Attilio Labis (5 September 1936 – 26 January 2023) was a French

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form ...

dancer and teacher. He was regarded as a star of the

Paris Opera The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be k ...

Early life

Attilio Labis was born in 1936 to a Sicilian father and French mother. He began his training at the

Opéra de Paris The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to b ...

when he was nine years old and rose through the ranks of the school.

Dance career

In 1952, Labis was accepted into the corps de ballet Paris Opera Ballet, but in 1958 he had to join the military. Upon the completion of his military service, he came back and successfully auditioned for a "Premier Danseur" (First soloist) position after only one week of training. He was promoted to "Danseur Étoile" (principal dancer) approximately one year later, after

André Malraux Georges André Malraux ( , ; 3 November 1901 – 23 November 1976) was a French novelist, art theorist, and minister of cultural affairs. Malraux's novel ''La Condition Humaine'' ( Man's Fate) (1933) won the Prix Goncourt. He was appointed by P ...

saw him dance "Pas de Dieux", a choreography by Gene Kelly, and recommended he be promoted. He performed as a ''Danseur Étoile'' (principal dancer) in 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 ...

from 1960 to 1972, then taught the company as a ballet teacher until his retirement. Labis was regarded as having brought many technical innovations to the French school, including more acrobatic steps in solos and duets, and moving the foot higher to the "retiré au genou" (knee height) position for pirouettes, from the old "à la cheville" (ankle height) position. Labis often performed with his wife, "Étoile" Christine Vlassi, as well as with other "Étoiles" such as

Margot Fonteyn Dame Margaret Evelyn de Arias DBE (''née'' Hookham; 18 May 191921 February 1991), known by the stage name Margot Fonteyn, was an English ballerina. She spent her entire career as a dancer with the Royal Ballet (formerly the Sadler's Wells ...

and Claude Bessy. He originated the role of Siegfried in the

Vladimir Bourmeister Vladimir Bourmeister (22 January 1904 - 5 March 1971) was a Soviet choreographer best known for his choreography of Swan Lake, a ballet dance by Peter Tchaikovsky. Made in 1952, his choreography of the dance, unlike other choreographies at the ...

staging of

Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...

at the

Death

Labis died on 26 January 2023, at the age of 86.

Filmography

Labis appeared in several films and television series, including ''L' Âge en fleur'' (1975), ''Le Spectre de la danse'' (1986),Yahoo Movies link
and ''Les Cahiers retrouvés de Nina Vyroubova''.

Choreography

*''Romeo & Juliet'' (full-length), music by S. Prokofiev, with Christiane Vlassi and Attilio Labis *''Arcades'', set to 3 overtures by Berlioz, danced by Christiane Vlassi & Attilio Labis *''Spartacus'' (full-length) Chorégraphie Attilio Labis, interpreté par Attilio Labis and Christiane Vlassi *''Sarabande'', danced by Attilio Labis, Claude Bessy, Georges Piletta, Patrick Frantz, Christiane Vlassi *''Swan Lake'', danced by Margot Fonteyn, Attilio Labis, Christiane Vlassi *''Coppélia'', danced by par Christiane Vlassi and Attilio Labis *''Passion'', pas de deux, music by Charles Dumont *''Romeo & Juliet'', pas de deux, music by Tchaikovsky

References

External links

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Attilio homeunix
{{DEFAULTSORT:Labis, Attilio 1936 births 2023 deaths Labis Attilio Labis Attilio Labis