Merle Park, the engine driver’s daughter from Rhodesia (modern Zimbabwe), ended up being one of The Royal Ballet’s brightest stars. She says that she first realised she’d become famous when she heard a question on a quiz game on the radio: “Which is the odd name out: Green Park, Hyde Park or Merle Park?” I thought, […]
Zizi Jeanmaire
Ivan Vasiliev to guest with English National Ballet as a tribute to Roland Petit
Bolshoi Ballet’s Ivan Vasiliev will dance Roland Petit’s Le Jeune Homme et la Mort with English National Ballet tomorrow evening, July 22. He is partnered with English National Ballet First Artist Jia Zhang. Vasiliev wanted to offer the performance as his personal tribute to Roland Petit. Following Roland Petit’s death on 9 July, Vasiliev contacted Zizi Jeanmaire, Petit’s […]
Roland Petit: 1924 – 2011
Roland Petit with his wife Zizi Jeanmaire after a performance of Carmen New York, October 1949
Roland Petit in pictures
From top left to right: Alessandra Ferri and Julio Bocca in Carmen; Carla Fracci and Massimo Murru in Chéri; Roland Petit and Carla Fracci rehearsing Chéri; Roland Petit and Loipa Araujo in Coppélia; Zizi Jeanmaire in Mon truc en plumes; Mikhail Baryshnikov in Le jeune homme et la mort; Nicolas Le Riche in Le jeune homme et la […]
Great French choreographer Roland Petit dies at 87
Great French choreographer and dancer Roland Petit died today in Geneva after a long illness. He was 87. The Paris Opera Ballet gave out the news earlier today. French culture minister Frederic Mitterrand said Petit was “one of the major choreographers of the 20th century”. “With his muse Renee Jeanmaire, or Zizi, with whom he formed […]
