Prévost, Françoise (1680–1741)
Prévost, Françoise (1680–1741)
French ballerina. Name variations: Francoise Prevost. Born in France in 1680; died in 1741.
Françoise Prévost was born in 1680 and made her debut in a revival of Jean-Baptiste Lully's Atys in 1699. The enormous popularity of this opera-ballet ensured hers, and within six years she would replace Mlle de Subligny (Marie-Thérèse Subligny ) at the Opéra de France. In 1714, at a private performance in the Duchesse du Maine 's small theater at the Château de Sceaux, Prévost danced the final scene of Corneille's Horace, accompanied by Jean Balon and the music of Jean Joseph Mouret. It was not only a triumph but a French leap in the development of ballet. Prevost, a gifted actress, had moved the audience to tears. In 1720, she created Les Caractères de la danse, which would later become a showpiece for Marie-Anne Cupis de Camargo and Marie Sallé , and be published in book form in the 1920s. As her star faded, she retired at age 50 and began to teach at the Opéra's School of Dance.
sources:
Migel, Parmenia. The Ballerinas: From the Court of Louis XIV to Pavlova. NY: Macmillan, 1972.