Gaétan Vestris

Gaétan Vestris
Vestris by Thomas Gainsborough
Born	Gaetano Apolline Baldassarre Vestri (1729-04-18)18 April 1729 Florence, Grand Duchy of Tuscany
Died	23 September 1808(1808-09-23) (aged 79) Paris, France
Occupation	Dancer
Spouse	Anna Heinel ​ ​ (m. 1792; died 1808)​
Children	Auguste Vestris, Adolphe Vestris
Career
Former groups	Paris Opera Ballet

Gaetano Apolline Baldassarre Vestris (18 April 1729 – 23 September 1808), French ballet dancer, was born in Florence and made his debut at the opera in 1749.[1]

Life

Born of an Italian theatrical family, he studied dance with Louis Dupré at the Royal Academy in Paris, later joining the Paris Opéra where he served as dancing master to Louis XVI. Vestris was the first dancer to discard the mask and to use his face in mime.

By 1751, his success and his vanity had grown to such a point that he is reported to have said, "There are but three great men in Europe—the king of Prussia, Voltaire and I." He was an excellent mimic as well as dancer. From 1770 to 1776 he was a master and composer of ballets, retiring, in favour of Jean Georges Noverre, with a pension.[2]

Vestris married his former rival, dancer Anna Heinel (1753–1808), in 1792.[3] She was of German origin and had wonderful success at the Paris Opera Ballet. They had a son, Adolphe, in 1791. He reappeared at the age of seventy-one on the occasion of his grandson's debut.[2]

Family

Gaetano had several children who also became dancers. He was the lover of French ballerina Marie Allard and their son Auguste Vestris (1760–1842) was also considered the greatest male dancer of his time.[4] Auguste made his debut at 12 with the Paris Opéra and was the company's leading dancer for 36 years. Auguste's son, Auguste Armand Vestris (1788–1825), husband of Lucia Elizabeth Vestris, took to the same profession and made his debut at the opera in 1800, but left Paris for England, Italy and Vienna never reappearing in France. Gaetano's brother, Angiolo Vestris (1730–1809), formerly a dancer and later an actor at the Comédie-Italienne, married Marie Rose Gourgaud, the sister of the actor Dugazon. Gaetano and Angiolo's sister, Thérèse (1726-1808), was also a dancer.[2]

References

1. "Gaétan Vestris". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
2. Chisholm 1911.
3. "The Vestris Dynasty". Andros on Ballet. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
4. Commire, Anne, ed. (2002). "Allard, Marie (1742–1802)". Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Waterford, Connecticut: Yorkin Publications. ISBN 0-7876-4074-3. Archived from the original on 2012-01-23.

Attribution:

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Vestris, Gaetano Appolino Baldassare". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 27 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 1063.