The famous dancer and choreographer, Pierre Lacotte died at the age of 91. He marked the history of ballet by bringing forgotten works up to date. Back to his career.
A star has flown away. The famous choreographer and dancer Pierre Lacotte died on Monday April 11 in the Var, at the age of 91. It was his companion, the star dancer Ghislaine Thesmar who announced the sad news in a press release. “Our Pierre abandoned us at 4 a.m.”, wrote the wife of the choreographer. Pierre Lacotte was known for bringing forgotten works up to date, hence his nickname by the profession “of ballet archaeologist”. He thus brought back to the stage Coppélia (1970), the Pas de six by La Vivandière (1844), The Pharaoh’s Daughter (1862) or even paquita (1846). Ballets that he has performed all over the world.
Pierre Lacotte, a dancer with multiple projects
“It’s very sad, he was still full of projects and was writing a book”confided Ghislaine Thesmar in her press release, before specifying: “He was full of energy and had projects for companies”, including the Rome Opera Ballet. His wife since 1968 specified the causes of the death of the choreographer, died of sepsis after wound infection, in a clinic in La Seyne-sur-Mer in the Var. In 2021, he created what would then be his last ballet, an adaptation of Stendhal’s work, The Red and the Black for the Opera, and he was not planning to retire any time soon.
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A passionate man
Pierre Lacotte discovers his passion for the Opera when his parents take him one day to see a work on a big stage. He then admired the talent of his dance teacher Lioubov Egorova, who was prima ballerina of the Mariinsky in Saint Petersburg and to whom he had a real passion. In 1942, he joined the École de l’Opéra by entering the corps de ballet, then becoming principal dancer 10 years later. But very quickly, the dancer became interested in choreography. While suffering an ankle injury, Pierre Lacotte is interested in the first ballet sur pointes in history La Sylphide, created for the Paris Opera by Philippe Taglioni. He then decides to reassemble this ballet, which takes him 3 years and thus begins his exploration of old ballets. Pierre Lacotte has also held several positions in dance houses and he even succeeded Patrick Dupond at the Ballet de Lorraine. A beautiful journey that ends in 2023.
