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On the occasion of Claude Bessy's 90th birthday, the Paris Opera Ballet School students dedicate an exceptional evening to her at the Palais Garnier on April 19.
A prominent figure in the dance world, Claude Bessy was a Paris Opera Ballet "Étoile" and served as the director of the Paris Opera Ballet School from 1973 to 2004. During her tenure, the Ballet School moved to the building designed by Christian de Portzamparc in Nanterre in 1987, where students can pursue academic studies up to the baccalaureate alongside their professional training.
Claude Bessy has profoundly renewed the teaching provided at the Ballet School, instigated the Demonstrations and inaugurated the annual productions at the Palais Garnier as well as touring performances.
Special evening in honor of Claude Bessy
April 19, 2023 at 7:30 pm at the Palais Garnier
The students of the Paris Opera Ballet School are gathering at the Palais Garnier for a special program featuring Claude Bessy's Concerto en ré and excerpts from Serge Lifar's Suite en Blanc, John Neumeier's Yondering, and Maurice Béjart's M pour B. On this occasion, a film titled Claude Bessy, Ligne d'une vie, directed by Fabrice Herrault, will be screened.
A Paris Opera Ballet "Étoile"
Born in 1932, Claude Bessy entered the Paris Opera Ballet School at the age of nine and joined the Paris Opera Corps de Ballet four years later. Nominated “grand sujet” in 1949 and “première danseuse” in 1952, she was appointed “Étoile” in May 1957.
Claude Bessy was given her first solo roles by George Balanchine in Le Palais de cristal in 1947 and then Serenade. Serge Lifar cast her in Septuor and Blanche Neige (1950). She was the first to perform the role of Océanide in Les Noces fantastiques (Lifar, 1954) and of Vénus in La Belle Hélène (Cranko, 1955).
Invited to the United States by the American Ballet Theatre, she performed in Hollywood, appearing in the musical Invitation to the Dance alongside Gene Kelly who then came over to Paris in 1960 to regulate his Pas de Dieux: jazz had made it to the Paris Opera!
Victim of a car accident in 1967, Claude Bessy returned to the stage a few months later in Daphnis et Chloé: the audience gave her a standing ovation.
Claude Bessy was in charge of the Ballet de l'Opéra from June 1970 to December 1971. In 1970, she scheduled Maurice Béjart at the Palais des Sports and performed the leading role in Boléro there. She made her farewell to the stage on November 7, 1975 in Pas de dieux and Daphnis et Chloé.
At the head of the Paris Opera Ballet School
In 1973, Claude Bessy took over as director of the Paris Opera Ballet School. She brought about profound changes in teaching, instigated the Demonstrations, established the annual production and took her pupils on tour.
At the head of the School until 2004, in 1987 she inaugurated the new building in Nanterre which was designed by the architect Christian de Portzamparc.
As a choreographer, Claude Bessy regulated Studio 60, Les Fourmis and Play Bach (1966) and conceived Concerto en Ré (1977) for the pupils of the School of Dance as well as Mouvements (1980) and a version of La Fille mal gardée (1958).
Claude Bessy
Francette Levieux
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Francette Levieux / OnP
The Paris Opera Ballet School
Since its creation under the reign of Louis XIV, the Paris Opera Ballet School has built a worldwide reputation thanks to outstanding personalities and excellence in teaching.
Watch the Paris Opera Ballet School on Paris Opera Play
Discover a video selection of performances danced by the POBS students, including the Demonstrations staged to share with audiences their training in classical technique.
