Marie Sallé

Mademoiselle Sallé by Maurice Quentin de La Tour (1741)
Lisbon, Calouste Gulbenkian Museum

Marie Sallé (1707–1756) was a French dancer and choreographer known for her expressive, dramatic performances rather than a series of "leaps and frolics" typical of ballet of her time. As a choreographer she integrated music, costumes, and dance styles of her ballets with their themes, thereby anticipating the reforms made by choreographer Jean-Georges Noverre in the late 18th century. She argued that costumes should reflect and represent the character, a novel idea at the time. She changed the costume from heavy long dress to muslin flowing material which caused shock and delight. She often performed without a skirt or bodice, rebelling against the traditional costume of the time.

Sallé studied with ballerina Françoise Prévost, who sponsored her debut in 1721 at the Paris Opéra. It is also thought possible that she studied with Jean Balon, who worked at the Paris Opéra. Sallé and dancer Marie Camargo were Prévost's two most prominent students. Although the two dancers studied together, they formed very different approaches to their dancing. Camargo became the technician, while Sallé became the actress. Prévost taught both Camargo and Sallé his Les Caractères de la Danse, but Sallé turned it into a pas de deux for herself and a male, enabling the display of emotions between the two of them. She soon moved from Paris to London, finding greater success. Her initial performances took place at Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre at London, where she performed dances from George Frideric Handel's opera Rinaldo. In 1734 she was engaged by John Rich to perform at Covent Garden: she danced in Terpsichore, a prologue to a revision of Handel's Il pastor fido, and in the premieres of the same composer's Alcina and Ariodante. In 1734 she also choreographed and performed in Pygmalion, her most famous work. According to Susan Au, her choreography "gave the impression of a danced conversation" (Ballet and Modern Dance 32). This work enabled Sallé to rise to fame, and she traveled to Paris to dance for the King and Queen. Sallé eventually retired from performing in 1740.

References

• Sarah McCleave, "Sallé, Marie", Grove Music Online ed L. Macy (Accessed 28 February 2007), grovemusic.com, subscription access.
• Carl B. Schmidt, "Dance (opera)", Grove Music Online ed L. Macy (Accessed 3 April 2007), grovemusic.com, subscription access.
• Hogwood, Christopher. Handel (1988), Thames and Hudson, ISBN 0-500-27498-3.
• Au, Susan. Ballet and Modern Dance (1988), Thames and Hudson, ISBN 0-500-20352-0.

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