Émilie Cozette (born 1981) is a French ballet dancer. She joined the
Paris Opera Ballet
The Paris Opera Ballet () is a French ballet company that is an integral part of the Paris Opera. It is the oldest national ballet company, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it. It is still regarded a ...
in 1998, becoming a star (étoile) in 2007.
Early life
Born in 1981, Cozette started to dance in
Pont de l'Arche, Normandy, when she was just six years old. Although she was also interested in the piano, she opted to concentrate on ballet at the Conservatoire de Rouen, continuing at the
Paris Opera Ballet School
The Paris Opera Ballet () is a French ballet company that is an integral part of the Paris Opera. It is the oldest national ballet company, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it. It is still regarded a ...
where she graduated in 1998.
Career
At the age of 17, Cozette joined the Paris Opera Ballet. She rose quickly through the ranks, becoming a principal (première danceuse) in 2004 and an étoile in May 2007 after dancing in
Rudolf Nureyev
Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev (17 March 19386 January 1993) was a Soviet-born ballet dancer and choreographer. Nureyev is widely regarded as the preeminent male ballet dancer of his generation as well as one of the greatest ballet dancers of all ...
's ''
Cinderella
"Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...
''.
Encouraged by
Christiane Vaussard and
Isabelle Guérin
Isabelle Guérin (; born 1961) is a French ballet dancer. She was a member of the Paris Opera Ballet from 1978. In 1985, she received the title of ''Danseur Étoile, Danseuse Étoile'' from Rudolf Nureyev. John Rockwell has described Guérin and La ...
, her early solos included Clemence in Nureyev's ''
Raymonda
''Raymonda'' () is a ballet, grand ballet in three acts, four scenes with an apotheosis, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa to the music of Alexander Glazunov (his Opus number, opus 57) and libretto by Lydia Pashkova. ''Raymonda'' was creat ...
'' and the young girl in
Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins (born Jerome Wilson Rabinowitz; October 11, 1918 – July 29, 1998) was an American dancer, choreographer, film director, theatre director and producer who worked in classical ballet, on stage, film, and television.
Among his nu ...
's ''
Afternoon of a Faun''.
[ She has also played leading roles in '']La Bayadère
''La Bayadère'' ("the temple dancer") ( ru. «Баядерка», ''Bayaderka'') is an 1877 ballet, originally staged in four acts and seven tableaux by the French choreographer Marius Petipa to music by Ludwig Minkus and libretto by . The ba ...
'', ''Don Quixote
, the full title being ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'', is a Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, the novel is considered a founding work of Western literature and is of ...
'', ''Swan Lake
''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoje ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, links=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failu ...
'', ''Giselle
''Giselle'' ( , ), originally titled ''Giselle, ou les Wilis'' (; ''Giselle, or The Wilis''), is a romantic ballet () in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam. Considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon, it was first perfor ...
'' and George Balanchine
George Balanchine (;
Various sources:
*
*
*
* born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze;, Romanization of Georgian, : April 30, 1983) was a Georgian-American ballet choreographer, recognized as one of the most influential choreographers ...
's ''Rubies
Ruby is a pinkish-red-to-blood-red-colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphi ...
''. She later danced the title role in Édouard Lock
Édouard Lock (born March 3, 1954, in Morocco) is a Canadian dance choreographer and the founder of the Canadian dance group, La La La Human Steps.
Career
La La La Human Steps Founder, Artistic Director and Choreographer Édouard Lock began h ...
's ''AndréAuria'' and Calliope in Balanchine's ''Apollo
Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...
''.Maurice Béjart
Maurice Béjart (; 1 January 1927 – 22 November 2007) was a French dancer, choreographer and Theatre director, opera director who ran the Béjart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland. He developed a popular expressionistic form of modern ballet, tac ...
's ''Serait-ce la mort?'', Merce Cunningham
Mercier Philip "Merce" Cunningham (April 16, 1919 – July 26, 2009) was an American dancer and choreographer who was at the forefront of American modern dance for more than 50 years. He frequently collaborated with artists of other discipl ...
's ''Un Jour ou deux'', Médée in Angelin Preljocaj
Angelin Preljocaj (; born 19 January 1957) is a French dancer and choreographer of contemporary dance.
Early life
Angelin Preljocaj was born in 1957 in Sucy-en-Brie, France. He is of Albanians, Albanian descent.
His father was born in Vermosh bu ...
's ''Le Songe de Médée'' and En Sol in Robbins' '' In the Night''.[ She has performed with the troupe in Manchester, Vienna, Milan, San Francisco, Baalbek, São Paulo and Beijing.][
Cozette retired from the Paris Opera Ballet on 21 September 2023 during the company's opening-night défilé.]
Awards
In 1998, Émilie Cozette won the junior award at the Paris International Dance Competition. She has since received the Cercle Carpeaux Prize (2001) and the AROP (2002).[ In 2007, Édouard Lock nominated her for the ]Prix Benois de la Danse
The Benois de la Danse is a ballet competition held annually in Moscow. Founded by the International Dance Association in 1991, it takes place each year on or around April 29 and it's judged by a jury. The members of this jury change every year and ...
.[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cozette, Emilie
1961 births
French ballerinas
Living people
People from Rouen
Paris Opera Ballet étoiles
Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres