Ellen Juliette Collin Price de Plane (June 21, 1878, Snekkersten -
March 4, 1968, Brøndby Municipality), better known as Ellen Price,
was a Danish ballerina and actress, and a model for the statue The
Little Mermaid in Copenhagen.Price was born in a well-known artistic
family: her father Andreas Nicolai Carl Price (1839â€"1909) and her
mother Helga Collin (1841â€"1918) were ballet dancers in Royal Danish
Theatre. Her father's cousin, Juliette Price (1831â€"1906), was a
Danish prima ballerina and a number of Price's other relatives were
actors and musicians.In 1889 - 1895, Price was trained at school of
Royal Danish Ballet and joined the theater of Royal Danish Ballet; she
debuted on May, 28th 1895 with a pas de trois in the ballet Window (La
Ventana) written by composer Hans Christian Lumbye and choreographed
by August Bournonville. In 1903, she became a prima ballerina of Royal
Danish Ballet. Her roles included La Sylphide, Cinderella, and Little
Mermaid.The role of the Little Mermaid gave her the most unexpected
glory. The ballet The Little Mermaid, based on Hans Christian
Andersen's fairy-tale and set to music by Fini Henriques, was put by
the choreographer Hans Beck (1861â€"1952) in 1909 with the Royal
Danish Ballet. Among spectators of ballet had been Danish brewer and
art collector Carl Jacobsen; the ballet left such a strong impression
on him that he commissioned sculptor Edvard Eriksen to create a statue
of the Little Mermaid. Though Price agreed to model for the statue,
she refused to pose nude and her likeness was only used for the head
of the statue. For the body of the statue, Eriksen used his wife Eline
Eriksen as a model. The bronze statue that Eriksen created was
unveiled on 23 August 1913 and presented to the city by Jacobsen. The
Little Mermaid statue has since become a symbol of Copenhagen.
March 4, 1968, Brøndby Municipality), better known as Ellen Price,
was a Danish ballerina and actress, and a model for the statue The
Little Mermaid in Copenhagen.Price was born in a well-known artistic
family: her father Andreas Nicolai Carl Price (1839â€"1909) and her
mother Helga Collin (1841â€"1918) were ballet dancers in Royal Danish
Theatre. Her father's cousin, Juliette Price (1831â€"1906), was a
Danish prima ballerina and a number of Price's other relatives were
actors and musicians.In 1889 - 1895, Price was trained at school of
Royal Danish Ballet and joined the theater of Royal Danish Ballet; she
debuted on May, 28th 1895 with a pas de trois in the ballet Window (La
Ventana) written by composer Hans Christian Lumbye and choreographed
by August Bournonville. In 1903, she became a prima ballerina of Royal
Danish Ballet. Her roles included La Sylphide, Cinderella, and Little
Mermaid.The role of the Little Mermaid gave her the most unexpected
glory. The ballet The Little Mermaid, based on Hans Christian
Andersen's fairy-tale and set to music by Fini Henriques, was put by
the choreographer Hans Beck (1861â€"1952) in 1909 with the Royal
Danish Ballet. Among spectators of ballet had been Danish brewer and
art collector Carl Jacobsen; the ballet left such a strong impression
on him that he commissioned sculptor Edvard Eriksen to create a statue
of the Little Mermaid. Though Price agreed to model for the statue,
she refused to pose nude and her likeness was only used for the head
of the statue. For the body of the statue, Eriksen used his wife Eline
Eriksen as a model. The bronze statue that Eriksen created was
unveiled on 23 August 1913 and presented to the city by Jacobsen. The
Little Mermaid statue has since become a symbol of Copenhagen.
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