Saulnier was a pupil of Maximilien Gardel who served as a master of the ballets at the Paris Opéra. She succeeded German ballerina Anne Heinel in the noble genre.[2]
On 11 March 1784 Saulnier, at just under fifteen years old, made her official debut to Parisian audiences at the Académie Royale de Musique (known as Paris Opéra).[3]
For the 1789 season she danced under Jean-Georges Noverre's direction, who was serving as ballet master at King's Theatre in London.[4] In 1789, riots at King's Theatre, London's top venue for foreign opera and dance, led Giovanni Gallini to recruit new performers mid-season, such as Mlle Victoire, Mlle Guimard, and Mons. Nivelon.[5] On 17 March 1789, Mlle Victoire Saulnier made her first appearance in England alongside Didelot, Beaupré, Duquesney, Nivelon, Mlle Emilie Colombe, and Mlle Adelaide. She made London appearances until May 1789.[6]
Starring in Noverre's Diane et Endymion in 1791, Saulnier debuted a filmy, form-revealing tunic.[7]
Saulnier was replaced in the noble genre at the Opéra in 1794 by Clotilde.[8]
On 12 June 1806 Saulnier performed in Paul et Virginie, a ballet-pantomime by Pierre Gardel.[9] She was cast as "Madame de Latour (Virginie's mother)" with Madame Gardel portraying "Virginie."[10]
In 1807 she was described by Jean-Georges Noverre with the following statement: "Miss Victoire Saulnier is of an elegant figure she is as beautiful as Venus but the Graces, the Laughter, the Games, and the Pleasures are not in her train. I advise her to call them and invoke Therpsicore. With application and zeal she will acquire all that she lacks".[11]
Saulnier performed as "Juno (Jupiter's daughter)" in Gardel and Méhul's Persée et Andromède on 8 June 1810.[12] The following year on 8 April 1811, she performed in Saiil.[13]
She performed in Gardel and Luigi Cherubini's Achille à Scyros in 1812.[14] In the role of "Thétis", she portrayed the daughter of Heaven and Earth, wife of Oceanus, and mother of Achilles (played by Albert).[15]
On 15 September 1812 Saulnier danced as one of the "Nymphs de la Volupté" in act two of the opera Jerusalem Delivered (Jérusalem délivrée).[16]
