PATRICK DUPOND: BIOFRAPHY AND ACHIEVEMENTS - ARTE - 2025

Patrick Dupond (1959) is a French dancer and choreographer, virtuoso from an early age and an illustrious reference of classical and contemporary ballet, whose career has developed on the most important stages in the world alongside famous representatives of this artistic genre.

His talent extends even beyond dance, since in the course of his life he has ventured into other platforms of artistic expression such as film, television and even autobiographical literature.

Studio harcourt

Among his main achievements are his numerous awards, his appointment as Ballet Director of the Paris Opera and his outstanding performances around the world.

His perseverance as an artist became a necessary virtue to overcome an accident that almost took him off the stage forever and over the years he has focused his passion on training new generations.

Biography

Patrick Dupond was born on March 14, 1959 in Paris, France, where he lived a modest childhood with his mother as his sole guide, after his father left home.

To channel his energy, he enrolled in a soccer club and later in judo lessons, but the young man would abandon sports activities after seeing a ballet class. From that moment on his course was marked forever.

Beginnings in ballet

She began her ballet training at the age of ten with the former Paris Opera dancer, Max Bozzonni (1917-2003) who offered her private classes. A year later he was accepted to the Paris Opera Ballet School, a stage in which he combined his academic studies, ballet training and private classes with Bozzoni.

He advanced rapidly and at the age of 15 he was accepted into the Paris Opera Ballet, breaking with his entry an old company rule of not accepting members under 16 years of age.

While taking his place in the corps de ballet, he was cast in solo roles in major productions such as "Symphonie Fantastique" and "Nana," but the dancer's restless nature led him to seek more opportunities to excel.

International Ballet Competition in Varna

Despite his success at such a young age, Dupond complained that the dance company was not exploiting his full capabilities, so on the advice of his private teacher he decided to enroll in the International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria.

There he competed in the Junior category with only 17 years old and despite his inexperience in this type of event, Dupond became the first Frenchman to win the gold medal in this competition.

He also received a Special Award for Technical Excellence also won in the past by prominent dancers Vasiliev, Baryshnikov and Bujones, an accolade that has only been presented four times in the past ten years.

Ascent

From his experience in Varna, he began to receive invitations to participate in other international festivals, he continues his training as a soloist and is led to dance on stages all over the world.

During an interview in 1977 by The New York Times, the young Dupond mentioned the expectations he had about his future: “I hope to have a great international career, but first I would like to become a Star of the Paris Opera Ballet., travel to many places and dance ”.

And he got it. In 1978 after the annual exam he was appointed First Dancer, from there he began to work on choreographies designed by already experienced dancers such as Rudolf Nureyev, Alvin Ailey or Maurice Béjart. His coveted title of "Star" would finally get it in 1980.

Dupond became famous starring in such works as Roland Petit's Phantom of the Opera (1980); Schema (1980) by Alwin Nikolais; Rosella Hightower's Nutcracker (1982); Nureyev's Romeo and Juliet (1984); Gran Pas: Rythm of the Saints (1991) by Twyla Tharp, among other outstanding productions.

Important appointment

In 1990, while working as Artistic Director of the French Ballet Nancy, he received an important offer which he accepted immediately. He was appointed Director of the Ballet of the Paris Opera, replacing Nureyev.

He was 31 years old at that time and it was an important five-year period during which he was able to impose his style on the creative decisions of the place where he was born as an artist.

Dancing in other settings

Dupond's fame and influence led him to have a presence on other platforms. He ventured into television with ballet specials and interviews broadcast from 1978 to 2018, in the cinema with the films "Dancing Machine" (1990) and "Les Grandes Bouches" (1999). It also has an autobiographical book called "Patrick Dupond, Etoile" from the year 2000.

Accident

Precisely in 2000, the dancer suffered a car accident that plunged him into a long physical rehabilitation. This stage led him to experience a period of depression and alcoholism from which he finally emerged to continue his training under the guidance of his longtime teacher, Bozzoni.

He returned to the stage with the musical "L`airde Paris" with Manon Landowski. It is during this time that she meets who would become her current sentimental partner, the dancer Leila Da Rocha.

Recognitions

In addition to those already mentioned above, Dupond received other awards throughout his career, including Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honor, Commander of Arts and Letters, and Knight of the Order of Merit.

Looking to the future

Since 2004 he has regularly intervened as a teacher at his wife's School of Dance, but eventually both would leave this phase to aim higher and open in 2017 the International School of Dance “White Eagle” in which they offer three-year courses for young people. from 10 to 20 years

His time at «Dance with the Stars»

Dupond, who participated in 1997 as a jury at the Cannes Film Festival, once again had the opportunity to offer his expert opinion.

In 2018, she joined the French version of the program “Dance with the Stars” as part of the judging team for this televised dance competition that has allowed her to guide new generations of dancers.

During his participation in this program, he expressed: "There is no beauty without the presence of emotion and technical work, so accompanying these artists on their path through dance has generated moments of great happiness in me."

References

1. Patrick Dupond. (2016). Taken from indianapoliscityballet.org
2. John Green (1977). "I want to dance all the princes." Taken from nytimes.com
3. Patrick Dupond (2018). Julia Guihein. Taken from pointemagazine.com
4. Patrick Dupond. (2016). Taken from ecured.cu
5. Theres is no beaty without emotion: Patrick Dupond confides. (2018). Taken from tellerreport.com
6. Carmen Paris Bautista and Javier Bayo Bernal. (1997). Biographical Dictionary of Dance. Taken from casadellibro.com