Thursday, July 9, 2009

Week's End - Zizi in Black & White


Do you know Renée Jeanmaire aka Zizi? What a life.

Since I'm going off to live mine & help a friend hand-write wedding invitations (packing a Waterman) tomorrow, there's no time right now. She was classically trained but also put her pointed toe into music halls & piped up to sing. She was decidedly not a typical ballerina. Famous for her Carmen, she worked with Roland Petit (& married him).There are many gorgeous photographs of her on artnet & everywhere I look. But they are copyright protected. These are from LIFE archives & the credits are below. I know the top one isn't a great print, but I like it. Maybe it's silly but I miss YSL.

bisou


[Dancer Renee (Zizi) Jeanmaire (L) embracing Yves Saint Laurent at fashion show, Paul Schutzer, 1962; Dancer Renee (Zizi) Jeanmaire performing in the ballet "Carmen." Gordon Parks, October 1949. Both in Paris, France.]

3 comments:

lettuce said...

have a great weekend!

Tina Tarnoff said...

I'm ashamed to say that I never heard of her, but will deffinitely look her up. Hope you're back in one piece from the handwriting session!!!! xoxo

Susan said...

Thanks, Lettuce. I hope that if you see this, you've had a good one. It's already Sunday aft. in London. Will be over to Made4Aid questions for other blog...soon. By time I get an email to you, it will be late Monday your time. Sorry about this...

Talented Tina Tarnoff...ashamed? Ach, no shame. I forgot all about Zizi, hand to heart, until I saw some pix of her while looking for someone else. Never saw her dance, before my time. But Zizi is a great name for a cat or dog, I think. Hmmm. Still long for that Sylvie Guillem cut-out of yours. It might be my Xmas gift to self. We'll see how things progress this summer/autumn.

Still have more invitations to do but as I type this, I seem to be in one piece:) We'll finish them tomorrow (Monday, 13 July) but up here...ciao