Suzanne Douvillier

Suzanne Théodore Vaillande Douvillier (28 September 1778 – 30 August 1826) was a French ballerina, mime and choreographer. Known as Madame Placide during the early years of her career, she is considered by some historians as the first trained ballerina to dance in the United States.

Early life Suzanne Theodore Vaillande was born in Dole, Jura, France, on September 28, 1778. It is believed that her birth was illegitimate; her mother was Marie Reine Vailland (sic) but her father is unknown. Due to a lack of extant records knowledge of her childhood is almost entirely bereft of even the vaguest detail - all that is known is that she was educated in Paris and therefore it has been conjectured that her early ballet training was at the Paris Opera. As she entered her teenage years the French Revolution was underway, and she arrived in Santo Domingo (Saint-Domingue), then part of the French West Indies, around 1790; it was there that she encountered Alexander Placide, primarily a 'theatrical figure' Her final performance was in Don Juan in 1818; in it, she wore a mask which concealed this. She died in New Orleans in 1826 at the age of 48, outliving her husband by five years. The couple are buried in St. Louis Cemetery, New Orleans. She is seen as a pioneer in both the advancement of women's roles in society and in choreography.