Émilienne d’Alençon

Émilienne d'Alençon

Émilienne d’Alençon (1869–1946) was a French dancer, actress and courtesan.

Biography

Born in Paris, d’Alençon made her début at the Cirque d'été in 1889 before appearing at the Casino de Paris, Menus-Plaisirs, Folies Bergère, Paris Scala and the Théâtre des Variétés. Among her earlier shows were Paris Boulevards, Vénus d'Arles and Que d'eau Que d'eau. She appeared in La Belle et la Bête at the Folies Bergères and she danced in the ballet The Red Slippers in London. She also performed as a dancer at the Paris Olympia in Faust and Grand Ballet Féerie. In 1892, she came on stage as a snake dancer.[1]

Renowned as a courtesan, she was involved in a number of affairs including one with the industrialist Étienne Balsan. In 1895, she married the jockey Percy Woodland. Émilienne d’Alençon left the stage in 1906 and invested in horse racing. After losing her fortune on drugs and gambling in 1931, she was forced to sell her property and lavish furniture. She died in Nice in 1946.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Die rosa Kaninchen der Émilienne d’Alençon" (in German). Leben & Stil. Retrieved 1 March 2014.

Literature