“Classical” classical ballet had more strength in the Romantic period. Talk about fairies, spirits… It’s very sad that two great promises of the stage, who shone for a short time, have had such tragic and similar histories. Emma Livry and Tanaquil LeClercq lived 106 years apart, had the same dreams, and saw their careers end tragically.

Livry, French, emerged at the age of 16 as Marie Taglioni‘s replacement. Taglioni herself fell in love with the young woman and trained her personally. She was supposed to be the biggest star of all time.

Poets fell in love, audiences went crazy, but Livry only lived to be 21. At 20, her clothes accidentally caught fire as she was getting ready to go on stage. It was the time of gaslighting and Livry was not the first, nor the last, dancer to burn to death. Just the most famous.

A few photos survive of that star that never was. Her story moves anyone… and the dark thing is that the ballet created for her, which was her “signature”, was called The Butterfly. In it, the little butterfly almost burns to death, but is brought to life… the same didn’t happen in the real world.

After having almost 70% of her body burned, especially her legs, Emma still survived with pain and injuries for a year. She died at the age of 21.

LeClercq, despite her name, was American. Discovered by George Balanchine and made a star by him (also his wife), she was the example of the new school ballerina. Versatile, talented, fun, and beautiful, she shone on stage and in her husband’s works in a rapid rise. Tragedy was around the corner, however.

One of the first pieces Balanchine created for LeClercq, when she was still 12 years old, was a ballet where she was attacked by polio, was paralyzed, but miraculously was cured in the end.

Just like Livry, fiction became reality, but as there were no miracles, only the sad part remained. At age 27 and in the middle of a triumphant tour of Europe, LeClercq fell ill. Contaminated by polio, she lost the use of her legs and never danced again. She had to watch her husband fall in love with others, create works of art for others, and herself – on a chair – teach her ballets to her successors. A torture that she never allowed to come out of the scenes for books or films. Recently, his incredible story ended up generating novels, but we will never have a personal story. She died 13 years ago in New York.

Emma and Tanaquil, muses of dance, top stars of an art that stands the test of time…

*originally published on 01/18/2013

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