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Marguerite Charlotte Lavoie

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Carlotta
Born
Marguerite Charlotte Lavoie

1912
Saint-Jérôme (now Métabetchouan)
Died2005
OccupationDancer

Marguerite Charlotte Lavoie (1912–2005), also known as Carlotta, was a Canadian dancer.[1] She became Canadian artist Frederick Simpson Coburn's muse and was portrayed in multiple of his paintings and photographs.

Life

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Marguerite was born in Saint-Jerôme (now Métabetchouan), Quebec in 1912.[2] After becoming an orphan at the age of 4, she was raised by an aunt. She met the dancer and choreographer Alvarez (Gérard Hébert) at a Saint John Baptist parade in Montréal. He became her partner in the stage and in life.

Career

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Carlotta built her career in Montreal between the years 1930 and 1950.[1] She opened a dance studio with Alvarez, her partner, in mid 1930s with the financial help of their friend Frederick S Coburn. The studio remained open for more than 25 years.

Carlotta and Alvarez had a strong attraction for the Spanish culture and visited Spain several times. The couple practiced a huge variety of dances and created their own costumes.[1]

Carlotta met the artist Frederick Simpson Coburn in 1933 while working as a model. She quickly became his muse, being portrayed in multiple of his paintings and photographs.[3] Carlotta introduced Coburn to the dance,[4] which helped him anticipate her movements and capture them through his photos.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Bouchard, Lydia (2015). "Carlotta sous les projecteurs". Continuité (in French) (143): 9–12. ISSN 0714-9476.
  2. ^ civilisation, Musée de la. "Collections - Musée de la civilisation". Collections - Musée de la civilisation. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
  3. ^ "Carlotta et Frederick Simpson Coburn dansant - Coburn, Frederick Simpson". Collections | MNBAQ. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
  4. ^ "Film, Frederick Coburn dances with Carlotta - Eastern Townships Archives Portal". www.townshipsarchives.ca. Retrieved 2024-10-26.