Cleo de Merode is a popular Parisian dancer in the 19th century. She became one of the most prominent figures in French culture. Her memory is still alive today. Cleo de Merode's talent is spoken of as a gift from above.
A fragile feminine nature with an absolutely masculine character remained popular even after years. Cleopatra Diana de Merode had a difficult fate.
The road to dancing Olympus
She was born in Paris. The biography of the famous dancer began in 1875, on September 27, in the family of the Austrian landscape painter Karl Freiherr de Merode. The girl dreamed of a rapid and stellar career since childhood. Often, Cleo sang the melodies she liked, accompanying them with rhythmic movements. Noticing their daughter's hobby, the parents sent the baby to a ballet school.
By the age of eleven, Cleo had easily demonstrated professionalism. A successful creative career began. A huge role in the fate of the brilliant dancer was given to the peculiarities of her structure. De Merode, according to the memoirs of contemporaries, was surprisingly tiny and thin.
The girl was strikingly different from the stereotypes of beauty adopted at that time. However, she found her audience quickly. From the moment the training began, the gaze of teachers and fans turned to a fragile little girl. Everyone was amazed at her amazing plasticity, grace and lightness.
Cleo looked more like fairy elves than an ordinary person. During the performances, all eyes were directed only to her. From the age of thirteen she performed at Choryhee, one of the most prestigious metropolitan performances in France. The role was pivotal.
New star
The girl was noticed. Like many aspiring ballerinas, Cleo did not offer the services of makeup artists and stylists in preparation for performances. The actress did everything herself. Particular attention was paid to the hairstyle. The dancer gathered her long luxurious hair in a ponytail, twisted it at the back of her head, slightly loosening the curls in front.
It turned out to be an original bando with light curls that completely cover the ears, and a parted front. This option has become a branded one. Cleo was recognized by him. Many stylists have adopted the "Cleo de Merode style bando", the hairstyle was as popular as its inventor.
The dancer received recognition after performing in 1900 at the World Exhibition in Paris. She demonstrated "Cambodian dances". Later, de Mérode performed at the Folies Bergères, famous in the country. Her tour took place in Berlin, Budapest, the star visited New York and St. Petersburg. At twenty-three, the beauty was invited to Bordeaux. Cleo's popularity has grown to gigantic proportions.
During her performance as Phryne, the dancer attracted the attention of the Belgian monarch Leopold II. The king valued refined beauty highly. Petite Cleo really liked the noble admirer. It was only for her sake that the monarch invented reasons for visiting Paris. Leopold even contrived to refer to the need to develop certain agreements with the French government on African colonial interests.
On one of the visits, the king came to Cleo, personally presenting her with the most luxurious bouquet. From that moment, rumors about a whirlwind romance started. The French made fun of the monarch's hobby, dignifying that Cleopold. The aging ladies' man was pretty flattered by such fame. Only Cleo was not at all happy about such information. She denied with all her might the existence of this alleged connection.
A flurry of rumors swept through Paris that the monarch even intended to abdicate the throne, that he would marry a famous ballerina. The information was not confirmed, but did not subside.
Recognition and disappointment
The annoyed dancer decided to act according to her own plan. When evil tongues finally got her, she filed a lawsuit to confirm her innocence to the monarch and his hobbies. It was not possible to win the case, and the girl decided to choose a different tactic.
After some thought, Cleo decided to turn the circumstances to the benefit of the country. When the king hinted about a valuable gift, proposing to the beauty to choose, the girl suggested an idea for spending funds.
Thanks to de Merode, Paris acquired the first metro in 1900. However, instead of gratitude, the Parisians with renewed vigor took up the discussion of rumors. The dancer, completely disbelieving in people, left the city. And went on a round the world tour.
She not only danced numbers, she won hearts. Cleo has become a muse for many painters and photographers. She posed for Edgar Degas. The famous PR man Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec used her image for poster posters with the performances of Moulin Rouge. The ballerina's wax sculpture was installed in the Guerin Museum in Montmartre. De Merode also managed to visit the sculptor Alexander Falgier, the creator of The Dancer, as a model.
Later, the girl attracted the attention of photographers Paul Nodar and Leopold Reutlinger, who create postcard images. Thanks to them, the body and appearance of the ballerina were immortalized on postcards. With the outbreak of the First World War, the dancer temporarily stopped her work. She went to the front to perform, encouraging the fighters at a difficult time for everyone. The beauty returned to the stage after the end of the battles.
Now de Merode performed extremely rarely. She realized that she should remain in the memory of her descendants. Cleo wrote and published her autobiographical book, The Ballet of My Life. The famous ballerina died in 1966, on October 11.
