Tanaquil LeClerq
Encyclopedia
Tanaquil Le Clercq was a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet
, but her dancing career was ended when she was stricken with polio and paralyzed from the waist down.
Tanaquil Le Clercq was the daughter of Jacques Le Clercq, a French intellectual, and his American wife, Edith (née
Whittemore). Tanaquil studied ballet with Mikhail Mordkin
, before auditioning for the School of American Ballet
in 1941. She was then offered a scholarship to the school
When she was 15 years old, George Balanchine
asked her to dance with him in a choreography he made to be performed at a benefit for a Polio charity. In this ballet, Balanchine was a character named Polio and Tanaquil was his victim who became paralyzed and fell to the floor. Children tossed dimes at Le Clercq, whereupon she got up and danced again. During her tenure with the company, Balanchine, Jerome Robbins
and Merce Cunningham
all created roles for her. She began teaching and as one student recalled: "She used her hands and arms as legs and feet." LeClercq contracted polio in Copenhagen
in 1956.
, but was not his last muse. Balanchine obtained a quick divorce from her to woo Suzanne Farrell
, who declined his proposal.
New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Leon Barzin was the company's first music director. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company...
, but her dancing career was ended when she was stricken with polio and paralyzed from the waist down.
Tanaquil Le Clercq was the daughter of Jacques Le Clercq, a French intellectual, and his American wife, Edith (née
Whittemore). Tanaquil studied ballet with Mikhail Mordkin
Mikhail Mordkin
Mikhail Mordkin graduated from the Bolshoi Ballet School in 1899, and in the same year was appointed ballet master.He joined Diaghilev's ballet in 1909 as a leading dancer. After the first season he remained in Paris to dance with Pavlova...
, before auditioning for the School of American Ballet
School of American Ballet
The School of American Ballet is one of the most famous classical ballet schools in the world and is the associate school of the New York City Ballet, a leading international ballet company based at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. The school trains students from the...
in 1941. She was then offered a scholarship to the school
When she was 15 years old, George Balanchine
George Balanchine
George Balanchine , born Giorgi Balanchivadze in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to a Georgian father and a Russian mother, was one of the 20th century's most famous choreographers, a developer of ballet in the United States, co-founder and balletmaster of New York City Ballet...
asked her to dance with him in a choreography he made to be performed at a benefit for a Polio charity. In this ballet, Balanchine was a character named Polio and Tanaquil was his victim who became paralyzed and fell to the floor. Children tossed dimes at Le Clercq, whereupon she got up and danced again. During her tenure with the company, Balanchine, Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins was an American theater producer, director, and choreographer known primarily for Broadway Theater and Ballet/Dance, but who also occasionally directed films and directed/produced for television. His work has included everything from classical ballet to contemporary musical theater...
and Merce Cunningham
Merce Cunningham
Mercier "Merce" Philip Cunningham was an American dancer and choreographer who was at the forefront of the American avant-garde for more than 50 years. Throughout much of his life, Cunningham was considered one of the greatest creative forces in American dance...
all created roles for her. She began teaching and as one student recalled: "She used her hands and arms as legs and feet." LeClercq contracted polio in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
in 1956.
Personal life
She was the fourth and last wife (1952—1969) of George BalanchineGeorge Balanchine
George Balanchine , born Giorgi Balanchivadze in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to a Georgian father and a Russian mother, was one of the 20th century's most famous choreographers, a developer of ballet in the United States, co-founder and balletmaster of New York City Ballet...
, but was not his last muse. Balanchine obtained a quick divorce from her to woo Suzanne Farrell
Suzanne Farrell
Suzanne Farrell is an eminent 20th century ballerina and the founder of the Suzanne Farrell Ballet at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C....
, who declined his proposal.