Serge Lifar and Billy Wilson

Serge Lifar, legendary ballet choreographer, sought out Wilson while he was at the Dutch National Ballet and created the ballet Othello in 1960 for him, a ballet that skyrocketed him to stardom. Wilson was able to perform in major ballets frequently, an opportunity he says would not have been available to him in the US.

 

Sources:

BILLY WILSON, A CAPITOL ASSET, The Washington Post
Serge Lifar (1905-1986), Opéra National de Paris
Othello – Het Nederlands Ballet – 1960-01-03, Theater Encyclopedie

 

More about Serge Lifar

Born in 1904, Serge Lifar was one of the greatest male ballet dancers and choreographers in the 20th century. By 1921, Lifar was noticed by patron of the arts Sergei Dhiaghiev, and two years later, joined the Ballets Russes. He quickly progressed there and became the principal dancer in 1925, dancing as the original lead in many Balanchine ballets including La Chatte and The Prodigal Son. At the age of 24, Lifar was invited to become director of the Paris Opéra Ballet at a time when it had fallen by the wayside. He brought unconventional stories to create ballets around and added modernity to classical ballet, helping revitalize the Paris Opéra Ballet and bringing back its international and renowned status. He eventually was ousted out of the company after 30 years as Ballet Master due to irreconcilable differences with management. He passed away in 1986 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

 

Sources:

Serge Lifar, Wikipedia
Serge Lifar, Opéra National de Paris
Serge Lifar, American Ballet Theatre

 

    Elaine Yu