Virginia Zucchi
Encyclopedia
Virginia Zucchi was an Italian dancer. Her career as a ballerina
spanned from 1864 to 1898, and she was known as "the Divine Virginia" for her artistry, expressiveness, and virtuosity.
Zucchi studied ballet under Carlo Blasis
in Milan, She made her debut in 1864 in Varese
and danced throughout Italy, as well as in Berlin
and Paris
. In 1885, she went to St. Petersburg to dance for the summer at Kin Grust. Zucchi became so popular and highly regarded from these appearances that she joined the Mariinsky Theatre
in Russia from 1885 to 1888. During these three years, she performed in many of Marius Petipa
's ballets and ballet revivals, including The Pharaoh's Daughter
(1885), La Fille Mal Gardée
(1885) La Esmeralda
(1886), and The King's Command or The Pupils of Dupré
(1887). On one occasion under Petipa, Zucchi performed an entire solo en pointe
.
Of this period, Mary Clarke and Clement Crisp say:
After her tenure in the Mariinsky Theatre came to an end, Zucchi danced in Moscow
and St. Petersburg with her own company in the late 1880s and the early 1890s. She also performed in the Palais Garnier
(Opera of Paris) in 1895. Her final performance was in Nice
in 1898. She also contributed to the development of the St. Petersburg ballet school, and her influence in this led to the school making greater demands of its dancers in terms of technical perfection.
Zucchi later retired to Monte Carlo
, becoming a teacher. Her dancing influenced many ballerinas after her, including Mathilde Kschessinska
. When Kschessinska first saw Zucchi in person, she said:
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
spanned from 1864 to 1898, and she was known as "the Divine Virginia" for her artistry, expressiveness, and virtuosity.
Zucchi studied ballet under Carlo Blasis
Carlo Blasis
Carlo Blasis was an Italian dancer, choreographer and dance theoretician. He is well known for his very rigorous dance classes, sometimes lasting four hours long.Blasis was born in Naples...
in Milan, She made her debut in 1864 in Varese
Varese
Varese is a town and comune in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 55 km north of Milan.It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or urban part of the city is called Varesotto.- Geography :...
and danced throughout Italy, as well as in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. In 1885, she went to St. Petersburg to dance for the summer at Kin Grust. Zucchi became so popular and highly regarded from these appearances that she joined the Mariinsky Theatre
Mariinsky Theatre
The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov received their premieres. The...
in Russia from 1885 to 1888. During these three years, she performed in many of Marius Petipa
Marius Petipa
Victor Marius Alphonse Petipa was a French ballet dancer, teacher and choreographer. Petipa is considered to be the most influential ballet master and choreographer of ballet that has ever lived....
's ballets and ballet revivals, including The Pharaoh's Daughter
The Pharaoh's Daughter
The Pharaoh's Daughter , is a ballet choreographed by Marius Petipa, to the music of Cesare Pugni, with libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges from Théophile Gautier's Le Roman de la Momie...
(1885), La Fille Mal Gardée
La Fille Mal Gardée
La Fille mal gardée is a comic ballet presented in two acts, inspired by Pierre-Antoine Baudouin's 1789 painting, La réprimande/Une jeune fille querellée par sa mère...
(1885) La Esmeralda
La Esmeralda (ballet)
La Esmeralda is a ballet in 3 acts, 5 scenes, inspired by Notre Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo, originally choreographed by Jules Perrot; with music by Cesare Pugni and design by William Grieve , D. Sloman , Mme...
(1886), and The King's Command or The Pupils of Dupré
The King's Command or The Pupils of Dupré
The King's Command - ballet in 4 Acts-6 Scenes, with choreography by Marius Petipa, and music composed and adapted by Albert Vizentini in a pastiche of airs taken from various works by Johann Strauss II, Léo Delibes, Daniel Auber, Jules Massenet, and Anton Rubinstein.First presented by the...
(1887). On one occasion under Petipa, Zucchi performed an entire solo en pointe
En pointe
En pointe means "on the tip" and is a part of classical ballet technique, usually practised using specially reinforced shoes called pointe shoes or toe shoes. The technique developed from the desire for dancers to appear weightless and sylph-like and has evolved to enable dancers to dance on the...
.
- "Zucchi revolutionized ballet in Russia. The magic of her presence, the extraordinary emotional power of her performances gripped the imagination of the public and also other artists. Regrettably, she was [then] forbidden the Imperial stages by the Tzar's command because of a liaison with an aristocrat."
After her tenure in the Mariinsky Theatre came to an end, Zucchi danced in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and St. Petersburg with her own company in the late 1880s and the early 1890s. She also performed in the Palais Garnier
Palais Garnier
The Palais Garnier, , is an elegant 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It was originally called the Salle des Capucines because of its location on the Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, but soon became known as the Palais Garnier...
(Opera of Paris) in 1895. Her final performance was in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
in 1898. She also contributed to the development of the St. Petersburg ballet school, and her influence in this led to the school making greater demands of its dancers in terms of technical perfection.
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
, becoming a teacher. Her dancing influenced many ballerinas after her, including Mathilde Kschessinska
Mathilde Kschessinska
Mathilda-Marie Feliksovna Kschessinskaya She was known in the West as Mathilde Kschessinska or Matilda Kshesinskaya.- Life :Kschessinska was born at Ligovo, near Peterhof. Like all her Polish family, to whom she was known as Matylda Krzesińska, Mathilde performed at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre...
. When Kschessinska first saw Zucchi in person, she said:
- "I was fourteen when the famous Virginia Zucchi arrived in St Petersburg. From the day that Zucchi appeared on our stage I began to work with fire, energy and application: my one dream was to emulate her. The result was that when I left the School I already had a complete mastery of technique."