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The Beloved Ballerina Whose Fans Pooled Their Money So They Could Buy And Eat Her Slippers
A famous 19th century dancer had a devout following who once went to extreme measures in order to have the ultimate fan experience
The admiration of famous people goes back many years. Fans love following, emulating and finding any way they can get a closer experience to their favorites. One of the most unusual examples of this was 19th century Swedish/Italian ballerina Marie Taglioni, who had such arduous supporters that a group of them came together to spend a small fortune to buy a pair of her used ballerina slippers that they then used as the main ingredient in a stew that they ate together.
Born in Sweden in 1804, Taglioni’s parents were Italian choreographer Filippoi Taglioni and Swedish ballerina Sophie Karsten. The next in line in such an artistic family, she began her own training in ballet as a child after her family moved to Vienna, Austria. Her molding as an accomplished dancer was an arduous one, marked by countless hours focusing on every minute detail of development.
Taglioni rose to fame as a dancer for the Paris Opera. Her calling card became her performance in La Sylphide, which was written by her father. In 1837, she left this post after…
