Ellen Price

Who was Ellen Price?

Ellen Juliette Collin Price de Plane, better known as Ellen Price, was a Danish ballerina and actress, a model for the statue The Little Mermaid in Copenhagen.

Ellen Price was born in a well-known artistic family: her father Andreas Nicolai Carl Price and her mother Helga Collin were ballet dancers in Royal Danish Theatre; the cousin of her father Juliette Price was a Danish prima ballerina; other relatives were actors and musicians too.

In 1889 - 1895 Ellen Price was trained at school of Royal Danish Ballet and then arrived in theater of Royal Danish Ballet; she debuted on May, 28th 1895 — pas de trois in ballet "Window" of composer Hans Christian Lumbye, choreographer is August Bournonville. In 1903 she became a prima ballerina of Royal Danish Ballet.

Among her roles: La Sylphide, Cinderella, Little Mermaid etc.

Ellen Price filmed 1903 — La Sylphide on YouTube

Ellen Price filmed 1906 — La Sylphide on YouTube

The role of the Little Mermaid gave her the most unexpected glory. Ballet The Little Mermaid, based on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy-tale and set to music by Fini Henriques, has been put by the choreographer Hans Beck in 1909, Royal Danish Ballet.