Throwback Thursday and Claude Bessy
Born in Paris on October 20, 1932, Claude Bessy was a ballerina in the Paris Opera Ballet. She trained there, beginning at age ten, thus becoming the youngest person ever admitted. By age 13 she became the youngest dancer ever hired to join the company. In 1956 she achieved the highest rank in the company, that of étoile.
She worked closely with Serge Lifar and danced leading roles in his Snow White and Daphnis and Chloe. She also worked with John Cranko and George Skibine.
In 1956 Bessy was featured in Gene Kelly’s movie Invitation to the Dance and also made several appearance on television. She went on to stage Lifar’s ballets as well as staging dances for musicals like My Fair Lady.
Bessy became the director of the Paris Opera Ballet School in 1972 and introduced many teaching reforms that helped train dancers such as Sylvie Guillem, Patrick Dupond and many others.
Bessy is also the author of two books: Dancer-Star and Dance and Child.
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet
Secrets:
Dance History Factoid #154:
“Claude Bessy was the youngest person ever admitted to the Paris Opera
Ballet School.”
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“You
cannot teach a man anything, you can only help him find it within himself.”
― Galileo Galilei
― Galileo Galilei
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