A great beauty who was born in Brussels, Adeline Plunkett was trained in Paris by Jean-Baptiste Barrez. After an Italian debut in 1841, she performed in London in 1843 and 1844, where she was as much talked of for her love affairs as for her dancing. In 1845, she returned to the Paris Opera, where she created roles for almost a decade. Travelling to Italy in 1855, she performed there until her retirement in 1861.