June 21
Born Today:
Enrico Cecchetti
Dancer and renowned teacher Enrico Cecchetti (1850-1928), the son of two dancers, was actually born in the dressing room of a theatre. Later he joined the Imperial Ballet and stunned audiences with his virtuosic Bluebird solo in The Sleeping Beauty (1890) by Marius Petipa (1818-1910), a variation that still challenges ballet performers. After retiring from the stage, Cecchetti created a strong technique for training ballet dancers, and he taught at the Russian Imperial Ballet before being lured away by the Ballets Russes, training the dancers on tour and performing mime roles created expressly for him. After his death, several students codified his method and ballet teachers today can train and be certified to teach the Cecchetti Technique.
Also Born Today: Ballerina Ellen Price (1878-1968) was the model for the beloved Little Mermaid statue sitting in Copenhagen’s harbor. Experimental choreographer Dimitris Papaioannou (1964-) founded Edafos Dance Theatre, active 1986-2002, and is best known for choreographing the opening ceremonies for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.