Max Bozzoni (former POB principal) passed away

[Estelle]

There's an obituary for Max Bozzini in "Le Figaro":

http://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/20030423.FIG0068.html

Max Bozzoni was born in Paris on May 30, 1917, studied at the POB school and joined the company in 1936. He was promoted to étoile in 1947 by Serge Lifar, and retired in 1963. He created quite a lot of roles, especially in Lifar's "Les Mirages" (1947), "Zadig" (1948), "Blanche-Neige" (1952), "Fourberies" (1952), "Grand Pas" (1953), George Balanchine's "Palais de Cristal" (1947- he danced the fourth movement, and I believe he was the last surviving member of the 8 soloists of the original cast), John Cranko's "La Belle Hélène" (1955), George Skibine's "Daphnis et Chloé" (1959) and Victor Gsovsky's "La dame aux camélias" (1960). After his official retirement from the POB, he became the ballet master of the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, and later opened his own studio in Paris, where he taught until June 2002. One of his most famous pupils was Patrick Dupond (who talked about him with very much respect and affection in his interviews and his autobiography, calling him his "Master" and also saying he somehow was a second father for him). He also taught the "classe d'adage" at the POB school between 1973 and 1994, and can be seen in some documentaries about the school.

[su-lian]

How sad! Some of these people become, not really a legend (not in the sense in which it is usually used at least), but someone you just know is there, they seem to have been there for so long that their presence, existence is like obvious, and it does feel like there is something missing when they're not there any more.

[Estelle]

Here's an obituary (quite short, and unsigned) of Max Bozzoni which was published in "le Monde":

http://www.lemonde.fr/article/0,5987,3382-...317968-,00.html

It lists Patrick Dupond, Agnès Letestu and Aurélie Dupont among Max Bozzoni's former students. From what I've read, Emmanuel Thibault, Karl Paquette and Fanny Fiat also took their first ballet classes from him before entering the POB school. He is survived by his wife (also a ballet teacher) and two daughters.