ballerina1023 Posted April 16, 2004 Share Posted April 16, 2004 The discussion on the 10 greatest ballerinas at NYCB got me thinking about Tanaquil LeClerq. This may sound like a trivial question, but does anyone know what her name means or if there's a "story" behind it? It's a very beautiful name, but also very odd. Also, I'm aware that she contracted polio in the late 50s, tragically ending her dancing career. What did she do after she could no longer dance? Did she teach? She's a very intriguing character to me... Link to comment
carbro Posted April 16, 2004 Share Posted April 16, 2004 I know that for the previous Balanchine Celebration she staged Haieff Divertimento. I believe that she taught at Dance Theater of Harlem. She was also a creator of crossword puzzles, some of which ran in The New York Times. I agree, the name is exotic and beautiful. This paragraph cites an Etruscan origin. Link to comment
Thalictum Posted April 16, 2004 Share Posted April 16, 2004 Her father was a classics professor and he named her after the Etruscan queen. Link to comment
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