Throwback Thursday and Amalia Brugnoli
Amalia Brugnoli. Have you heard of her? Probably not. But
she was one of the first dancers to perform on pointe – before Marie Taglioni. In
fact, Taglioni, in her memoirs, wrote about Amalia in less than glowing terms:
''Mlle. Brugnoli was a dancer who presented a new
kind of dancing; she did very extraordinary things on the point of her foot,
which was long and narrow, very advantageous for this sort of dancing. I did
not find her graceful because, in order to rise on point, she had to make great
efforts with her arms.''
Did Amalia invent pointe technique? Probably not. The
inventor (or inventors) has been lost to history unless someone uncovers a
document in an attic that would prove otherwise.
Born about 1802 in Milan, Italy, Amalia trained at the Academy
of Ballet at La Scala. In the ballet La
Fee et le Chevalier (The Fairy
and the Knight) in 1822, she gave her first performance on pointe. Taglioni was
in the audience. Here Taglioni first observed this new skill, and it probably
provided the impetus for her to perfect it for herself.
Amalia had several famous dance partners, including Armand
Vestris and Carlo Blasis. In 1828, Amalia met her future husband, dancer and
choreographer Paolo Samengo. They went on to become a popular husband-and-wife
team who toured throughout Europe. In 1832, she appeared in London at the King’s
Theatre – again, dancing on the tips of her toes.
Amalia Brugnoli lived a long life and died in 1892.
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets:
Dance History Factoid #128:
“ Amalia Brugnoli was one of the first dancers to perform on
pointe.”
Link of the Day:
Quote
of the Day:
“Invention, using the term most broadly,
and imitation, are the two legs, so to call them, on which the human race
historically has walked.”
― William James, Talks to Teachers on Psychology and to Students on Some of Life's Ideals
― William James, Talks to Teachers on Psychology and to Students on Some of Life's Ideals
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