Maurice Bejart, a leader in dance, dies at 80
GENEVA - French choreographer Maurice Bejart, considered one of the great figures in contemporary dance, died Thursday in a Swiss hospital at the age of 80, a spokeswoman for his Bejart Ballet Lausanne said.
Mr. Bejart, a former dancer who also directed operas and films, had been in and out of the hospital in recent months, suffering from kidney and heart problems that left him exhausted.
The French-born Bejart set new standards during a career that spanned five decades, starting with his signature work, the 1959 staging of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring,” in which his dancers - clad in sleek, shiny tights - created an erotic aura with impulsive, natural movements that became a standard of his interpretations.
His “Ballet of the 20th Century,” formed a year later at Brussels’ Monnaie theater, became hugely successful because of his provocative choreography.
His production of Franz Lehar’s “Merry Widow,” however, was criticized for turning a frivolous work into a social protest, particularly in the final scene, which was set among murdered soldiers and smoldering ruins. But it became a hit with younger audiences.
Mr. Bejart eventually clashed with the management at the Monnaie and moved his company to Switzerland in 1987, renaming it the Bejart Ballet.
Mr. Bejart, a close friend of the late fashion designer Gianni Versace, recently wrote and choreographed a two-part ballet, “Thank you, Gianni, With Love,” which played in Milan on the 10th anniversary of Versace’s murder.
His latest creation was “The Clergy House Has Lost None of Its Charm, and the Garden None of Its Lustre,” set to the song “Let Me Live” by the rock group Queen.
A public memorial ceremony is to be held in Lausanne on Monday for Mr. Bejart, who converted to Islam and asked that his body be cremated, according to his spokeswoman, Roxane Aybek.