Louis Deland
Louis Joseph Marie Deland was a Swedish ballet dancer, singer, actor, choreographer and ballet master in the Royal Swedish Ballet. He is often considered the first native male star in the Royal Swedish Ballet.
Life and career
Louis Deland was the son of Louise-Antoine Deland from Luxembourg, the hairdresser, parfumeuse, and footman of the Swedish queen, Sophia Magdalena of Denmark. He was the brother of the violinist Jean Pierre Deland.He debuted on the stage of the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm in the ballet to the opera Orphée at the age of ten. He impressed the king Gustav III of Sweden, who sent him to be educated at the ballet of Paris in France, by the famous Gardel.
Career at the Royal Ballet
In 1792, he returned to Sweden, where he had his homecoming performance in Armide 9 January, and was hired as premier dancer at the Royal Swedish Opera and at the Royal Dramatic Theatre.He was soon considered the most notable male dancer in the country. He also had a beautiful voice and was considered very good in comical parts, and his interaction in the plays with Lars Hjortsberg and Carl Schylander were widely admired. He was considered to be a natural talent, who became one with his part. He was said to have a feeling of "childlike loveliness" to his appearance, which he kept through his life.
Among his parts were Niklas in Tanddoktorn by Åhlström, Husca in Karavanen by Gretry, Räfklo in Målaren och modellerna by Bouilly, Pierrot in Den talande tavlan by Gretry and Crispin in Den föregifna skatten.
In 1803, he was appointed ballet master of the Royal Swedish Ballet and in 1809 as first dancing master, a position he kept until 1820, with a brief interruption in 1816–1818.
He also composed pantomimeballets, character dances and other entertainments.
Louis Delands retired when at the age of forty, he suffered a condition which made him lose his memory. His place was in many ways filled by Per Erik Sevelin.