The iconic dancer, and former prima ballerina, Sylvie Guillem is to be honoured for her extraordinary career at the Olivier Awards this year. The classical - and contemporary - dancer will be presented with a special award on 12 April at the London ceremony, acknowledging her extraordinary work and hugely successful career. Over 33 years, Guillem has danced all the leading roles of the classical repertoire with companies including the Royal Ballet and Kirov Ballet, following her training at the Paris Opera Ballet School from the age of 11.
Last year, Guillem announced she planned to step down from the stage at the age of 50. Her final dance programme, Life In Progress - featuring existing and new works by choreographers that have inspired her career - is touring internationally in 2015 and will finish in Tokyo. The final glimpse the UK will see of Guillem will be in Birmingham, a treat for midlands audiences.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYx0xw7yhzk
Guillem joined the Paris Opera Ballet corps de ballet in 1981 and was promoted to the rank of Etoile by Rudolf Nureyev at the tender age of 19 while dancing Swan Lake. She went on to become a principal guest artist with the Royal Ballet, where she was known as Mademoiselle Non for her refusal to bow to pressures she did not agree with. As a result, Guillem was seen as a free spirit in the ballet world, preferring to work independently from a company. She has since danced with Tokyo Ballet, Australian Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and La Scala, amongst many others.
In 2004, she began working at Sadler's Wells in London, collaborating on more contemporary works with the venue's associate artists: Russell Maliphant, and Michael Nunn and William Trevitt on Broken Fall, for which she won Olivier Award for Best Dance Production. Since this time, her works have included PUSH, Sacred Monsters and 6000 miles away.
Sylvie Guillem's honorary Olivier award
The iconic dancer, and former prima ballerina, Sylvie Guillem is to be honoured for her extraordinary career at the Olivier Awards this year. The classical - and contemporary - dancer will be presented with a special award on 12 April at the London ceremony, acknowledging her extraordinary work and hugely successful career. Over 33 years, Guillem has danced all the leading roles of the classical repertoire with companies including the Royal Ballet and Kirov Ballet, following her training at the Paris Opera Ballet School from the age of 11.
Last year, Guillem announced she planned to step down from the stage at the age of 50. Her final dance programme, Life In Progress - featuring existing and new works by choreographers that have inspired her career - is touring internationally in 2015 and will finish in Tokyo. The final glimpse the UK will see of Guillem will be in Birmingham, a treat for midlands audiences.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYx0xw7yhzk
Guillem joined the Paris Opera Ballet corps de ballet in 1981 and was promoted to the rank of Etoile by Rudolf Nureyev at the tender age of 19 while dancing Swan Lake. She went on to become a principal guest artist with the Royal Ballet, where she was known as Mademoiselle Non for her refusal to bow to pressures she did not agree with. As a result, Guillem was seen as a free spirit in the ballet world, preferring to work independently from a company. She has since danced with Tokyo Ballet, Australian Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and La Scala, amongst many others.
In 2004, she began working at Sadler's Wells in London, collaborating on more contemporary works with the venue's associate artists: Russell Maliphant, and Michael Nunn and William Trevitt on Broken Fall, for which she won Olivier Award for Best Dance Production. Since this time, her works have included PUSH, Sacred Monsters and 6000 miles away.