PREVOST, FRANCOISE

born c. 1680, Paris, Fr. died 1741, Paris French ballerina, the leading dancer of her generation. Her precision, lightness, and grace helped establish the technique of classical ballet; she was also noted for her mime and dramatic ability. Prvost made her debut at the Paris Acadmie (now Opra) in Atys and later succeeded Marie Subligny as premiere danseuse. Her performance with Jean Balon in 1708 in Les Horaces, an early dance pantomime based on Pierre Corneille's play Horace, is said to have moved the audience to tears. After retiring from the Opra in 1730, she was replaced as leading female dancer by her students Marie Camargo and Marie Sall.