Who Was Zizi Jeanmaire? All About Late French Ballet Star As Lady Gaga Honors Her With Paris Olympics Performance (2024)

Learn about Zizi Jeanmaire, the French ballet legend, whose remarkable legacy was celebrated by Lady Gaga’s breathtaking performance of Mon truc en plumes at the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony.

Zizi Jeanmaire (L) Lady Gaga (R) (Getty Images)

Lady Gaga did not spare any effort while paying tribute to French icon Zizi Jeanmaire when she took the stage to deliver a pitch-perfect rendition of Mon truc en plumeson Friday, July 26, during the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony.

Jeanmaire debuted the song in 1961 at London’s Alhambra Theater, clad in a black costume by frequent collaborator and friend Yves Saint Laurent. She was joined on stage by a bevy of men carrying pink feather fans at the time. Gaga’s performance along the Seine River in Paris last night masterfully recreated the staging, minus the aforementioned designer’s contribution. The Bad Romance singer went with a Dior Haute Couture outfit, and so did her dancers.

Amid Gaga’s mesmerizing performance ofMon truc en plumes,we are looking at the life and legacy of the original voice behind the French classic below!

Zizi Jeanmaire: Exploring the Life and Legacy of thelegend

Zizi Jeanmaire was a ballerina, cabaret singer, and actress with an impeccable fashion sense, reflected in her furry costumes and pixie haircut.

Through her six-decade-long career, Jeanmaire reinvented herself persistently, beginning as a refined dancer who executed her husband Roland Petit’s skillful choreography, including Carmen. The creation shocked audiences with its unreserved sensuality and catapulted both Jeanmaire and Petit to stardom.

Shortly after, the duo’s La Croqueuse de Diamantsalso became popular,drawing the attention of Hollywood producer Howard Hughes, who offered Jeanmaire a movie contract. Samuel Goldeyan produced her first film, Hans Christian Andersen,and it was he who suggested the icon change her name from Renée to Zizi, a childhood nickname.

The accomplished performer also acted in revues created for her, again by her husband.

Ms. Jeanmaire was born in Paris on April 29, 1924. She was the only child of Marcel Jeanmaire and Olga Burnus and was mentored by the acclaimed ballerina Yvette Chauviré, whointroduced her to Boris Kniaseff. The latter became a significant presence in Zizi’s career.

Jeanmaire fell in love with both ballet and her husband, then her classmate, at age 9. She departed this world in 2020 at age 96.

Lady Gaga’s Olympic performance was long speculated by fans

The singer and actress was first rumored to be performing alongside Céline Dion at the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony. Though the revered sports event deprived fans of an iconic collaboration between the vocal athletes, Gaga did deliver a stunning performance of her own.

Following her act, the singer, in a social media post, revealed that she studied French choreography to put a modern twist on Zizi’s classic to ensure her performance was as authentic as possible. Gagathanked the Olympic organizing committee for awarding her the opportunity to “honor the French people and their tremendous history of art, music, and theater.”

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