The French dancer Claude Bessy during a rehearsal of the ballet 'L'Atlantide', based on the work of Pierre Benoit, at the Opéra Garnier in Paris, on October 7, 1958. AFP
Her figure radiated an energy and authority that immediately captivated. When the dancer, choreographer and teacher Claude Bessy was recently seen among the audience at the Palais Garnier and the Opéra Bastille, where she came to applaud and greet her former students, she showed undiminished attention and enthusiasm for dance. The star dancer at the Opéra national de Paris, and leading figure who served as director of the École de danse de l'Opéra national de Paris from 1972 to 2004, died at her home during the early hours of Thursday, April 23. She was 93 years old.
Passionate and ever-alert, she attended, as recently as March 31, a costumed rehearsal of the production Le Petit Prince, choreographed by star dancer Clairemarie Osta after the story by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, for young students at the school's studios in the Paris suburb of Nanterre. The ballet was presented as part of a program at the Palais Garnier from April 15 to 19. This uncompromising woman remained as committed as ever to her art and her profession. In a statement, the Opéra national de Paris praised "her immense talent as a performer and her passionate dedication to training new generations of dancers."
