Music: String Quartet in D: Andante and Interlude No. 1 by Peter Sandberg
Sylvie Guillem is undoubtedly one of the most important and astounding ballet dancers of her generation. Born February 23, 1965 in Paris, France. In 1977, at age 11, she began training at the Paris Opera Ballet School, and in 1981 joined the company's corps de ballet. In 1983, Guillem won the gold medal at the Varna International Ballet Competition, catching the eye of Rudolf Nureyev. She became his protegé and in December 1984, Guillem was named etoile or "star," the youngest ever to be awarded the title at Paris Opera Ballet.
In 1988, Guillem danced the title role in Giselle, a production staged by the Royal Ballet in honor of Nureyev's 50th birthday. Her performance was a massive success, and although the Parisian fans adored her, she decided to leave Paris for London. Desiring more freedom over her own career, she became a freelance performer and one of the Royal Ballet's principal guest artists.
It was during her time at the Royal Ballet that she was given the nickname “Mademoiselle Non.” Unlike other ballerinas, and most male dancers, Sylvie would speak up. She would question her roles, her participation in dances, and insisted on being a partner in the choreographic process. She became the only dancer allowed to approve partners, ballets, costumes, and photographs. She would go on to become the first ballerina to hire her own choreographers, negotiate her own contracts, and work steadily on projects that she alone selected.
"This is the woman who would transform our view of ballerinas, redefining the shape and movement that we expect to see. Her dévelopés begin at her hip and extend past her ear with an elegance accentuated by the arch of her feet. Her arms and body articulate every note of every dance. Her aesthetic is corporeal... sleek, elegant, lyrical, and panther-like." - Velleda C. Ceccoli PhD, Dance Review, October 14, 2014.
Guillem has become one of the most prominent figures in the history of ballet dancing with many of the greatest companies in the world. Admired by the critics and choreographers alike, she has been privileged to have had premiere choreographies set upon her by such great names as Maurice Béjart, Mats Ek and William Forsythe.
She bade farewell to ballet in 2015 and currently resides in the Swiss mountains with her life partner of 30+ years, Gilles Tapie.
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Pam Boehme Simon for Graceful Beast Ballet
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