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Article: [ OBITUARIES ]
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- January 2, 2001
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Tanaquil Le Clercq, 71, the ballerina who dazzled the world in the
1940s and '50s before her career was cut short by polio, died of
pneumonia Dec. 31 at a hospital in New York.
Ms. Le Clercq contracted polio in 1956, and the disease left her
paralyzed below the waist. At the time, she was the wife of George
Balanchine -- his fourth -- and had attracted an adoring public
because of her long-legged elegance. She later became a teacher at
Dance Theater of Harlem and wrote two books.
Her elongated physique epitomized the modern look in classical
dancing, which enthralled Balanchine, who once cast her as a
dragonfly. He created roles for her in such major works as the
ballets "Symphonie ...