Ida Brun

Ida Brun was a Danish singer, dancer, and classical mime artist who performed in the genre of mimoplastic art or "attitude". She was the daughter of Constantin, a wealthy merchant, and Friederike Brun, an author and salon hostess. She was trained in singing, music, and dance by various instructors during her travels with her mother across Europe. She was inspired by the "attitudes" of Lady Emma Hamilton, whom her mother had seen in Naples, and developed her own style of presenting classical figures such as Iphigenia, Galatea, Eurydice, Diana, Aurora, and Althaea. She also performed as an Indian dancer with colorful makeup. Her postures and expressions were admired by many artists and writers of her time, such as Goethe, Schlegel, de Staël, and Thorvaldsen. She never charged for her performances, as she came from a rich family. She married Louis Philippe de Bombelles, a French diplomat, in 1816 and moved to Vienna, where she continued to perform occasionally. She suffered from anorexia and died in 1857 at the age of 65. She is considered one of the most influential figures in the history of ballet and mime, and the founder of the Bournonville School and style.