's Theatre.
[edit] Around the world
In November 1907, Genée 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 United States at that time, many people were entirely unfamiliar with ballet, so a ballet performance needed to be presented as part of a musical spectacular.
In 1910, Genée 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, Genée alternated between a season in London and one in New York. Diaghilev saw her dance and immediately offered her a contract, but she refused it. Genée devised her own ballet, called La Camargo, and on 21 June 1913, she returned to her greatest role, as Swanilda in Coppelia, this time in Melbourne. On 6 August 1913, Genée danced in Sydney.
In 1916, she 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 of 1916 at the Coliseum in The Pretty Prentice. Thereafter, she appeared only in occasional charity performances and commemorations. In 1923, Genée was awarded the Order of "Ingenu et Arti" by the King of Denmark. Genée last performed at the Coliseum Theatre in London on March 4, 1933, when the theatre changed from a music hall into an opera house.
Genée became a Dame of the British Empire in 1950. She gave her name to the Genee Theatre in East Grinstead and the Genée studio in the Royal Academy of Dance, Battersea, London.
[edit] Association of Teachers of Operatic Dancing
Genée also became 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 her. By 1935, the Association's reputation had risen sufficiently that it was granted a Royal Charter with Queen Mary as its patron.
In 1931, the Adeline Genée Gold Medal Awards were first awarded by the Association to aspiring young dancers, aged up to 19. They are still awarded annually by the Royal Academy of Dance, although the name of the competition, now the Genée International Ballet Competition, and its content have changed. Competitors can enter from all over the world, and since the success of the 2002 competition, held in Sydney at the Opera House (the first time it was held outside London in its history), the competition moves from one renowned international venue to another. It was held in Birmingham in 2003, Athens as part of the Cultural Olympiad Festival in 2004, London in 2005, and Hong Kong in 2006. It remains one of the most important competitions in the field of dance.
In 1947, the group began teacher training. Genée was its president until her retirement in 1954 and was succeeded by Dame Margot Fonteyn.
