Sylvie Guillem’s extraordinary career will be honoured at the Olivier Awards 2015 with MasterCard when the legendary dancer is presented with a Special Award.
Undisputedly one of the world’s greatest dancers, Guillem’s career is incredible, having performed with an unparalleled line-up of leading companies from The Royal Ballet to American Ballet Theatre.
Training at the Paris Opera Ballet School from the age of 11, Guillem joined the company’s corps de ballet in 1981, going on to become the youngest ever top ranking dancer when she performed Swan Lake three years later.
Her subsequent career has seen Guillem perform all the leading roles of the classical repertoire with the world’s leading companies including The Royal Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Kirov, Tokyo Ballet, Australian Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and La Scala.
In the latter years of her life on stage, Guillem has continued to push boundaries, restaging productions of Giselle for the Finnish National Ballet and La Scala Ballet Theatre.
In 2004 she began working at Islington’s acclaimed Sadler’s Wells, collaborating with Sadler’s Wells Associate Artists Russell Maliphant, Michael Nunn and the William Trevitt on the Olivier Award-winning Broken Fall. Her subsequent acclaimed work at the venue, of which she has been an Associate Artist since 2006, has included another Olivier winner, PUSH, Sacred Monsters, Eonnagata and 6000 Miles Away.
Guillem announced last year she will bring her staggering career to a close later this year. Her final performances in the UK will come in her newly announced production Life In Progress at Sadler’s Wells. The show, which will tour internationally, will feature both existing and new works by choreographers that have influenced and inspired her career.
Today’s Olivier Award news follows the announcement that acclaimed actor Kevin Spacey will also receive a Special Award at the ceremony on 12 April for his contribution to British theatre during his tenure as Artistic Director at the Old Vic.
Theatre fans will be able to follow all the action from the ceremony by following us on Twitter @O_L_T and can watch highlights from the performance-packed show later in the evening on ITV1 and ITV Player.
