Guimard, Marie-Madeleine (27 December 1743, Paris; 4 May 1816, Paris), ballerina, was one of the most acclaimed dancers of her time. She was born the illegitimate daughter of Fabien Guimard and Marie-Anne Bernard, but she was given the status of legitimacy by legal decree in 1765. She started to dance in the corps de ballet of the Comédie-Française, but she transferred to the Opéra and made her debut there at age 19 in 1762. La Guimard’s sensational career lasted for 27 years. Her first…