Manuel Legris appointed director of the Ballet Teatro alla Scala

The whispering in the corridors of La Scala has come to an quit as, finally, it has been confirmed that Manuel Legris will take over from Frédéric Olivieri as Ballet Director.

Legris, currently inside the same position in Vienna, will anticipate the role in Milan on the give up of this year.

He already is aware of the corporation well, having labored with them whilst mounting his personal manufacturing of Le Corsaire in 2018, and his version of the ballet Sylvia (a co-manufacturing with the Vienna State Ballet) opened the contemporary ballet season at La Scala in December 2019.

Rumours were circulating for almost a year, and as he is popular with the theatre’s dancers, it is going to be a satisfied union. Legris shares plenty of the identical DNA with the dancers at La Scala having danced a similar repertoire in the course of his days as étoile at the Paris Opera Ballet, with Rudulf Nureyev’s influence and productions having a considerable impact on the dancer.

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Manuel Legris trained at the ballet school of the Paris Opéra. He joined the Paris Opéra Ballet and was appointed Danseur Étoile by then ballet director of the Paris Opéra, Rudolf Nureyev. In May 2009, he gave his farewell performance and has since returned as a guest performer to the Paris Opéra, also performing with companies and in galas in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Mr. Legris is a recipient of the Prix Nijinsky (1988), Prix Benois de la Danse (1998) Nijinski Award (“Best Dancer in the World, 2000”), Prix Positano (2001); Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur (2006), Commandeur des Arts et Lettres (2009) and the People’s Choice Award at the XV. DANCE OPEN International Ballet Festival in St. Petersburg (2016). In 2010 Mr. Legris became the Director of the Wiener Staatsballett and Artistic Director of the Ballet Academy of the Vienna State Opera.

Aurelie Dupont and Manuel Legris - Sleeping Beauty Pas de Deux