Heidi Vosseler
Encyclopedia
Heide Vosseler was a European-born ballerina and member of George Balanchine
's first American ballet company, American Ballet
, from 1935 to 1938. She performed in his first American ballet, Serenade
, in his Alma Mater, in two productions he choreographed for the Metropolitan Opera
, and was featured in two Broadway musicals he choreographed, The Boys from Syracuse
and Louisiana Purchase
in which she understudied and appeared for Vera Zorina
. Her sister Mardee
was also a ballerina.
Miss Vosseler married tap dancer Paul Draper
on June 23, 1941, in Rio de Janeiro
and lived with him in Europe until returning to the United States in 1954. They had three daughters, Pamela, Susan and Kate. She died of lung cancer at her home in Woodstock, NY, 74 years old.
George Balanchine
George Balanchine , born Giorgi Balanchivadze in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to a Georgian father and a Russian mother, was one of the 20th century's most famous choreographers, a developer of ballet in the United States, co-founder and balletmaster of New York City Ballet...
's first American ballet company, American Ballet
American Ballet
The American Ballet was the first professional ballet company George Balanchine created in the United States. The company was founded with the help of Lincoln Kirstein and Edward Mortimer Morris Warburg, managed by Alexander Merovitch and populated by students of Kirstein and Balanchine's School of...
, from 1935 to 1938. She performed in his first American ballet, Serenade
Serenade (ballet)
Serenade is a ballet by George Balanchine, subsequently co-founder and balletmaster of New York City Ballet, to Tschaikovsky's 1880 Serenade for Strings in C, Op. 48...
, in his Alma Mater, in two productions he choreographed for the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
, and was featured in two Broadway musicals he choreographed, The Boys from Syracuse
The Boys from Syracuse
The Boys from Syracuse is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart, based on William Shakespeare's play, The Comedy of Errors, as adapted by librettist George Abbott. The score includes swing and other contemporary rhythms of the 1930s. The show was the first musical...
and Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase (musical)
Louisiana Purchase is a musical theater production from 1940. It has music and lyrics by Irving Berlin and book by Morrie Ryskind based on a story by B. G. DeSylva. In 1941 it was adapted for the film Louisiana Purchase directed by Irving Cummings....
in which she understudied and appeared for Vera Zorina
Vera Zorina
Vera Zorina was a Norwegian ballerina, musical theatre actress and choreographer.-Background:Vera Zorina was born Eva Brigitta Hartwig in Berlin, Germany. Her father Fritz was a German and her mother Billie Hartwig was Norwegian. Both were professional singers...
. Her sister Mardee
Mardee Vosseler
Mardee Vosseler was a European-born ballerina, a protege Catherine Littlefield and sister of ballerina Heidi Vosseler. She performed in La Traviata, Carmen and William Sena's Scene dansante with the Philadelphia La Scala Opera Company at the Academy of Music. Vosseler died in November, 1941, of...
was also a ballerina.
Miss Vosseler married tap dancer Paul Draper
Paul Draper (dancer)
Paul Draper was a noted American tap dancer and choreographer. Born into an artistic, socially prominent New York family, the nephew of Ruth Draper was an innovator in the arts. Despite the pressure his family put on him to become an engineer, Paul’s love for dance persisted and ultimately won out...
on June 23, 1941, in Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
and lived with him in Europe until returning to the United States in 1954. They had three daughters, Pamela, Susan and Kate. She died of lung cancer at her home in Woodstock, NY, 74 years old.