Manuel Legris

Manuel Legris continued to dance for a few months, especially abroad, before taking the reins of the Vienna State Ballet in September 2010. He brought to the company a number of ballets, including – for the 2010/2011 season – Rudolf Nureyev's Don Quixote, Onegin, and a Triple Bill devoted to Jerome Robbins already performed in Paris.

Since September 1, 2010, he has directed the Vienna State Ballet. In 2017, Legris announced he would step down once his contract ran out in 2020. In February 2020, Legris announced he will assume the position of artistic director of La Scala Theatre Ballet in December 2020.

He made his official farewell from the stage of the Opera Garnier on May 15, 2009, with the principal role of Onegin (for this exceptional performance, he requested the traditional Défilé of students and dancers in the Opera). Among the partners, Clairemarie Osta, Mathias Heymann and Myriam Ould-Braham were found on stage while he was applauded from the hall by numerous Etoiles of the House, former ballet masters such as Claude Bessy and Pierre Lacotte, and the Culture and Communication Minister Christine Albanel. He received a standing ovation from the entire audience for nearly half an hour. On this occasion he was awarded the insignia of "Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres"

On November 19, 2007, he danced as the partner of Dorothée Gilbert, his favorite pupil of the dance school, in the Nutcracker at the Opera de Paris, which was performed without any costumes or set (due to strikes by staff), after which she was named Etoile.

In December 2005, the Stuttgart Ballet offered him the title role in Onegin where he danced with Maria Eichwald and the company during a tour of Japan and in January 2006 in Stuttgart.

In February 2004, Jiri Kylian created a Pas de Deux Il faut qu'une porte... at the Paris Opera where Manuel Legris danced with Aurélie Dupont. During the summer, he made another triumphant tour in Japan with his group, to which he added "special guests" Monique Loudières and Laurent Hilaire. Finally, in December he took part in the new work of Trisha Brown O zlozony / O composite, along with Aurélie Dupont and Nicolas Le Riche.

In 2003, Manuel Legris added two major works to his repertoire: Variations on Carmen by Roland Petit and Phrases of Quartet by Maurice Béjart. That same year, Maurice Béjart staged again The Song of a Wayfarer for him and Laurent Hilaire, giving them the exclusive performance.

The group was regularly invited to Japan. In January 2000, during a tour in Tokyo, Kishin Shinoyama, a successful Japanese photographer, published a photo book Manuel Legris A L'Opera de Paris, a book dedicated to him.

In addition, Manuel Legris traveled the world with his fellow dancers, "Manuel Legris et ses Étoiles." This concept was born in 1996 with the collaboration of Manuel Legris and Monique Loudières. There wishes were to allow young dancers to approach the solo roles still inaccessible for them at the Opera, and to enable them to work with leading choreographers forcing them to perform against the young artists.

He started ballet lessons at the age of 8 under a local ballet teacher, Yvonne Guba. In 1976 at age 11, he started with the Paris Opera Ballet School and joined the Corps de Ballet at 16 years old in 1980. In 1981 he became "Coryphee", and was then promoted to "Sujet" in 1982. Exceptionally, Manuel Legris was appointed to the title "Etoile" on 11 July 1986, at age 21, by the Stage Director Rudolf Nureyev, bypassing the rank of "Premier Danseur." On that day, the company performed Raymonda, choreographed by Nureyev, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and Legris danced the leading role of Jean de Brienne. At the end of the performance, he was named the principal dancer on the stage.

Manuel Legris is a French ballet dancer, born in Paris on October 10, 1964. He was a étoile (star dancer) of the Paris Opera Ballet for 23 years. Since September 1, 2010, he has directed the Vienna State Ballet. He will assume the position of artistic director of La Scala Theatre Ballet in December 2020.