Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Maurice Béjart

Role / Field:

Pioneering choreographer who developed modern ballet, blending expressionism and vast themes.

Born:

1927-01-01

Died:

2007-11-22

Century / Era:

1927s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Maurice Béjart (French: [beʒaʁ]; 1 January 1927 – 22 November 2007) was a French dancer, choreographer and opera director who ran the Béjart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland. He developed a popular expressionistic form of modern ballet, tackling vast themes. He was awarded Swiss citizenship posthumously. Maurice-Jean Berger was born in Marseille, France, in 1927, the son of French philosopher Gaston Berger.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Fascinated by a recital of Serge Lifar, he decided to devote himself to dance. In South France days, he had studied under Mathilde Kschessinska. In 1945, he enrolled as a corps de ballet at the Opéra de Marseille. From 1946, he had studied under Madam Rousanne Sarkissian, Léo Staats, Madam Lyubov Yegorova and Olga Preobrajenska at "Studio Wacker", etc. in Paris.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

In 1948, he also trained with Janine Charrat, Yvette Chauviré and then with Roland Petit, in addition he had studied under Vera Volkova at London. In 1954, he founded the Ballet de l'Étoile company (dissolved in 1957). In 1960 he founded the Ballet du XXe Siècle in Brussels (dissolved in 1987). In 1973, with the Ballet du XXe siecle, he premiered "Golestan", on a poem by Sa'di, based on Iranian traditional...

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• 1927 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1927
• January 1 (01-01) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on January 1
• 2007 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2007
• November 22 (11-22) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on November 22

Frequently Asked Questions about Maurice Béjart