Fanny Elssler was an Austrian dancer, one of the most famous ballerinas of the 19th century, and a prima ballerina of the Paris Opera. Born in 1810 in Gumpendorf (Vienna), she studied the art of dance alongside her older sister Theresa at the ballet school of the Vienna Burgtheater. She first appeared on stage in 1824 in Naples. Great success came to her in 1830 in Berlin, and then in Paris, where she became the main competitor of Marie Taglioni. While Taglioni was famous for her airy jumps, Elssler conquered the public with her virtuosic precision, execution of rapid steps (the so-called "danse tacquetée"), and a fiery performance of the folk dance cachucha. From 1834 to 1840, Fanny Elssler was the prima ballerina of the Paris Opera. The ballets "La Volière", "La Tarentule", and "Le Diable boiteux" were created specifically for her. Her repertoire also featured brilliant performances as Lise in "La Fille mal gardée", Esmeralda in the eponymous ballet, and the title role in "Giselle", with which she triumphantly debuted at the Bolshoi Theatre in Saint Petersburg in 1848. The Bakhrushin Theatre Museum's online collection features sculptural portraits of Fanny Elssler, lithographs depicting the ballerina, and other materials.