Zizi was a great dancer.
She lived in France. She danced on big stages. She also sang songs. People loved to watch her move. Do you like to dance too?
Zizi Jeanmaire was a famous dancer from France.
She danced in many big shows. She also sang songs and acted in films. She became a star in a dance called Carmen. For that role, she cut her hair very short. Many women liked her look and did it too. Zizi worked with her husband, Roland Petit. He made many shows for her to dance in. She even wore beautiful clothes made by a famous designer. People all over the world loved to watch her perform.
Zizi Jeanmaire was a famous star from France.
She was a ballet dancer, a singer, and an actress. She met her husband, Roland Petit, when they were nine. He was a maker of dances. He made over 60 shows for her.
Zizi became very famous in the 1950s. She played the lead in a ballet called Carmen. She cut her hair very short for this role. Many women copied her short hair style.
Zizi also appeared in movies in Hollywood. She was in the film Hans Christian Andersen. She also sang songs in many shows. One song was called "Mon truc en plumes." In this act, twelve men carried pink feather fans. She wore a dress made by Yves Saint Laurent. He was a famous designer and a friend. Zizi was a guide for fashion. People even wrote songs about her. She was a true star of the stage. She died in Switzerland in 2020.
Zizi Jeanmaire was a famous star from France.
She was a talented ballet dancer, singer, and actress. She was born in Paris to Marcel and Olga Jeanmaire. As a young girl, her mother called her "mon Zizi." This name eventually became her famous stage name. She met her husband, Roland Petit, at the Paris Opera Ballet. They were both only nine years old when they met. Later, they worked together for many years on many shows.
Zizi became a huge star in the 1950s. Her most famous role was in the ballet Carmen. This ballet used music from an opera by Bizet. To play this part, Zizi cut her hair very short. Her boyish hair style was so popular that many women copied it. The ballet premiered in London at the Prince's Theatre in 1949. It was such a hit that it went on a long tour on Broadway. People loved her energy and her passion for dance.
Zizi did much more than just dance ballet. She was a singer of songs called chansons. In 1950, a song she sang won a Grand Prix du disque. She also acted in movies in Hollywood. She appeared in the film Hans Christian Andersen in 1952. This movie featured actors Danny Kaye and Farley Granger. In 1954, she performed on Broadway in The Girl in Pink Tights. She also starred in the film Anything Goes in 1956.
Starting in 1961, Zizi performed in many exciting revues. These were large shows at the Alhambra Theatre. One of her most famous acts was "Mon truc en plumes." In this show, twelve young men carried pink feather fans. She wore a special dress made by Yves Saint Laurent. He was a famous designer and a close friend to her. Roland Petit created more than 60 shows for her to perform.
Zizi was a very important person in the world of fashion. She often sat in the best seats at fashion shows. In 1967, she sat near stars like Catherine Deneuve. Many years later, a magazine called Vogue called her a guide for fashion stars. Her life was so interesting that people even wrote songs about her. One song by Peter Sarstedt mentions her dancing style. Another song by Steve Harley also uses her name. Zizi Jeanmaire died in Switzerland on 17 July 2020.
Renée Marcelle "Zizi" Jeanmaire was a versatile French performer. She excelled as a ballet dancer, actress, and singer. Her career spanned many decades and different types of entertainment. She was known for her intense energy and passion on stage. Jeanmaire became a major star during the 1950s. Her influence reached from the ballet stages of Paris to Hollywood films.
Jeanmaire's journey began in Paris. She was born to Olga Renée Brunus and Marcel Jeanmaire. As a child, her mother used the nickname "mon Zizi." This childhood name eventually became her famous professional identity. A significant partnership began when she was only nine years old. She met the dancer and choreographer Roland Petit at the Paris Opera Ballet. They became lifelong collaborators and eventually married in 1954. Petit created more than 60 different shows specifically for her to perform.
Her professional training led her through several prestigious dance companies. In 1944, she performed in the Soirées de la danse at the Theater Sarah Bernhardt. She later joined the Nouveau Ballet de Monte Carlo as a ballerina in 1946. In 1947, she danced with the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo during its final season in London. By 1949, she was the star of the Ballets de Paris. This company was directed by her husband, Roland Petit. Her performances were noted for their high level of skill and emotion.
Jeanmaire achieved international fame through the ballet Carmen. This production used a musical arrangement of an opera by Georges Bizet. The ballet premiered at the Prince's Theatre in London on 21 February 1949. To prepare for the role, Jeanmaire cut her hair into a very short, boyish style. This look became a fashion trend that many women chose to copy. The production was a massive success on the London stage. It even went on an extended tour on Broadway in the following season.
Beyond ballet, Jeanmaire was a talented chanson singer. A chanson is a type of French song. In 1950, a song she performed, composed by Raymond Cheneau, won a Grand Prix du disque. She also transitioned into the world of cinema. In 1952, she appeared in the Hollywood musical film Hans Christian Andersen. This film featured actors Danny Kaye and Farley Granger. She later starred in the 1956 film Anything Goes alongside Bing Crosby. She also performed on Broadway in the 1954 musical The Girl in Pink Tights.
From 1961, Jeanmaire focused on large-scale revues at the Alhambra Theatre. These shows were famous for their spectacle and style. One of her signature acts was the number "Mon truc en plumes." In this performance, twelve young men carried large pink feather fans. She wore a dress designed by the famous couturier Yves Saint Laurent. Saint Laurent became her close friend and her primary designer for both stage and private clothing. Jeanmaire's presence at fashion shows was highly significant. In 1967, she sat among other icons like Catherine Deneuve and Françoise Hardy. Vogue magazine later described her as a guidepost for celebrity culture in the fashion world.
Jeanmaire's legacy continues through cultural references in music. The singer Peter Sarstedt included her in the lyrics of "Where Do You Go To (My Lovely)?" He wrote that a person might dance like Zizi Jeanmaire. Similarly, Steve Harley mentioned her in the song "Nothing Is Sacred." Her daughter, Valentine, also followed in her footsteps as a dancer and actress. Zizi Jeanmaire passed away in Switzerland on 17 July 2020. She left behind a massive body of work in dance, film, and music.
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