In 29 December 1984, after a memorable performance of Swan Lake at the Paris Opera, the great Rudolf Nureyev named an extraordinary 19-year-old étoile. Her name was Sylvie Guillem. Nureyev’s instincts were as usually right. He may have been difficult at times, but he was also generous and had a true vision about the dance world, something cruelly missing nowadays. Sylvie was the youngest dancer ever at the Paris Opera to accede to that highest honour and she also became the brightest star the ballet world has known.
Continue reading Sylvie’s last dance: a tribute to Guillem, the artist and her career at gramilano.