Marie Sallé

Mademoiselle Sallé by Maurice Quentin de La Tour (1741)
Lisbon, Calouste Gulbenkian Museum

Marie Sallé (1707–1756) was a French dancer and choreographer known for her expressive, dramatic performances rather than a series of "leaps and frolics" typical of ballet of her time. As a choreographer she integrated music, costumes, and dance styles of her ballets with their themes, thereby anticipating the reforms made by choreographer Jean-Georges Noverre in the late 18th century. She changed the costume from heavy long dress to muslin flowing material which caused shock and delight.

Sallé studied with ballerina Françoise Prévost, who sponsored her debut in 1721 at the Paris Opéra. It is also thought possible that she studied with Jean Balon, who worked at the Paris Opéra. Her initial performances took place at Lincoln's Inn Fields Theatre at London, where she performed dances from George Frideric Handel's opera Rinaldo. In 1734 she was engaged by John Rich to perform at Covent Garden: she danced in Terpsichore, a prologue to a revision of Handel's Il pastor fido, and in the premieres of the same composer's Alcina and Ariodante.

References

• Sarah McCleave, "Sallé, Marie", Grove Music Online ed L. Macy (Accessed 28 February 2007), grovemusic.com, subscription access.
• Carl B. Schmidt, "Dance (opera)", Grove Music Online ed L. Macy (Accessed 03 April 2007), grovemusic.com, subscription access.
• Hogwood, Christopher. Handel (1988), Thames and Hudson, ISBN 0-500-27498-3.

Persondata
Name	Salle, Marie
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Short description
Date of birth	1707
Place of birth
Date of death	1756
Place of death