She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1952 for her performance as Marie Charlet in Moulin Rouge, directed by John Huston.

During the height of her dance career she was considered one of the great dancers in Europe, known as Les jambes (The Legs), along with Violetta Elvin, Zizi Jeanmaire, Yvette Chauviré, Janine Charrat, and Margot Fonteyn.

[3] She performed as a première ballerina on Broadway in Roland Petit's Les Ballets de Paris (1949 & 1950).

In the 1950 show, Marchand performed a ballet piece titled The Boiled Egg, for which she received rave reviews.

Her other film appearances were rare: Hungarian Rhapsody, Par Ordre du Tsar and the musical short Romantic Youth (also as choreographer) (all 1954).