Vilhelm Pettersson

Last updated

Per Johan Vilhelm Pettersson (1814-1854), was a Swedish ballet dancer. He was an elite member of first the Royal Swedish Ballet during the mid 19th-century, and a deputy ballet master.

Royal Swedish Ballet

The Royal Swedish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in Europe. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, King Gustav III founded the ballet in 1773 as a part of his national cultural project in response to the French and Italian dominance in this field; he also founded the Royal Swedish Opera and the Royal Dramatic Theatre. All of these were initially located in the old theatre of Bollhuset. The troupe was founded with the opening of the Royal Swedish Opera, which has served as its home since that time.

Vilhelm Pettersson was reportedly from a poor background as the son of laborers. During his childhood, he was once asked to perform a simple extra role in a ballet performance, and liked it so much that he wished to become a dancer.

He became a student of the Royal Swedish Ballet in 1826, premier student in 1834, second-dancer in 1835, and was a premier- and grotesque dancer in 1838-54. During the 1830s, he was referred to as one of the male stars of the ballet alongside Anders Selinder, Per Christian Johansson and Carl Wilhelm Silfverberg. [1] He was deputy Ballet Master of the Royal Ballet from 1846-1851.

Anders Selinder Swedish ballet dancer

Anders Selinder, was a Swedish ballet dancer, choreographer and director. He was Ballet master of the Royal Swedish Ballet in 1833–1856.

It was said of him:

"Pettersson had quite long legs, which he displayed around him in his Grotesque dance with careless extravagance, and when he toured the countryside during the summer vacation with Edvard Stjernström and mrs Friebel, the Kalmar Newspaper announced that a new theater building should be erected to make more room for the pas de chasse of mr Pettersson and a smoother floor for the pretty little feet of the Sylphic Mrs Friebel." [2]

Aside from his dance career, he is described as a self educated autodidact, and was offered an office as assistant numismatic expert at the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities in 1854, shortly before he died of an illness.

Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities is the Swedish royal academy for the Humanities.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities also called simply the Royal Academy of Letters or Vitterhetsakademin abbreviated KVHAA is the Swedish royal academy for the Humanities. Its many publications include the archaeological and art historical journal Fornvännen, published since 1906.

Related Research Articles

Royal Dramatic Theatre theater in Stockholm, Sweden

The Royal Dramatic Theatre is Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788. Around one thousand shows are put on annually on the theatre's eight running stages.

Pehr Christian Johansson was a teacher, choreographer and balletmaster for the Russian Imperial Ballet. He was engaged at the Royal Swedish Ballet in 1829-41, and at the Imperial Russian Ballet in 1841-66.

Sophie Stebnowska Polish actor-singer

Mariane Theresia Sophie Stebnowska also called Stempkosta was a Swedish opera singer and harpist of Polish origin. She has been referred to as one of the more notable stage artists of the Gustavian era Royal Swedish Opera. She was the maternal grandmother of the famous ballerina Marie Taglioni.

Gustav Badin Swedish writer

Adolf Ludvig Gustav Fredrik Albert Badin, né Couchi, known as Badin,, was a Swedish courtservant (Kammermohr) and diarist, originally a slave, servant of first Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden and then Princess Sophia Albertine of Sweden. His original name was Couchi, but he was commonly known as Badin, which means mischief-maker or trickster.

Zelma Hedin Swedish actress

Zelma Carolina Esolinda Hedin née Bergnéhr was a Swedish stage actress. She was an elite actress of the Royal Dramatic Theatre, where she belonged to the star actors in the mid 19th-century. She was also known as Zelma Bergnéhr, Zelma Kinmansson and Zelma Bergmansson.

Sophie Marguerite Daguin was a French ballet dancer and choreographer. She spent her career in Sweden, where she became a star ballerina and ballet mistress of the Royal Swedish Ballet, and the principal of the ballet school.

André Isidore Carey was a French ballet dancer. A student of Auguste Vestris, he arrived in Stockholm in 1815 as premier danseur in the Royal Swedish Ballet until 1823. He débuted in December 1815 in La Fille mal gardée by Jean Dauberval, choreographed by Jean-Baptiste Brulo and with a company also including Sophie Daguin.

Carl Dahlén Swedish ballerina and choreographer

Carl Dahlén was a Swedish ballet dancer and choreographer, active first at the Royal Swedish Ballet at the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm, and second at the Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen at the Royal Danish Theatre in Denmark. He belonged to the first male Swedish stars at the Royal Swedish ballet.

Euphrosyne Löf Swedish actor and ballerina

Euphrosyne (Euphrosina) Löf was a Swedish ballet dancer and stage actress, best known for her affair with Prince Frederick Adolf of Sweden from 1795 to 1800, after his relationship with Sophie Hagman. Euphrosyne Löf acted as his hostess at Tullgarn.

Charlotta Sparre Swedish noble

Charlotta "Lotta" Fredrika Sparre, commonly named Lotta Sparre, was a Swedish noble and courtier.

Sophia Rosenhane Swedish patronage and noblewoman

Sophia Eleonora Rosenhane, as married Jennings, was a Swedish patron and noblewoman. At the national portrait gallery at Gripsholm Castle, her portrait was featured amongst six of the most famous Swedish women in history. She became known as a financier and respected patron of the arts. After her death she was buried at the family grave in Husby-Oppunda.

Victor Hartman Swedish actor

Victor Laurentius Hartman was a Swedish actor.

Events from the year 1814 in Sweden

Josephine Gabrielle Marcelle Meunier Sainte-Claire was a French ballerina.

Margaretha Christina Åbergsson, née Hallongren, was a Swedish ballet dancer. She was regarded as one of the elite members of the Royal Swedish Ballet in 1790-1810.

Carlo Uttini (1753-1808), was a Swedish ballet dancer. He was regarded as one of the elite members of the Royal Swedish Ballet in 1773-1804, and was also active as singer of the Royal Swedish Opera (1776–79) and as an actor at the French Theater of Gustav III (1781–92) and at the Royal Dramatic Theatre (1788-1808). He was also inspector of the royal theaters for many years. He was the son of Francesco Antonio Uttini and Rosa Scarlatti.

Adolfina Fägerstedt

Adolfina Fägerstedt, was a Swedish ballerina. She was considered as one of the leading members of the Royal Swedish Ballet in the 1830s and 1840s.

Carolina Brunström was a Swedish ballerina. She was considered as one of the leading members of the Royal Swedish Ballet in the 1810s and 1820s.

Carolina Desideria Granberg also known as Carolina Friebel, was a Swedish ballerina. She was considered as one of the leading members of the Royal Swedish Ballet.

Federico Nadi Terrade Swedish choreographer

Federico Nadi Terrade (1740-1824) was an Italian ballet dancer. He was a ballet master of the Royal Swedish Ballet on the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm from 1804 to 1806.

References

  1. ↑ Nils Personne: Svenska teatern : några anteckningar 7. Under Karl Johanstiden : 1835-1838
  2. ↑ Nils Personne: Svenska teatern : några anteckningar 7. Under Karl Johanstiden : 1835-1838

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.