
Born in February of 1965, French ballerina Sylvie Guillem originally trained to be a gymnast before enrolling in the Paris Opera Ballet School at age 11. At 16, she was promoted into the Company and a year later, after winning the Varna International Ballet Competition, Guillem became an Etoile of the company after her first performance of Swan Lake. She went on to create a lead role for William Forsythe's modern ballet In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated in 1987, before shocking her fellow Company members, particularly Rudolf Nureyev, and leaving the Paris Opera Ballet Company to become the principal guest artist at the Royal Ballet. Guillem was often criticized for her high extensions, which were said to disturb the line of classical form. However, Guillem viewed her extreme flexibility as an asset that helped develop her reputation as a world class dancer and solidify her influential style as a pioneer of contemporary ballet.

Champs-Elysées
TV • 1982

Le Grand Échiquier
TV • 1972

The Culture Show
TV • 2004

HARDtalk
TV • 1997

Evidentia
MOVIE • 1995

Smoke
MOVIE

Bye
MOVIE • 2013

Sacred Monsters
MOVIE

Sylvie Guillem - On The Edge
MOVIE

Guillem
MOVIE • 2003

Rudolf Nureyev
MOVIE • 1991

Cinderella
MOVIE • 1997

The Paris Opera Ballet: Seven Ballets
MOVIE • 2007