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. 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). For the 1789 season she danced under
Jean-Georges Noverre's direction, who was serving as
ballet master at
King's Theatre in London. 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. 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. Starring in Noverre's
Diane et Endymion in 1791, Saulnier debuted a filmy, form-revealing tunic. Saulnier was replaced in the
noble genre at the Opéra in 1794 by
Clotilde. On 12 June 1806 Saulnier performed in
Paul et Virginie, a ballet-pantomime by
Pierre Gardel. She was cast as "Madame de Latour (Virginie's mother)" with
Madame Gardel portraying "Virginie." 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". Saulnier performed as "Juno (Jupiter's daughter)" in Gardel and
Méhul's
Persée et Andromède on 8 June 1810. The following year on 8 April 1811, she performed in
Saiil. She performed in Gardel and
Luigi Cherubini's
Achille à Scyros in 1812. In the role of "Thétis", she portrayed the daughter of Heaven and Earth, wife of
Oceanus, and mother of
Achilles (played by
Albert). On 15 September 1812 Saulnier danced as one of the "
Nymphs de la Volupté" in act two of the opera
Jerusalem Delivered (Jérusalem délivrée). ==Death==