- Original name in full:
- Giovanni Coralli Peracini
- Born:
- January 15, 1779, Paris, France
- Died:
- May 1, 1854, Paris (aged 75)
Jean Coralli
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Who was Jean Coralli?
Jean Coralli (1779â1854) was a French dancer and choreographer who served as ballet master of the Paris OpĂ©ra. He trained in Paris and debuted at the Paris OpĂ©ra in 1802. From 1808 to 1815, he was the principal dancer at La Scala in Milan.
Coralli became ballet master at the Porte-Saint-Martin Theatre in 1825, producing 10 ballets and incidental dances for dramas until 1829. In 1831, he became the ballet master at the Opéra, where he remained until 1850. He created ballets for Fanny Elssler and Carlotta Grisi, including La Péri (1843). He is also credited with Giselle (1841), though Jules Perrot arranged most of its principal action.
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What is Jean Coralli known for?
Jean Coralli was a French dancer and choreographer who served as ballet master of the Paris Opéra. He is most famously known for co-creating the Romantic ballet Giselle with Jules Perrot.
Coralli trained in Paris and debuted at the Paris Opéra in 1802. From 1808 to 1815, he was the principal dancer at La Scala in Milan. In 1825, he became ballet master at the Porte-Saint-Martin Theatre, where he produced 10 ballets until 1829. After a brief engagement in Vienna, Coralli succeeded Jean-Louis Aumer as ballet master in 1831.
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In which country was Jean Coralli born and active?
Jean Coralli was born in Paris, France, on January 15, 1779, and he remained active there for most of his career. He was a dancer and choreographer who became the ballet master of the Paris Opéra.
Coralli received early training in Paris and debuted at the Paris Opéra in 1802. From 1806 to 1807, he produced five ballets at the Court Opera in Vienna, and in 1808, he became the principal dancer at La Scala in Milan. He spent the remainder of his career in Paris, and in 1825, he became ballet master at the Porte-Saint-Martin Theatre. In 1831, Coralli became ballet master at the Opéra, where he remained until 1850.
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What are some famous ballets choreographed by Jean Coralli?
Jean Coralli was a French dancer and choreographer who served as ballet master of the Paris Opéra. Some of his notable works include:
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La TempĂȘte (1834): Created for Fanny Elssler, this ballet marked her Paris debut, establishing her as a rival to Marie Taglioni.
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Le Diable boiteux (1836): Also for Elssler, this ballet was a successful adaptation of Alain-RenĂ© Lesageâs novel, featuring the popular cachucha dance.
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La Tarentule (1839): Another ballet for Elssler, showcasing her comedic talents.
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Giselle (1841): Though officially credited to Coralli, Jules Perrot arranged most of the principal action. It is now considered a classic.
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La PĂ©ri (1843): Created entirely by Coralli for Carlotta Grisi, this ballet was Grisi's second triumph.
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Who did Jean Coralli work with when creating ballets?
Jean Coralli collaborated with several individuals throughout his career. Early in his career, he danced in ballets by Italian choreographers such as Salvatore ViganĂČ, Gaetano Gioja, and Pietro Angiolini. Later, as ballet master, he worked with the renowned dancers Fanny Elssler and Carlotta Grisi. Most notably, he collaborated with Jules Perrot to create the classic Romantic ballet Giselle in 1841.
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How did Jean Coralli influence ballet in the 19th century?
Jean Coralli significantly shaped 19th-century ballet as the ballet master of the Paris Opéra, a position he held from 1831 to 1850. During the Romantic ballet era, he created ballets for renowned dancers like Fanny Elssler and Carlotta Grisi.
Coralli's work with Elssler, including La TempĂȘte (1834), Le Diable boiteux (1836), and La Tarentule (1839), showcased her sensuality, intricate footwork, and comedic talent, establishing her as a rival to Marie Taglioni. Although credited solely to Coralli, his most famous work, Giselle (1841), was largely choreographed by Jules Perrot. Coralli also choreographed La PĂ©ri (1843) for Grisi.
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Jean Coralli (born January 15, 1779, Paris, Franceâdied May 1, 1854, Paris) was a French dancer and choreographer who was ballet master of the Paris OpĂ©ra and who, with Jules Perrot, created the Romantic ballet Giselle.
Coralli received his early training in Paris from Pierre Gardel or Jean-François Coulon and made his debut at the Paris OpĂ©ra in 1802. In 1806â07 he produced five ballets at the Court Opera in Vienna, and in 1808 he was appointed principal dancer at La Scala in Milan. He remained there as principal dancer until 1815, appearing in ballets by the most celebrated Italian choreographers of the time: Salvatore ViganĂČ, Gaetano Gioja, and Pietro Angiolini. He danced in Lisbon in 1820, and in 1824â25 he returned briefly to Milan, where he staged four ballets.
Coralli spent the rest of his career in Paris. In 1825 he became ballet master at the Porte-Saint-Martin Theatre, a commercially run house with a reputation as an alternative arena for dance. Until 1829 he there produced 10 ballets, as well as incidental dances for dramas. Notable among his ballets were Monsieur de Pourceaugnac (1826), based on MoliĂšreâs comedy; Gulliver, an adaptation of Jonathan Swiftâs satire; La Visite Ă Bedlam (1826), in which the comic dancer Charles-François Mazurier played a dancing master who took every part in an interpolated ballet; La Neige (1827), which featured a novel ice-skating scene that made use of roller skates; and LĂ©ocadie (1828), which gave Parisians their first sight of the virtuoso dancer Jules Perrot. In 1829 Coralli left Paris for a brief engagement in Vienna, where in 1830 he produced an ambitious ballet, Childerich, King of the Franks.
In 1831, following the privatization of the OpĂ©ra after the Revolution of 1830, Coralli succeeded Jean-Louis Aumer as ballet master, a post he was to hold until 1850. His appointment coincided with the most brilliant phase of the Romantic ballet, and, while he never composed for the renowned Marie Taglioni (who danced exclusively in her fatherâs ballets), four of the nine ballets he produced during his engagement were created for her great rival, Fanny Elssler, and another two were created for Carlotta Grisi. For Elssler he produced the ballet La TempĂȘte (1834), in which, on her Paris debut, her sensual appeal and intricate footwork established her as the antithesis of the ethereal Taglioni. This production was followed by Le Diable boiteux (1836), a brilliantly staged version of Alain-RenĂ© Lesageâs novel, in which she introduced her celebrated character dance, the cachucha. In a lighter vein, La Tarentule (1839) gave her scope for her comedic gift.
In 1841, when both Taglioni and Elssler had left Paris, Coralli began to work with Grisi in a ballet now universally regarded as a classic, Giselle. Although attributed solely to Coralli, who in his official capacity oversaw the production, most of its principal action was arranged by Jules Perrot, whose contribution could not be officially recognized because he was not on the payroll of the Paris OpĂ©ra. However, the choreography of La PĂ©ri (1843), which gave Grisi a second triumph, was entirely Coralliâs. In addition to these ballets, Coralli also staged divertissements for many operas, including the impressive opera-ballet La Tentation (1832).