Adeline Genee (1878-1970)

Adeline Genee (1878-1970)

Adeline Genee was born Anita Jensen at Aarhus in Denmark, on 6th January 1878. From the tender age of three she began taking dancing lessons from her uncle Alexander Genee, who was a dance master at the Milanese School. Five years later she was adopted by her uncle and his wife who continued to train her for the ballet, and began to make her first public appearances around this time in her uncles touring ballet company.

In 1895, aged seventeen, she debuted as principal dancer at the Opera House, Copenhagen. She was much admired from the start and next moved to Germany to perform at the Opera Houses in Berlin and Munich. In 1897 she crossed the channel to England for a six week engagement in "Monte Cristo" at the Empire Theatre in London. She so impressed with her classic style and grace that she was soon offered the position of prima ballerina at the Empire where she would remain for ten years. During that time she took the lead roles in all of the ballets performed at the Empire, including "The Press", "Round the Town", "Les Papillons", "High Jinks", "Cinderella", "Coppelia" (the classical ballet being performed for the first time in England), and "The Belle of the Ball" to name but a few. In a break from the Empire she also appeared in the highly successful musical play "The Little Michus" (adapted from the French) which ran to almost 400 performances at Daly's theatre from April 1905.

When Adeline first arrived in Britain, ballet was at its lowest ebb, limited mainly to short dances in variety programs. Adeline did much to revive ballets reputation and popularity during her years at the Empire, helping to establish an audience for more elaborate works. Adeline Genee’s style of dance suited the light-hearted nature of music hall ballet, but she was equally adept at the more classical form. It was at Adeline's own request that the Empire put on the production of "Coppelia" in 1906 so that she could dance the demanding role of 'Swanhilda'. Her style and technique in that role were said to have been near perfection. Adeline normally wore a costume after the 1830s style, and when she danced her sublime grace and beautiful smile capivated all who saw her. Her slender physique and delicate beauty were often likened to 'Dresden china'.

Adeline left the Empire in November 1907 and sailed to the United States to perform in the musical "The Soul Kiss" opening at the New York Theatre in January 1908. The show was produced by the great Florenz Ziegfeld who advertised Adeline prior to the opening as 'the World's greatest dancer'. The production was an enormous success and Adeline enjoyed the same adoration of her audiences as she had in Europe. She returned to London later that year and over the next few years would alternate seasons between London and New York. In America she danced in musical spectaculars, since ballet in its own right was unknown there at the time.

On June 11th, 1910, Adeline married Frank S. N. Isitt, a wealthy London lawyer, at All Saints Church in London. The wed was attended by many celebrities and socialites, and the bride was given away by the Duke of Newcastle (for whom the groom was a legal adviser).

In 1911, after completing an engagement at the Globe Theatre in New York, she was presented with a magnificient silver trophy by Alexis Kosloff which was inscribed "To the World’s Greatest Dancer". That same year the great Russian Impressario Diagilev saw her dance and immediately offered her a contract to join his company but she declined.

In 1913 she embarked on an extended sixteen week tour of Australia with J.C. Williamson's company. The Australian press gave her superstar billing and when she returned to London she had added another continent to her retinue of devoted admirers. Whilst in Australia Adeline charmed the inhabitants of Sydney where she was feted wherever she went, but none loved her more than the Australian navy whose hearts she captured when she danced a hornpipe in front of a giant Australian flage at a charity performance billed as "Navy Night".

After two more years in London's West End, Adeline retired from the stage at the height of her fame, to concentrate on her marriage. Her last major professional appearance prior to retirement was in "The Pretty Prentice" which opened at The Coliseum in London in April 1916. From that time her stage appearances to limited to irregular charity and commemorative performances. She continued to live in England in London's fashionable Regents Park and remained actively involved in the ongoing development of English ballet. In 1920, she became a founder member and first president of the "Association of Teachers of Operatic Dancing of Great Britain". The Association was begun by a small group of eminent dance professionals from across Europe who were brought together by Philip Richardson, Editor of the "Dancing Times", out of concern for the poor quality and badly organised state of dance training in Britain. The organisation rapidly grew in importance and sphere of influence until in 1935 it was granted a Royal Charter by which it became the Royal Academy of Dance and Queen Mary became its patron. Since its inception it has become the largest international classical ballet training organisation in the World. Adeline remained as president until her retirement in 1954 when she was succeeded by Dame Margot Fonteyn. Adeline continued on the committee until her death sixteen years later.

In 1923 Adeline was decorated by her King (of Denmark) with the Order of "Ingenu et Arti" for her services to the performing arts, and in 1938 was decorated again with the Royal Golden Medal of Merit. In 1931, the Adeline Genée Gold Medal Awards were instituted by the (then) Association of Operatic Dancing in her honor. Still staged annually by the (now) Royal Academy of Dancing, and although hosted in the UK, the awards are open to entrants from around the world as a means of discovering talented young dancers with the potential to go far. They continue to be one of the most important awards of excellence given to aspiring young dancers and gold medals have been won by dancers from all over the globe.

Adeline last performed on stage herself at the Colosseum in London on March 4th 1933 in a special production marking the end of that house's career as a music hall. In 1950, she was created Dame of the Order of the British Empire in the New Years Honours List for her services to ballet. In 1953, in her role of president of RAD, she instituted the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award to mark Her Majesties ascension to the throne and gracious consent to succeed her grandmother Queen Mary as patron of RAD. This award continues to be presented annually by RAD in recognition of a lifetimes acheivement in outstanding services to the art of ballet. The first Award was presented to Dame Ninette de Valois in 1954. Other recipients have included dancers, choreographers, writers, choreologists and managers.

Dame Adeline passed away on April 23rd, 1970. During her lifetime she had devoted her career to perfecting dance as an art form and restoring its ancient place of honor beside music and poetry. She herself was supreme in all its forms and was described variously as a fairy to the dance, a perennial wonder child, and always a beloved favorite. She could achieve with apparent casual ease what others reserved as a climax to their performance (such as the astoundingly difficult "enchant buit"). Her own lifetimes contribution to the development of dance and ballet in particular are unsurpassed and ensure she will always be remembered and admired in that field.