Livry was the illegitimate daughter of Célestine Emarot, a ballet dancer, and Baron Charles de Chassiron, which prompted the following rhyming verse: She studied dancing under Madame Dominique and attended the Paris Opera School.

On 19 October 1858,[2] at the age of sixteen, she made her debut with the Paris Opera Ballet at the Salle Le Peletier as the sylph in La Sylphide.

[2] Montguyon prevailed upon the director of the Opera to change the programme so that Marie Taglioni (who originated the role) would see Livry in La Sylphide when she visited.

She choreographed for Livry the title-role of Farfalla (Butterfly) in Le Papillon, the only full-length ballet composed by Jacques Offenbach.

Taglioni, who was watching the rehearsal, rubbed make-up grease into her wounds in the mistaken belief that it would act as ointment.

She suffered for months, yet remained opposed to fire-proofed skirts: "Yes, they are, as you say, less dangerous, but should I ever return to the stage, I would never think of wearing them – they are so ugly.