Vincenzo Galeotti

Vincenzo Galeotti

Vincenzo Galeotti (5 March 1733 – 16 December 1816) was an Italian-born Danish dancer, choreographer and ballet master, who was influential as the director of the Royal Danish Ballet from 1775 until his death.

Life

Born in Florence, Galeotti was trained as a dancer by Gasparo Angiolini and Jean-Georges Noverre. He performed in Milan, Torino and Venice (1765–1769), where he choreographed his first works, then in London (1769–1770) and again in Venice (1770–1775).

In 1775, he was called to Copenhagen to assume the directorship of the Royal Danish Ballet. He remained there for the rest of his life, obtaining Danish citizenship and a lifetime directorship in 1781. Galeotti continued to perform in mime roles until 1812. In that year, very unusually for a performing artist, he was made a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog. In 1814, he was also awarded a titulary professorship.

Galeotti was the teacher of the noted ballerina Anine Frølich, making her the star vehicle of his innovative choreography. They were also romantically involved, but the relationship ended unhappily.

Works

Galeotti was a leading innovator of ballet in Scandinavia. He was instrumental in introducing the Ballet d'action to Danmark and created the first ballet with a Nordic subject (Lagertha, 1801, based on the legendary Viking shieldmaiden), as well as the first choreographies inspired by William Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet, 1811, and Macbeth, 1816), with music written by Claus Schall.

He created more than 50 works, often adapting French tragedies or moral dramas for ballet. Galeotti's most lasting success, and the only work by him still commonly performed today, is Amors og Balletmesterens Luner (Amor and the ballet master Luner, 1786), which is the oldest European ballet still danced to its original choreography and music (by Jens Lolle); it has been staged more than 500 times.

References