Beaupré (dancer)
Beaupré | |
|---|---|
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| Born | Charles-François Richer de la Rigaudière c. 1758 |
| Died | 1842 |
| Nationality |  France |
| Other names | Charles Beaupré |
| Occupations | |
Charles-François Richer de la Rigaudière or Charles Beaupré (c. 1758 – 1842), known professionally as Beaupré, was an 18th century French ballet dancer, pantomimist, and dance teacher who performed at the Opéra de Paris for nearly 30 years.
Early life
[edit]Named Charles-François Richer de la Rigaudière, he was born around 1758 in Paris, France.[1]
On 8 June 1781, a fire at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal claimed the life of his brother Pierre Richer de la Rigaudière, who was born in Paris and died at 27. A member of the Académie Royale de Musique, he had been living with Charles at their mother's home.[2]
Entertainment life
[edit]Known on stage as Beaupré, he made his debut in 1789 at the Académie Royale de Musique (now Paris Opéra). He was peers with Louis-Stanislas Montjoie, Albert, Ferdinand, Clotilde Mafleuroy, Émilie Bigottini, and Fanny Bias.[3] He had attained the rank of Premier sujet (roughly corresponding to Danseur étoile) and specialized in the comic genre at the Opéra.[4]
Performances
[edit]During the 1790s, Beaupré pioneered the role of the Demi-caractère genre at the Opéra.[5] He took on a mix of prominent and supporting roles in several of Pierre Gardel's pantomimic ballets, such as La dansomanie, L'enfant prodigue, Paul et Virginie, and Le Carnaval de Venise.[6] Beaupré danced as "Domingo" in Gardel's ballet, Paul et Virginie, premiered at the Paris Opéra on 24 June 1806.[7] On 13 October 1809, he portrayed the Provost in Gardel and Méhul's La dansomanie, sharing the stage with Milon, Vestris, and Mme. Gardel.[8][9]
On 8 August 1810, he debuted in the premiere of Les bayadères, with music by Charles-Simon Catel and choreography by Gardel and Louis Milon. Appointed as premier sujet, he danced in the role of a juggler in act three alongside Vestris and Mlle Bigottini.[10] The Parisian dancer performed in Charles Didelot's romantic ballet Flore et Zéphire on 12 December 1815, taking on the role of "Pan".[11] Beaupré was cast as "Arlequin" in a two-act ballet titled Le Carnaval de Venise by Louis Milon on 22 February 1816.[12]
Retirement
[edit]He appeared on the Opéra stage until he was sixty years old. The role of Crispin in the ballet Crispin rival de son maître, performed on 15 December 1818, was his final comedic act before retiring.[6] Beaupré was the first retired subject of the Académie Royale de Musique.[13] The Royal Academy faced the challenge of replacing Beaupré, whose departure jeopardized their repertoire of comic performances. His successor, Louis-Theodore Capelle was found in London.[14] The veteran dancer was granted a pension in recognition of his service.[1]
In 1824, Beaupré was granted authorization to offer dance lessons to students at the École Polytechnique.[15] During his retirement in 1827, Beaupré composed A Short Essay on the French Danse de Société. It described the techniques used by the French dancer to instruct Quadrille dancing. Beaupré provided dance instruction to many French and English nobles who traveled to Paris.[16]
Death
[edit]Charles Beaupré died in Paris, France in 1842.[17]
Gallery
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Beaupré in Paul et Virginie. -
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References
[edit]- ^ a b Liste générale des pensionnaires de l'ancienne liste civile, avec l'indication sommaire des motifs de la concession de la pension. (1833). France: Impr. royale.
- ^ Campardon, É. (1884). Jacquet (Louise). France: Berger-Levrault et Cie.
- ^ Galignanis Picture of Paris Being a Complete Guide to All the Public Buildings [...!. (1818). France: Galignani.
- ^ Annales dramatiques, ou dictionnaire général des théâtres: contenant 1. l'analyse de tous les ouvrages dramatiques; tragédie, comédie, drame, opéra, opéra-comique, Vaudeville, etc., représentés sur les Théâtres de Paris, depuis Jodelle jusqu'à ce jour; la date de leur représentation, le nom de leurs auteurs, avec des anecdotes théâtrales; 2. les règles et observations des grands maîtres sur l'art dramatique, extraites des oeuvres d'Aristote, Horace, Boileau, d'Aubignac, Corneille, Racine, Molière, Regnard, Destouches, Voltaire, et des meilleurs Aristarques dramatiques; 3. les notices sur les auteurs, compositeurs, acteurs, actrices, danseurs, danseuses; avec des anecdotes intéressantes sur tous les personnages dramatiques, anciens et modernes, morts et vivans, qui ont brillé dans la carrière du théâtre. B - C. (1809). France: Hénée.
- ^ Giraudet, E. (1900). Traité de la danse. Tome II: grammaire de la danse et du bon ton à travers le monde et les siècles, depuis le singe jusqu'à nos jours; 6341 danses ou pas différents et articles de tous genres sur la danse .... France: E. Giraudet.
- ^ a b Blaze, F. H. J. (1855). Théâtres lyriques de Paris. L'académie impériale de musique: histoire littéraire, musicale, chorégraphique, pittoresque, morale, critique, facétieuse, politique et galante de ce théâtre de 1645 à 1855. France: Castil-Blaze.
- ^ Guest, I. (2002). Ballet Under Napolean. United Kingdom: Dance Books.
- ^ Journal de Paris Paris: 1809,7/12. (1809). France: (n.p.).
- ^ Vuillier, G., Grego, J. (1898). A History of Dancing from the Earliest Ages to Our Own Times. United States: Appleton.
- ^ Bibliothèque musicale du Théatre de l'opéra: Catalogue historique, chronologique, anecdotique, publié sous les auspices du Ministère de l'instruction publique et des beaux-arts et rédigé par Théodore de Lajarte ... Avec portraits gravés à l'eau-forte par Le Rat .... (1878). France: Librairie des bibliophiles.
- ^ Zéphire et Flore, ballet-anacréontique en deux actes , de la composition de M. Didelot,. . . Musique de M. Venna. . . (n.d.). Retrieved from https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k11619363/f22.item
- ^ Ballet. (1951). United Kingdom: Ballet Publications..
- ^ Gavarni, P. (1840). Revue et gazette musicale de Paris. France: Imprimerie de Bourgogne et Martinet.
- ^ Laugier, A. (1826). Galerie biographique des artistes dramatiques des théâtres royaux. [1ère livraison l'Académie royale de musique]. France: Ponthieux.
- ^ Pinet, G. (1887). Histoire de l'Ecole polytechnique. France: Baudry.
- ^ British Museum Catalogue of printed Books: Edited 1881-1889 by R. Garnett; 1890-1900 and Supplement by A. W. K. Miller. 393 pt. Späterer Titel: British Museum. Catalogue of printed books. (1884). United Kingdom: Dr. v. Will. Clowes & Sons.
- ^ Bournonville, A. (1999). Letters on Dance and Choreography. United Kingdom: Dance Books.
