Sophie Daguin
Encyclopedia
Sophie Marguerite Daguin (26 March 1801–1881) was a French ballet dancer and choreographer who spent her career in Sweden
, where she became a star and the ballet mistress of the Royal Swedish Ballet
and principal of the ballet school.
in her hometown Paris
, she was employed in the Ballet of the Royal Swedish Opera
in Stockholm
, where she debuted in La fille mal gardée
by Jean Dauberval
in 1815. The success was great, and her career continued steadily upwards; she was made premier dancer in 1820 (to 1843), ballet master for the Royal Swedish Ballet in 1827 (to 1830), principal for the Ballet School in 1830 (to 1856) and pantomime
dancer in 1843 (to 1856).
She was the first female ballet master of the Royal Ballet, though she did not hold this position alone but shared it jointly with Per Erik Wallqvist
. She left her position before him to become the principal of the ballet school. Until her forties, she was considered one of the greatest dancers in Stockholm
. She was seen as a role model in her role interpretations, and in her own choreographies, such as Max och Emma (Max and Emma) (1842), she presented traditions from Paris.
Among her best parts where the main part in the ballet Jenny or Engelska inbrottet i Skottland (The English burglary in Scotland), her part in the operas Den lilla slavinnan (The Little Slave) and Fra Diavolo
, in Dansvurmen (The Dance Craze) by Selinder
, Hemkosten (The Return) by Bournonville, Le Lac des fées by Filippo Taglioni
and as the abbess in the famous ballet in the convent scene in Robert av Normandie
, and in 1836 she studied the part of Fenella in Den stumma från Portici
by Daniel Auber
for Johanne Luise Heiberg
in Copenhagen
. Among her students were Charlotta Norberg
, counted as one of the greater stars within Swedish ballet in the 18th century, and Thérèse Elfforss
.
Sophie Daguin was never married; this was an age when women were not formally adults in a juridical sense, but in Sweden, it was allowed for an unmarried woman to apply for a declaration of independence, and in 1832, she was declared of legal majority.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, where she became a star and the ballet mistress of the Royal Swedish Ballet
Royal Swedish Ballet
The Royal Swedish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in Europe. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, King Gustav III founded the ballet in 1773 as a part of his national cultural project in response to the French and Italian dominance in this field; he also founded the Royal Swedish Opera and the...
and principal of the ballet school.
Biography
Daguin was born in Paris, France. After six years education under DidelotCharles Didelot
Charles-Louis Didelot was a French dancer and choreographer. The son of Charles Didelot, the dance mastor of the King of Sweden, he studied dance with his father, who was an instructor in dance at the Swedish Opera, and debuted as dancer in the theatre of Bollhuset in Stockholm 1786.He then...
in her hometown 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...
, she was employed in the Ballet of the Royal Swedish Opera
Royal Swedish Opera
Kungliga Operan is Sweden's national stage for opera and ballet.-Location and Environment:...
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, where she debuted in 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...
by Jean Dauberval
Jean Dauberval
Jean Dauberval, a.k.a Jean D’Auberval, , was a French dancer and ballet master...
in 1815. The success was great, and her career continued steadily upwards; she was made premier dancer in 1820 (to 1843), ballet master for the Royal Swedish Ballet in 1827 (to 1830), principal for the Ballet School in 1830 (to 1856) and pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
dancer in 1843 (to 1856).
She was the first female ballet master of the Royal Ballet, though she did not hold this position alone but shared it jointly with Per Erik Wallqvist
Per Erik Wallqvist
Per Erik Wallqvist Per Erik Wallqvist Per Erik Wallqvist (7 September 1797 in Stockholm, - 16 February 1855, was a Swedish ballet dancer and ballet master. Wallqvist was the ballet master of the Royal Swedish Ballet at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm between 1827 and 1833.- References :...
. She left her position before him to become the principal of the ballet school. Until her forties, she was considered one of the greatest dancers in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. She was seen as a role model in her role interpretations, and in her own choreographies, such as Max och Emma (Max and Emma) (1842), she presented traditions from Paris.
Among her best parts where the main part in the ballet Jenny or Engelska inbrottet i Skottland (The English burglary in Scotland), her part in the operas Den lilla slavinnan (The Little Slave) and Fra Diavolo
Fra Diavolo (opera)
Fra Diavolo, ou L'hôtellerie de Terracine is an opéra comique in three acts by the French composer Daniel Auber, from a libretto by Auber's regular collaborator Eugène Scribe...
, in Dansvurmen (The Dance Craze) by Selinder
Anders Selinder
Anders Selinder , , was a Swedish dancer, Ballet master, choreographer and director. He was master of the Royal Swedish Ballet in 1833-1856....
, Hemkosten (The Return) by Bournonville, Le Lac des fées by Filippo Taglioni
Filippo Taglioni
Filippo Taglioni was an Italian dancer and choreographer and personal teacher to his own daughter, the famous Romantic ballerina Marie Taglioni. He is the son of Carlo and father of both Marie and Paul...
and as the abbess in the famous ballet in the convent scene in Robert av Normandie
Robert le diable (opera)
Robert le diable is an opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer, often regarded as the first grand opera. The libretto was written by Eugène Scribe and Casimir Delavigne and has little connection to the medieval legend of Robert the Devil. Originally planned as a three-act opéra comique, "Meyerbeer persuaded...
, and in 1836 she studied the part of Fenella in Den stumma från Portici
La muette de Portici
La muette de Portici originally called Masaniello, ou La muette de Portici, is an opera in five acts by Daniel Auber, with a libretto by Germain Delavigne, revised by Eugène Scribe...
by Daniel Auber
Daniel Auber
Daniel François Esprit Auber was a French composer.-Biography:The son of a Paris print-seller, Auber was born in Caen in Normandy. Though his father expected him to continue in the print-selling business, he also allowed his son to learn how to play several musical instruments...
for Johanne Luise Heiberg
Johanne Luise Heiberg
Johanne Luise Heiberg was one of the greatest Danish actresses of the 19th century. She is most famous for her work at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, where she achieved great success.-Early life:...
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...
. Among her students were Charlotta Norberg
Charlotta Norberg
Maria Charlotta Norberg, as married Törner, , Swedish Ballerina and ballet teacher. She was counted as one of the greatest stars of the Swedish Ballet in the 19th century....
, counted as one of the greater stars within Swedish ballet in the 18th century, and Thérèse Elfforss
Thérèse Elfforss
Antoinette Thérèse Elfforss, née Öberg, , was a Swedish actor and theatre director. She was one of the most famous country-side actors in the 19th century, and was during the 1870s and 1880s called the most successful theatre-director of her country...
.
Sophie Daguin was never married; this was an age when women were not formally adults in a juridical sense, but in Sweden, it was allowed for an unmarried woman to apply for a declaration of independence, and in 1832, she was declared of legal majority.