The Paris Opera is deeply saddened to learn of the death of the Première Danseuse and teacher Jacqueline Moreau who passed away on Thursday, November 8, 2018, at the age of 92.   

Born in Bandol on May 7, 1926, Jacqueline Moreau entered the Paris Opera Ballet School at the age of nine, during which time she attended the classes of Carlotta Zambelli and Albert Aveline. Accepted into the Corps de Ballet in 1942, she quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a Première Danseuse in 1946. She performed in numerous ballets during her career including Le Festin de l’araignée (Albert Aveline), Les Animaux modèles (Serge Lifar), Suite en Blanc / la Cigarette (Serge Lifar) and Apollon Musagète / Calliope (George Balanchine). In 1951, she left the Paris Opera and created Revanche (Ruth Page) at the Ballets des Champs-Elysées. Then, in 1953, she joined the troupe of the Marquis de Cuevas, where, for the next eight years, she pursued an international career.
Whilst there, she danced the classical repertoire (Giselle, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Les Sylphides…), the pas de deux of the Black Swan and Don Quixote. She also performed Auber’s Grand Pas Classique and other works like La Tertula (Ana Ricarda), Diagramme (Janine Charrat) and Skerzo (John Taras). Jacqueline Moreau became a ballet teacher at the Paris Opera Ballet School in 1964 where she left a lasting impression on the girls of the second Division with her outstanding musicality, her high standards, and her emphasis on technique. She was also appointed to a teaching post at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional in Boulogne-Billancourt in 1967. She retired from both positions in 1990.