Born: 1838/40
Died: 1922
Biography:
Mariquita, often referred to as Madame Mariquita, (1838/401922) was an Algerian-born dancer who became a ballerina, and later a successful choreographer and ballet mistress at various theatres in Paris from the 1870s until 1920. Though best known for her work at the Opéra-Comique, where she was a trailblazer in modernizing French ballet during the 1900s and 1910s, Mariquita also staged popular ballets and divertissements for boulevard theatres and music halls throughout her life. Highly prolific, she created almost 300 ballets over a span of 50 years. While her life and work are not well documented in modern ballet history, contemporaries regarded her as one of the best choreographers of her time, lauding her as French Fokine, model of choreographers, and most artistic of all dance-mistresses.
Little is known about Mariquitas early life. She was born near Algiers, likely sometime between 1838 and 1840. She is said to have been found by a female dancer as a small child beside a fountain near Aumale in Algeria. She learned to dance even before she could read. After the death of her adoptive mother, Mariquita was brought to Paris by an impresario. She débuted in Paris in 1845 in a Vaudeville production at the Théâtre des Funambules at the age of seven or eight, under the stage name Fanny. In 1855, Jacques Offenbach offered her a contract at his newly opened Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens. During the 1850s, she may also have received classical dance training from premier danseur, Antoine Paul, and in 1858 she joined the ballet corps of the Opéra at the rank of sujet de la danse, but only remained for two months despite incurring a fine for prematurely ending her contract. From the Opéra she went to Madrid, where she danced as a première danseuse. Around 1860, Mariquita returned to Paris and danced in the spectacular féeries at the Porte-Saint-Martin, where she remained for fifteen years. While there, she created roles for Biche au bois, Le Pied du mouton, La Fée aux chèvres, and Le tour du monde en 80 jours, among others. During this time, she also danced for other theatres, including the Théâtre des Variétés and the Folies Bergère.
Mariquitas first work as a choreographer was for the Skating de la Rue Blanche, which had a small theatre. She also began choreographing at the Folies-Bergère, collaborating with conductor-composer Olivier Métra on such works as Les Fausses almées, Les Papillons noirs, Les Joujoux, and Les Faunes. By 1880, her work consisted almost exclusively of choreography and teaching: she worked as ballet mistress for the Châtelet, and arranged divertissements for the Skating de la Rue Blanche and the Gaîté-Lyrique. The Gaîté eventually offered her the position of ballet mistress.