Fanny

Elssler, Fanny, 1810-84, Austrian dancer. The youngest daughter of Johann Elssler, copyist and valet of Haydn, she made her debut (1833) in London. She danced at the Paris Opéra (1834-39) and in London (1838-40). Her forte was folk dancing, especially of the cachucha, the cracovienne, and the tarantella. She toured (1840-42) the United States and after appearances throughout Europe retired in 1851. She was one of the most important ballerinas of the Romantic era; her dancing was sensuous, earthy, and fired by great energy. Her sister, Thérèse, often supported her as partner.

Burney, Fanny, later Madame D'Arblay, 1752-1840, English novelist, daughter of Charles Burney, the composer, organist, and music scholar. Although she received no formal education, she read prodigiously and had the benefit of conversation with her father's famous friends, including David Garrick, Sir Joshua Reynolds, and Samuel Crisp. Her first novel and best-known book, Evelina (1778), was published anonymously, but she soon acknowledged its authorship and achieved literary prominence. She became an intimate friend of Samuel Johnson and his circle. Her second novel, Cecilia, appeared in 1782, Camilla in 1796, and The Wanderer in 1814. The theme of Burney's books is the entry into society of a virtuous but inexperienced young girl, her mistakes, and her gradual coming of age. She spent five unhappy years (1786-91) as a member of Queen Charlotte's household. In 1793 she married General D'Arblay, a French émigré. Her voluminous journals and letters give an excellent account of English culture and society from 1768 to 1840.

Brice, Fanny or Fannie, 1891-1951, American comedienne, b. New York City as Fanny Borach. Brice appeared in burlesque and vaudeville from 1906. She starred in the Ziegfeld "Follies" from 1910 onward, and in Broadway shows, emphasizing her plainness by means of a comic awkwardness. In 1937 she created for radio the popular role of Baby Snooks. She appeared in the films My Man (1928), The Great Ziegfeld (1936), and Ziegfeld Follies (1944). Three films have been based on her life, including Funny Girl (1968).

Kemble, Fanny: see under Kemble, Roger.

(born June 23, 1810, Vienna, Austria—died Nov. 27, 1884, Vienna) Austrian ballerina. She studied in Vienna and toured in Europe before making her Paris Opéra debut in 1834. Her warm, spirited style, contrasting with the cool, academic style of the then-reigning Marie Taglioni, made her an immediate success. She introduced theatricalized folk dance (character dance) into ballet. During 1840–42 Elssler toured the U.S., earning wild adulation. She returned to Europe and toured until her retirement to Vienna in 1851.

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orig. Frances Burney

(born June 13, 1752, King's Lynn, Norfolk, Eng.—died Jan. 6, 1840, London) English novelist. The self-educated daughter of Charles Burney, she wrote lively accounts of his social musical evenings. Her habit of recording observations of society led to Evelina (1778), an epistolary novel about an unsure young girl's social development; a landmark in the evolution of the novel of manners, it pointed the way to Jane Austen's novels. Her later novels include Cecilia (1782) and the potboiler Camilla (1796).

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orig. Fannie Borach

(born Oct. 29, 1891, New York, N.Y., U.S.—died May 29, 1951, Los Angeles, Calif.) U.S. comedian and singer. She played in vaudeville and burlesque shows, where the producer Florenz Ziegfeld discovered her in 1910. She became a headliner in his Follies with her musical numbers and comedy routines, including satiric sketches of ballet dancers and fan dancers as well as affecting torch songs such as “My Man.” The character of Baby Snooks, an incorrigible little girl, which she created to amuse her friends, became a Follies favourite, and in that character Brice was featured on radio from 1936 until her death. The Broadway musical Funny Girl (1964; film, 1968) was based on her life.

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(born June 23, 1810, Vienna, Austria—died Nov. 27, 1884, Vienna) Austrian ballerina. She studied in Vienna and toured in Europe before making her Paris Opéra debut in 1834. Her warm, spirited style, contrasting with the cool, academic style of the then-reigning Marie Taglioni, made her an immediate success. She introduced theatricalized folk dance (character dance) into ballet. During 1840–42 Elssler toured the U.S., earning wild adulation. She returned to Europe and toured until her retirement to Vienna in 1851.

Learn more about Elssler, Fanny with a free trial on Britannica.com.

orig. Fannie Borach

(born Oct. 29, 1891, New York, N.Y., U.S.—died May 29, 1951, Los Angeles, Calif.) U.S. comedian and singer. She played in vaudeville and burlesque shows, where the producer Florenz Ziegfeld discovered her in 1910. She became a headliner in his Follies with her musical numbers and comedy routines, including satiric sketches of ballet dancers and fan dancers as well as affecting torch songs such as “My Man.” The character of Baby Snooks, an incorrigible little girl, which she created to amuse her friends, became a Follies favourite, and in that character Brice was featured on radio from 1936 until her death. The Broadway musical Funny Girl (1964; film, 1968) was based on her life.

Learn more about Brice, Fanny with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Fanny or Fannie is a given name—a pet form of FrancesPeople:

• Fanny (artist), alias of breakcore artist Fraser Runciman.
• Fanny (band) was a 1970s all women rock band led by June Millington.
• Fanny (Guilty Gear), a fictional character in the fighting game Guilty Gear.
• Fanny (Sesame Street) is the first name of a girl on the children's television show Sesame Street
• Fanny Blankers-Koen, Dutch athlete.
• Fanny Brawne, inamorata of poet John Keats.
• Fanny Brice
• Fanny Burney, nickname of Frances Burney, novelist, diarist, and playwright.
• Fanny Cerrito, nickname of Francesca Cerrito, Italian ballet dancer and choreographer
• Fanny Jackson Coppin, African American educator and missionary.
• Fanny Cradock
• Fanny Crosby
• Fanny Kemble, famous English writer, actress, & anti-slavery figure
• Fannie Merritt Farmer, American culinary expert and author
• Fannie Flagg, American comedienne and author
• Fanny Hill, (fictional) character in an erotic novel by John Cleland.
• Fanny Hackabout-Jones, title character of Fanny, Being The True History of the Adventures of Fanny Hackabout-Jones, novel by Erica Jong. (1980)
• Fanny Létourneau, Canadian synchronized swimmer.
• Fanny Lú, Colombian singer.
• Fanny Mendelssohn (Hensel), composer, pianist and sister of composer Felix Mendelssohn.
• Fanny von Starhemberg, nickname of Princess Franziska von Starhemberg, Austrian politician.
• Fannie C. Williams, educator and president of the National Association of Teachers in Colored Schools.
• Fannie Bloomfield Zeisler, pianistEntertainment Titles:
• Fanny (musical) is a musical play by S.N. Behrman, Joshua Logan and Harold Rome based from the plays Fanny, Marius and César by Marcel Pagnol.
• Fanny (1922 film) is a 1922 Mexican silent film written by Eduardo Urriola and directed by Manuel Sánchez Valtierra
• Fanny (1932 film) is a 1932 French film written by Marcel Pagnol and directed by Marc Allégret
• Fanny (1933 film) is a 1933 Italian film written by Alessandro De Stefani and Raffaello Matarazzo and directed by Mario Almirante
• Fanny (film) a 1961 film adaptation by Julius J. Epstein based on the musical
• Fany (1995 film) (aka "Fanny") is a 1995 Czech film written by Jiří Hubac and directed by Karel Kachyňa
• Fanny (2000 film) is a 2000 made-for-TV French film written by Marcel Pagnol and directed by Nicolas Ribowski
• Fear Of Fanny (2004), a UK touring stageplay based on the life and loves of TV Chef Fanny Craddock, which evolved to become a BBC television drama.
• Fanny (Be Tender With My Love) (1975 song) is a 1975 song by the Bee Gees. Literature:
• Fanny (poem), an 1819 poem by Fitz-Greene Halleck Places:
• Fanny, West Virginia, USA Other:
• Fannie Mae, the Federal National Mortgage Association.
• Fanny Farmer, American candy manufacturer and retailer.
• 821 Fanny is a minor planet.
• CSS Fanny, a Confederate gunboat, sometimes referred to as the first aircraft carrier.
• FANY, (First Aid Nursing Yeomanry) pronounced "Fanny" were female army nurses in Britain from 1907 onwards.Colloquialisms:
• buttocks (in the US)
• vagina (in the UK, Australia and other places)