Marie-Jeanne

Marie-Jeanne Godwin (née Pelus, August 12, 1920 – December 27, 2007) was an American ballet dancer. She was one of the first students of George Balanchine's School of American Ballet. Her dance career started at the Ballet Caravan in 1937, followed by stints at Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, American Ballet Caravan, Ballet International and Ballet Society, before becoming a founding member of the New York City Ballet, where she danced for one season. She then joined Grand Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas, before briefly returning to the New York City Ballet in 1953, and retired in 1954. She was associated with Balanchine throughout her career. Early life and training Marie-Jeanne Pelus was born on August 12, 1920, in Manhattan, New York. She was the only child of a French milliner mother and an Italian chef father, both immigrants. She was born on her family's kitchen table because while her father was cooking dinner, her mother went into labor. She saw her first ballet on New Year's Eve 1933, when her mother "dragged" her to a show danced by Colonel de Basil's Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, which included George Balanchine's Cotillon and Michel Fokine's Les Sylphides, performed by Alexandra Danilova, Tamara Toumanova, Irina Baronova and Tatiana Riabouchinska. Two days later, she entered School of American Ballet, newly founded by Balanchine. Months later, she danced in the "Preghiera" section of Balanchine's Mozartiana, as well as small roles in Les Songes and Errante. Her teachers included Pierre Vladimiroff, Muriel Stuart, Dorothie Littlefield, Anatole Vilzak, Ludmilla Schollar and Anatole Oboukhoff. Career In 1937, 17-year-old Marie-Jeanne joined the Ballet Caravan, a touring company organized by Lincoln Kirstein. She chose to drop her surname, Pelus, as she thought the audience might find it awkward, and people frequently pronounced her surname incorrectly. With the company, Eugene Loring created the double roles of the titular character's mother and dream sweetheart in his Billy the Kid. Loring also chose her to dance as Columbine in Harlequin and South Sea Lady in Yankee Clipper. Lew Christensen created the role of the Rich Girl in Filling Station on her, and cast her as title role in Pocahontas and the Debutante in Charade. Her term with the company ended in 1940.