| Julia Mierzyńska | |
| Birth Date: | 1801 |
| Birth Place: | Vilnius |
| Death Date: | 14 January 1831 |
| Death Place: | Warsaw |
| Nationality: | Polish |
| Occupation: | Ballerina, choreographer, actor, educator |
| Known For: | Warsaw Ballet |
| Spouse: | Grzegorz Nienatkiewicz |
Julia Mierzyńska (1801 – 1831), was a well-known Polish prima ballerina, choreographer, actor and educator.[1] She appeared with the ballet at the National Theatre, Warsaw between 1815 and 1826.[2] [3]
Mierzyńska was born in Vilnius, the daughter of actor Andrzej Mierzyński and Teresa (née Chilińska). During the years 1817–1826 she was a prima ballerina of the Warsaw Ballet, and a choreographer and teacher. She also studied acting at the Warsaw Drama School under the supervision of Bonawentura Kudlicz and dance under Gaetano Petinetti.
Her first stage performance took place on 2 July 1816 in the role of Love in the ballet Diana and Endymion at the Warsaw National Theatre. During the 1817 season, she studied ballet from Fortunato Bernardelli and then she performed in his productions. Her next teacher was Louis Thierry.
As an actress, she performed in "boyish and sous-de-lis roles."
In 1825, Mierzyńska composed Turkish dances, national dances and a Tyrolean play and about 10 short performances. Her solo mazur arrangement, which was included in "Wesele w Ojcowie," was notable.
"She co-choreographed the ballet Wesele krakowskie w Ojcowie, arranging, among other things, the famous solo mazurka, for which she later became famous (choreography together with M. Pion and L. Thierry, music by K. Kurpiński, J. Damse, National Theatre, 1823). She revived the ballet Frantostwa Arlekina (she performed the role of Columbine, choreography by F. Bernardelli, music by NN, National Theatre, 1825) and developed the ballet Święto harwa, czyli Sęstoć Ceres (Harvest Festival, or Ceres' Celebration) and Tńce turkie (Turkish Dances), in which she performed as a soloist (music by NN, National Theatre, 1825)."During the 1825–1826 season, she worked not only the prima ballerina, she was also director of the ballet troupe as well as head of the ballet school. Her last ballet performance was National Dances (9 May 1826) after which she retired from the theatre.
In 1826, she married a Russian army captain, Grzegorz Nienatkiewicz.
Mierzyńska died in Warsaw on 14 January 1831.