Lucette Destouches
Lucette Destouches | |
---|---|
![]() Destouches (left), François Gibault, and Maroussia Klimova in 1995 | |
Born | Lucie Almansor 20 July 1912 |
Died | 8 November 2019 | (aged 107)
Nationality | French |
Occupation | Dancer |
Spouse(s) |
Lucette Destouches (20 July 1912 – 8 November 2019) was a French dancer.[1][2][3] She was married to the writer Louis-Ferdinand Céline until his death in 1961.
Biography[]
Destouches was the daughter of Joseph Almansor and Gabrielle Donas Lucie Georgette Almansor.[4] She was born on 20 July 1912 in the 5th arrondissement of Paris. Destouches married Louis-Ferdinand Céline on 15 February 1943 in the 18th arrondissement.[5]
During World War II Céline had collaborated with the Nazis in France; in September 1944 he and Lucette fled to Germany to escape punishment. They later moved to Denmark before returning to France.[6]
In his novels, Céline portrayed Destouches as Lili. The character appeared in Castle to Castle, North, and Rigadoon.
Céline died on 1 July 1961, and Destouches largely kept his death a secret.[citation needed] Only thirty people attended the funeral, including Marcel Aymé, Claude Gallimard, Roger Nimier, Robert Poulet, Jean-Roger Caussimon, and Lucien Rebatet.[citation needed]
Destouches began to teach classical dance. She taught courses with Judith Magre, Françoise Gallimard, Isabelle Gallimard, Ludmilla Tchérina, and members of 2Be3 during their early careers.[citation needed]
Destouches was initially quite opposed to Marie Canavaggia's translations and the publications of Rigodoon and anti-Semitic works written by Céline, such as Bagatelles pour un massacre, L'École des cadavres, and Les Beaux Draps,[7] but finally agreed in 2017.[8] The projects were soon postponed indefinitely.[9]
On her 100th birthday in 2012, Destouches had a series of texts by written in her honor, titled Madame Céline.[10][11]
Destouches died on 8 November 2019 at her home in Meudon.[12] She was 107.
References[]
- ^ "Lucette Destouches : Céline, la femme". Bibliobs (in French). 20 July 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- ^ "Lucette Destouches, la veuve de Louis-Ferdinand Céline, est morte". LePoint.fr (in French). 8 November 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- ^ "Lucette Destouches, la veuve de Louis-Ferdinand Céline, est morte". LeFigaro.fr (in French). 8 November 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- ^ "Actes de naissance (1860-1924), mariage (1860-1943) et décès (1860-1986)". Archive Paris (in French). Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- ^ "Acte de naissance no 198". Courbevoie (in French). 28 May 1894. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- ^ Schofield, Hugh (24 November 2019). "Last witness to France's cheerleaders for the Nazis" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ ""Lettres", de Céline : comment Céline devint Céline". Le Monde (in French). 17 December 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- ^ "Lucette DESTOUCHES : « Maintenant, je suis perdue... » (1965)". Le Petit Célinien (in French). 7 December 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- ^ "Gallimard "suspend" son projet de publication des pamphlets antisémites de Céline". Europe1 (in French). 11 January 2018. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- ^ "Le grand amour de Louis-Ferdinand Céline". L'Express (in French). 11 May 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- ^ "Madame Céline de David Alliot". franceinfo (in French). 31 May 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- ^ "Lucette Destouches, gardienne fidèle de l'oeuvre de Céline, est morte". France Culture (in French). 8 November 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2019.
- French female dancers
- French centenarians
- Women centenarians
- 1912 births
- 2019 deaths
- People from Paris
- Dance teachers