Jean Guizerix

Born in Paris on October 27, 1945, Jean Guizerix began dancing late at the age of seventeen. He continued to practice dance in an amateur fashion and at the same time pursued higher studies at the Sorbonne. Having to make a choice between study and dance, he chose the latter out of passion and presented himself to the conservatory where he was refused. He then appeared at an audition at the Paris Opera in 1964. Two years later he was quadrille, then coryphée the following year. Appointed subject in 1968, he was already entrusted with solo roles, notably in Turangalila (R. Petit) in 1969 and Arcades (A.Labis). In 1971, he was named Principal Dancer and a year later was named Danseur étoile.

Apart from his work as a dancer at the Opera, Jean Guizerix is ​​also a choreographer. He created his first solo O Tod, in 1969 for his wife Wilfride Piollet. In 1986, with his wife, he created a dance company with a large repertoire including choreographers from various influences. He left the Opera in 1990, and for the occasion had carte blanche for the organization of this evening. 

From 1990 to 1998, he was a professor at the CNSMDP then he became ballet master at the Paris Opera from 1998 to 2000. He was then appointed advisor for dance to the Ministry of National Education until 2002. In 2003, he is for a few months acting artistic director of the Ballets du Nord.  Since 1997, he has been a teacher at the National Circus Arts Center. He gave lessons with his wife Wilfride for their association “Clef de sol”.

He is also the author of several books, he wrote in particular Parallèle in 1986, le Moulin de Jerry, Sens et Tonka edition, published in 2003 and Libretto de Giselle by Théophile Gautier at L’une et l’autre editions in 2012.

Source: theatre-contemporain.net