Elna Lassen

Elna Lassen was a Danish ballerina who was the premiere danseuse of the Royal Danish Ballet. She started dancing at the age of three and made her debut at the age of ten. She was trained by August Bournonville, the famous choreographer and ballet master, who created many roles for her in his ballets. She was especially praised for her expressive mime and her classical technique. She danced in many of Bournonville's works, such as Napoli, Valdemar, Faust, The Conservatory, and La Camargo. She also performed in Stockholm, Trondheim, and Christiania, where she was well received by the audiences and the critics. She was admired by many, including Max Reinhardt, the German theatre director. She was a diabetic and suffered from depression. She was found dead at her Copenhagen apartment on the morning of September 20, 1930. She is thought to have committed suicide with a revolver which was found by her bedside. She was buried in Copenhagen.