Caroline Augusta Josephine Thérèse Fuchs (September 17, 1806February 17, 1901), known professionally as Mlle Augusta, was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

ballet dancer A ballet dancer is a person who practices the Art (skill), art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. B ...

Early life

Caroline Augusta Josephine Thérèse Fuchs was born in

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

on September 17, 1806.Swift, M. (1998). Augusta, Madame. In The International Encyclopedia of Dance. : Oxford University Press. Retrieved 1 Nov. 2024, from https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195173697.001.0001/acref-9780195173697-e-0096.Koegler, H. (1998). Dizionario della danza e del balletto. Italy: Gremese Editore. She later married a Frenchman who styled himself the Count of St. James and claimed descent from the

House of Stuart The House of Stuart, originally spelled Stewart, also known as the Stuart dynasty, was a dynasty, royal house of Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland and later Kingdom of Great Britain, Great ...

, thus she became known as the Countess of Saint-James.Ludlow, N. M. (1880). Dramatic Life as I Found it: A Record of Personal Experience; with an Account of the Rise and Progress of the Drama in the West and South, with Anecdotes and Biographical Sketches of the Principal Actors and Actresses who Have at Times Appeared Upon the Stage in the Mississippi Valley. United States: G.I. Jones and Company.

Entertainment life

Mademoiselle Augusta (or Mlle Augusta) was the stage name of Caroline Augusta Fuchs. Fuchs began her professional career in

Brussels, Belgium Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

.Paris, C., Bayo, J. (n.d.). Diccionario biográfico de la danza. Spain: Librerías Deportivas Esteban Sanz. She performed in ''

La muette de Portici ''La muette de Portici'' (''The Mute Girl of Portici'', or ''The Dumb Girl of Portici''), also called ''Masaniello'' () in some versions, is an opera in five acts by Daniel Auber, with a libretto by Germain Delavigne, revised by Eugène Scri ...

'' around 1830 and ''La Sylphilde''. Mlle Augusta studied with renowned choreographers

Filippo Taglioni Filippo Taglioni (aka Philippe Taglioni; 5 November 1777 – 11 February 1871) was an Italian dancer and choreographer and personal teacher to his own daughter, Romantic ballerina Marie Taglioni. (He had another child who also danced ballet ...

and

Albert Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert Computers, Inc., a computer manufacturer in the 1980s * Albert Czech Republic, a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street mar ...

before making her London debut at the

Drury Lane Theatre The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dru ...

in 1833.Fisher, J. (2015). Historical Dictionary of American Theater: Beginnings. United Kingdom: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. In March 1833, Mlle Augusta was cast in '' The Maid of Cashmere'' as Fatima, and performed at the Theatre Royal in a

pas de deux In ballet, a ( French, literally "step of two") is a dance duet in which two dancers, typically a male and a female, perform ballet steps together. The ''pas de deux'' is characteristic of classical ballet and can be found in many well-known ...

with Pauline Duvernay. Following this, she took the stage at the

Opéra de Paris The Paris Opera ( ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be kn ...

in 1835. Arriving from Europe, Fuchs reached the United States in 1836. Her American debut was in a scene from the ballet of ''Les Naiades'' at Park Theatre on September 16, 1836.Whitman, W. (1998). The Journalism: 1846-1848. Switzerland: P. Lang. Her pas seul performance was met with enthusiasm, and she soon became a popular draw. Performing ''La bayadère'' at New York's Park Theatre in November 1836, Mlle Augusta received reviews that surpassed those of her contemporary, Madame Céleste. During her U.S. tour, she found success with ''

La Sylphide ''La Sylphide'' (; ) is a romantic ballet in two acts. There were two versions of the ballet; the original choreographed by Filippo Taglioni in 1832, and a second version choreographed by August Bournonville in 1836. Bournonville's is the only ve ...

'' in 1838. That same year, she performed in '' The Maid of Cashmere'' in Philadelphia. On November 4, 1845, following a lengthy absence, Mlle Augusta re-appeared in ''La bayadère'' upon her return from Europe. She was cast as New York City's first "Giselle" in the

romantic ballet The Romantic ballet is defined primarily by an era in ballet in which the ideas of Romanticism in art and literature influenced the creation of ballets. The era occurred during the early to mid 19th century primarily at the Théâtre de l'Acadé ...

of ''

Giselle ''Giselle'' ( , ), originally titled ''Giselle, ou les Wilis'' (; ''Giselle, or The Wilis''), is a romantic ballet () in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam. Considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon, it was first perfor ...

, or The Wilis'' on February 2, 1846. Mlle Augusta's appearance at

Burton's Theatre Palmo's Opera House (later Burton's Theater and the Chambers Street Theatre) was a 19th-century theatre in Manhattan, New York, that was located on Chambers Street between Broadway and Centre Street. It was one of the earliest opera houses in ...

featured Aurelia Dimier (making her debut), Madame Céleste (la petite), Mons Fréderick, and Mr. B. Yates, and the performance ran for eleven nights. Throughout the mid-to-late 1840s, she starred in ''Giselle'' before taking on the role of Urielle in ''

Le Diable amoureux ''The Devil in Love'' (, 1772) is an occult romance by Jacques Cazotte which tells of a demon, or devil, who falls in love with a young Spanish nobleman named Don Alvaro, an amateur human dabbler, and attempts, in the guise of a young woman, to w ...

'', and on July 4, 1850, she produced the ballet ''Nathalie''.Ireland, J. N. (1867). Records of the New York stage, from 1750 to 1860. United States: (n.p.). Mlle Augusta concluded her career in 1851 at

in New York, later hosting a complimentary benefit in memory of her husband, who died in 1855. In 1880, it was noted that she was instructing dance in New York City.

Death

Mlle Augusta died in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

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on February 17, 1901.

Gallery

Madame Augusta in the cachucha LCCN2003664119.tif, Madame Augusta in the Cachucha Mlle. Augusta (NYPL b12148968-5226878).jpg, Portrait of Mlle Augusta Unidentified ballet (NYPL b12164392-5226880).jpg, Mlle Augusta, 1840

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Madame Augusta 1806 births 1901 deaths Entertainers from Munich German female dancers German ballet dancers 19th-century German ballet dancers Paris Opera Ballet dancers