• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Irish America

Irish America

        • Who We Are
          • About Us
          • Irish America Team
        • The Lists
          • Business 100
          • Hall of Fame
          • Health and Life Sciences 50
          • Wall Street 50
        • Highlights
          • History
          • In This Issue
          • Music
          • Politics
          • Sports
          • Travel
        • Columns
          • First Word
          • Hibernia
          • Quote Unquote
          • Slainte
          • Those we Lost
          • What are you like?
          • Wild Irish Women
          • Window on The Past
  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • About This Magazine
    • Irish America Team
  • In This Issue
  • Hall of Fame
  • The Lists
    • Business 100
    • Hall of Fame
    • Health and Life Sciences 50
    • Wall Street 50
  • Archives
    • Magazine
    • Highlights
  • Travel
  • Events

Farewell, Ms. Bluebell

By Michele Barber-Perry, Contributor
December / January 2005

December 1, 2004 by Leave a Comment

Dance-world icon Margaret Kelly passed away on September 11 at the age of 94. Kelly was best known for her dance troupe, The Bluebell Girls, which originated in Paris in 1932, and went on to gain notoriety for its tall, beautiful dancers who enchanted cabaret audiences throughout the world with their risqué cancan routines and elaborate costumes.

Kelly’s life story is one of legend. She worked with the likes of Josephine Baker and Edith Piaf, was in an internment camp in WWII, saved her husband from the Nazis, and was awarded the French Legion of Honor and the Order of the British Empire (all while raising four children).

Born in Dublin in 1910, Kelly was abandoned by her parents to a local priest. She was later adopted and moved to Liverpool. Given the nickname Bluebell by a doctor because of her slim frame and stunning blue eyes, she took dance lessons to strengthen her legs. By the age of 14 she was performing in nightclubs, eventually making her way to Pads to be a star performer at the Folies-Bergere. There, she formed Les Bluebell Girls.

The Bluebell Girls are known for their striking beauty. In the early days, many of them were classically trained ballet dancers who were considered too tall, but over the years, the lean, statuesque look became the standard. Kelly said in a 1985 L.A. Times interview, “They must have long legs, be at least 5-foot-10, with high, well-formed derrières, firm breasts, but not too large…”

It is estimated that Margaret Kelly trained 14,000 dancers in her lifetime and could dance the cancan herself into her 60s. To this day, the Bluebell Girls are often featured at the Lido on the Champs-Elysées. ♦

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Highlights

News
Articles and stories from Irish America.....
MORE

Hibernia
News from Ireland and happenings in Irish America.....
MORE

Those We Lost
Remembering some of the great Irish Americans who have passed.....
MORE

Slainte!
Discover Irish ancestry, predilections, and recipes.....
MORE

Photo Album
Irish America readers share the stories of their ancestors....
MORE

More Articles

  • <b>Hibernia: Honors</b>Hibernia: Honors
    Irish LGBT Rights Campaigner Honored In NYC A street in Queens, New York, has been named after B...
  • <b>Hibernia: News</b>Hibernia: News
    Dublin Second In Europe For Improving Air Quality Dublin has been named the second most improved...
  • <b>Hibernia: Sports</b>Hibernia: Sports
    Leona Maguire Is First Irish Golfer To Win The LPGA Leona Maguire has made history as the&nb...
  • <b>Hibernia: News From Ireland</b>Hibernia: News From Ireland
    Kerry Town Named Among Europe's Most Beautiful The scenic village of Kenmare, nestled on the...

Footer

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Subscribe

  • Subscribe
  • Give a Gift
  • Newsletter
  • Customer Service

Additional

  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Terms of Use & Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · IrishAmerica Child Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in