Orson Welles, right, with Colette Marchand, leaning on the ice block in which she appears during the ballet The Lady in the Ice on October 1, 1953. (Associated Press photo)
Colette Marchand, the French ballerina who starred in the Orson Welles-directed ballet The Lady in the Ice, died on June 5 at her home in Bois-le-Roi, France. She was 90.
The 1953 ballet, composed by Jean-Michel Damase and choreographed by Roland Petit, was based on an idea by Welles. He also wrote the libretto and was the costume and set designer.
It was Welles’ only attempt at a ballet.
In the Peter Bogdanovich co-authored book This Is Orson Welles, the late director described the storyline of the Ballet de Paris production:
A girl’s been found, like dinosaurs have been found, in a block of ice. And she’s on display in a sort of carnival. A young man falls in love with her, and his love melts the ice. And when she kisses him, he turns to ice. A little parable for our times.
According to Welles, it was very successful during its initial run in London, but only moderately so when it was performed in Paris.
Prior working with Welles, Marchand was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in the John Huston film Moulin Rouge. Her film and television work was limited to a handful of roles in the 1950s.
She is survived by her sister, Yvonne Le Bras.
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