Tribute to Pierre Lacotte
© DR
The Paris Opera pays tribute to the dancer and choreographer Pierre Lacotte who has just left us.
Born in 1932, trained at the Ecole de Danse and then Premier Danseur at the Opéra National de Paris, Pierre Lacotte left his mark on dance history. As a choreographer, he worked with Édith Piaf and Sidney Bechet, before remounting classics of the repertoire such as La Sylphide, Coppélia and Paquita. In 2021, he offered a last ballet to the Opera, Le Rouge et le Noir, to pay tribute to the Theatre that he has always considered his true Home.
On this occasion, Alexander Neef, General Director of the Paris Opera, salutes the talent of this great artist and declares that: "The Paris Opera will honour Pierre Lacotte's memory with the whole of his work, which is now part of the choreographic heritage of the house."
José Martinez, director of dance at the Paris Opera, said: "Classical ballet owes a great deal to this master dancer. We are the custodians of a precious heritage that we must preserve for future generations."
Broadcast of the ballet "Le Rouge et le Noir"
Sunday, April 30 at 2:35 pm on France 5, discover Pierre Lacotte’s last creation for the Paris Opera Ballet: Le Rouge et le Noir, a great romantic ballet adapted from Stendhal’s masterpiece, filmed at the Palais Garnier for its creation in 2021.
Rediscover the interview with Pierre Lacotte on the occasion of the ballet Le Rouge et le Noir, based on the eponymous novel by Stendhal, his last creation in 2021 at the Opéra national de Paris and the history of the costumes he designed himself.
[INTERVIEW] PIERRE LACOTTE
Biography
Pierre Lacotte was born in 1932 and trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School most notably, under the guidance of Gustave Ricaux. At the same time, he also took private classes with Lubov Egorova and Carlotta Zambelli. After joining the Corps de ballet in 1946, he was selected by Serge Lifar to be the soloist in Septuor alongside Claude Bessy. Promoted to the rank of Premier Danseur in 1951, he performed the works of the repertoire, often finding himself partnered with Yvette Chauviré, Lycette Darsonval and Christiane Vaussard. In 1954, one of his first choreographic works, La Nuit est une sorcière (The Night is a Sorceress) set to music by Sydney Bechet,...
