From Paris Opera Ballet 'rat' who preferred gymnastics to Ballet, to the 'Mademoiselle Non' who could pick and choose her performances for the Royal Ballet: Sylvie Guillem's rise to ballet stardom.
A Swan Among Ducks
Guillem was born in the 11th arrondissement of Paris in 1965. The young Guillem had ambitions of becoming a gymnast instead of a ballerina, and even trained for the French Olympic gymnastics team. Claude Bessy (the director of the Paris Opera Ballet School) noticed her flare for dance and offered her a spot to board at his school.
Guillem was just eleven when she began training under Bessy and became a ‘little rat’ of the Paris Opera school, a term which she recalls fondly. Guillem found the transition from gymnastics to ballet difficult.
'I had never a thought of training to be a ballerina. I was a normal child. I never dreamed of the tutu. In fact, I landed at the Paris Opera Ballet School by… by hazard.'
Every Sunday Guillem's parents dropped her off at the Paris Opera Ballet School. Guillem was always in tears, dreading the rigorous ballet training ahead. The tears stopped when Guillem’s mother told her that she could come home and quit ballet training. Guillem hardened herself and dedicated her time to training.
The future Prima Ballerina only found her passion for En Pointe when Bessy asked her to perform in the end-of-term show. The shy and reserved Guillem found a home for herself on stage and was exhilarated by performing.
'One foot on stage. Curtain up. That was it… The relation I had with the audience, it was fantastic. It is always so strange. You dance, and there is an answer – that is always true.'
At the age of 16 (in 1981) Guillem joined the Paris Opera Ballet's Corps De Ballet, a group of performers who danced together professionally. Unknown to Guillem, who still maintains she never desired to be a famous ballerina, this marked the start of her illustrious career.
Bother At The Barre
Guillem's dance career went from strength to strength.
In 1983 she triumphed twice: first by winning Gold at the Varna International Ballet competition, and second by being appointed the Paris Opera Ballet's youngest Etoile (principal dancer) at just age 19 by Rudolf Nureyev and dancing in his stage version of
Don Quixote. Nureyev described Guillem's performance as 'like champagne.'
This began Guillem’s tumultuous relationship with Nureyev.
'He was really shy and so was I. You could get him with humour, but when I was young I was too afraid for that, so it would become a fight.'
'I would not have had the chance to do what I did and so early if I did not have Rudolf. And if it was not for him being there, the Paris Opera Ballet would not be what it is today.'
In 1988 tensions between Guillem and Nureyev reached breaking point. She argued that she should be allowed to work abroad and separate from the Paris Opera company, just like Nureyev himself. When he refused Guillem surprised everyone at the company by moving to London to pursue her freelance career.
A Dancer Above All Others
In London Sylvie became one of the Royal Ballet's principal guest dancers (1988-2007) and a performer in her own right. Without the constraints of the Paris Opera Ballet and her tense relationship with Nureyev she was able to work on whatever productions she wanted to.
During her time at The Royal Ballet Guillem clashed with director Sir Anthony Dowell, who dubbed her 'Mademoiselle Non' for her propensity to turn down the roles he offered her. Sylvie argued that her rejection of famous roles was down to her desire to feel 'excited every time I went on stage' rather than any intent of being a Diva.
Although, Guillem admits she has fiery personality.
'I am impetuous, very Latin.'
'When you have a confrontation, you need someone else to have it with. It's a way of getting things out. It is nice to speak loud. I like it when things are clear. That way, you don't lose time and energy.'
Still, work is not hard to find for the world's best ballerina. Guillem’s performances include…
- 2003: Collaborated with Russell Maliphant, William Trevitt, and Michael Nunn on Broken Fall.
- 2005: Performed the Pas De Deux (the duet) PUSH with Russell Maliphant.
- 2006: Danced with Akram Khan on Sacred Monsters.
- 2009: Performed with Russell Maliphant and Robert Lepage on Eonnagata.
Her Last Bow
Controversy followed Sylvie. In 2001 (aged 36) she appeared nude and make-up free in a photo shoot for French Vogue, and rather than seeing the pictures (taken by her husband Gilles Tapie) as 'free and 'appy' as she envisioned them herself, the public saw the photos as an affirmation of her Diva status.
Most ballerinas hang up their ballet slippers around the age of thirty while they can still bask in the glow of their achievements. Forever the rule breaker, Sylvie retired at age 50 (in 2015), citing her need to 'end while I am still happy doing what I do with pride and passion.'
Guillem performed her last tour (‘Life is Progress’) at the London Coliseum, Edinburgh Festival, Birmingham Hippodrome, Sydney, New York, and finally Japan, where the world’s best Prima Ballerina took her last bow. Her tour ended with the energetic and grief ridden
Bye, an apt piece which expresses Guillem’s indecision.
What is next for the Diva Prima Ballerina?
Guillem, typically elusive and adventurous, said:
‘I would like to maybe do nothing for a while. I would like to see if I can really see with my eyes, smell the air …you see what I mean? It’s like you run everywhere, you live every day, you think this, that, you read this, that …and actually now I’m going towards something that is unknown. Who knows? Maybe I will become a hermit. Or maybe I will go on a boat for four months. I just want the space to discover what I want to do.’
Image credit https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Sylvie_Guillem#/media/File:Sylvie_Guillem_%26_Russell_Maliphan.jpg
A Swan Among Ducks
Guillem was born in the 11th arrondissement of Paris in 1965. The young Guillem had ambitions of becoming a gymnast instead of a ballerina, and even trained for the French Olympic gymnastics team. Claude Bessy (the director of the Paris Opera Ballet School) noticed her flare for dance and offered her a spot to board at his school.
Guillem was just eleven when she began training under Bessy and became a ‘little rat’ of the Paris Opera school, a term which she recalls fondly. Guillem found the transition from gymnastics to ballet difficult.
'I had never a thought of training to be a ballerina. I was a normal child. I never dreamed of the tutu. In fact, I landed at the Paris Opera Ballet School by… by hazard.'
Every Sunday Guillem's parents dropped her off at the Paris Opera Ballet School. Guillem was always in tears, dreading the rigorous ballet training ahead. The tears stopped when Guillem’s mother told her that she could come home and quit ballet training. Guillem hardened herself and dedicated her time to training.
The future Prima Ballerina only found her passion for En Pointe when Bessy asked her to perform in the end-of-term show. The shy and reserved Guillem found a home for herself on stage and was exhilarated by performing.
'One foot on stage. Curtain up. That was it… The relation I had with the audience, it was fantastic. It is always so strange. You dance, and there is an answer – that is always true.'
At the age of 16 (in 1981) Guillem joined the Paris Opera Ballet's Corps De Ballet, a group of performers who danced together professionally. Unknown to Guillem, who still maintains she never desired to be a famous ballerina, this marked the start of her illustrious career.
Bother At The Barre
Guillem's dance career went from strength to strength.
In 1983 she triumphed twice: first by winning Gold at the Varna International Ballet competition, and second by being appointed the Paris Opera Ballet's youngest Etoile (principal dancer) at just age 19 by Rudolf Nureyev and dancing in his stage version of Don Quixote. Nureyev described Guillem's performance as 'like champagne.'
This began Guillem’s tumultuous relationship with Nureyev.
'He was really shy and so was I. You could get him with humour, but when I was young I was too afraid for that, so it would become a fight.'
'I would not have had the chance to do what I did and so early if I did not have Rudolf. And if it was not for him being there, the Paris Opera Ballet would not be what it is today.'
In 1988 tensions between Guillem and Nureyev reached breaking point. She argued that she should be allowed to work abroad and separate from the Paris Opera company, just like Nureyev himself. When he refused Guillem surprised everyone at the company by moving to London to pursue her freelance career.
A Dancer Above All Others
In London Sylvie became one of the Royal Ballet's principal guest dancers (1988-2007) and a performer in her own right. Without the constraints of the Paris Opera Ballet and her tense relationship with Nureyev she was able to work on whatever productions she wanted to.
During her time at The Royal Ballet Guillem clashed with director Sir Anthony Dowell, who dubbed her 'Mademoiselle Non' for her propensity to turn down the roles he offered her. Sylvie argued that her rejection of famous roles was down to her desire to feel 'excited every time I went on stage' rather than any intent of being a Diva.
Although, Guillem admits she has fiery personality.
'I am impetuous, very Latin.'
'When you have a confrontation, you need someone else to have it with. It's a way of getting things out. It is nice to speak loud. I like it when things are clear. That way, you don't lose time and energy.'
Still, work is not hard to find for the world's best ballerina. Guillem’s performances include…