Muriel Maffre Papers
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Museum of Performance and Design, Performing Arts Library
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Title: Muriel Maffre Papers
Dates: 1967-2011
Collection Number: 019.013
Creator/Collector:
Maffre, Muriel
Extent: 9 containers. 12.5 linear feet.
Repository:
Museum of Performance and Design, Performing Arts Library
San Francisco, California 94124
Abstract: Muriel Maffre is a French-born professional ballerina who was trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School before going on to
join the Ballets de Monte-Carlo and ultimate the San Francisco Ballet, where she performed as a principal dancer for 17 years.
The Muriel Maffre Papers document her career as a professional dancer and feature her participation in several international
ballet festivals and competitions. Included in this collection are numerous press clippings, photographs, programs, correspondence
and promotional materials.
Language of Material: English
The collection is open for research.
Reproduction of these materials can occur only if the copying falls within the provisions of the doctrine of fair use. Reproduction
of any video recordings is strictly prohibited without written permission from copyright holder(s). Copyright varies by item.
[Identification of item]. Muriel Maffre Papers. Collection Number: 019.013. Museum of Performance and Design, Performing Arts
Library
The items were donated by Muriel Maffre in 2019.
Biography/Administrative History
Muriel Maffre was born in 1966 in Enghien-les-Bains, France. Her ballet instruction began at the Paris Opera Ballet School,
where she was a student for 5 years, and continued at Paris National Conservatory where she graduated with a Premier Prix
with honors. Upon the completion of her training, she danced with the Hamburg Ballett as a member of the corps de ballet before
continuing her career at the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, where she reached the status of Premier Danseur.
In 1990 she joined the San Francisco Ballet as a Principal Dancer and had a 17-year career with the company. During her time
with the San Francisco Ballet, she received her B.A. degree in Performing Arts from Saint Mary’s College.
Following her retirement from dancing, Maffre received her M.A. in Museum Studies from John F. Kennedy University and pursued
a career in dance education and public humanities. She has worked at a variety of institutions including the Richmond Art
Center, LINES Ballet, Stanford University, the Oakland Museum of California, the Cantor Art Center, and the Museum of Performance
and Design.
Throughout her career Maffre has been the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including Chevalier in the Order of Arts
and Letters, Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Achievement in Individual Performance, Gold Medalist at the Paris First
International Ballet Competition, and Arts Honoree at the French American International School of San Francisco.
After almost 30 years in the Bay Area, Maffre returned to France to found Danse Parkinson France, which offers dance workshops
across France for people living with Parkinson’s disease and their caregivers. In 2024 she also began a role as Director of
Choreographic Studies at Conservatoire National Supérior de Musique et de Danse (CNSMDP).
Scope and Content of Collection
The Muriel Maffre Papers document the career of professional ballerina Muriel Maffre. These documents begin with her training
as a student at the Paris Opera Ballet School in the late 1970s and her subsequent participation in several international
festivals and competitions after finishing her training. Her time as a professional dancer with the Hamburg Ballet, Ballets
de Monte-Carlo and San Francisco Ballet are then documented. This collection includes numerous press clippings, candid and
production photographs/slides, programs, correspondence, promotional materials and other ephemera that provide a well-rounded
picture of her impressive career as an international ballet performer.
Ballet
Modern Dance
Dancers
Tómasson, Helgi
Pierce, Benjamin
Sandre, Didier
Ballets de Monte-Carlo
Paris. Opéra. Ballet.
San Francisco Ballet
Hamburg Ballett
Paris
San Francisco
Monte Carlo
France
United States