Mikhail Baryshnikov, Anna Pavlova, and the Bolshoi Ballet: these most famous names are recognised in almost every household. Known to people whether they are dancers, love dance or just tune in to a telly channel right at the time Swan Lake is being performed.
Maurice Béjart, Benjamin Millepied: these are names that perhaps mean nothing to you, but they have shaped the history of dance through their talent, style and hard work.
Being familiar with these forerunners' efforts could perhaps motivate you to carry on with your dance lessons, to progress in the art and to understand that almost anything is possible with determination and constant practice.
To that end, we present the biography of ten of the most famous dancers from genres like hip hop, tap and jazz, each one more inspiring than the last.
For information on the background of dance culture, take a look at our article!
Dance Greats: Vaslav Nijinsky
Vaslav Fomitch Nijinsky was born in Ukraine on 12 March 1889 and died on 8 April 1950 in London. A Russian dancer and choreographer of Polish origin, Nijinsky made a name for himself within the competitive world of dance.
Born into a family of dancers, this performer entered the Imperial Dance Academy of St. Petersburg at a very young age. There he garnered his share of attention for his leaps and extraordinary aptitude as a dancer.
It was the impresario Sergei Diaghilev who cultivated that talent, brought him into his company and propelled him to fame.
After joining the famed Russian ballet company Ballet Russe, he took the principal role in Petrushka, as well as starring in The Spectre of the Rose.
Launched into Russian high society, this dancer became one of the best artists of his time and a rockstar of the dance community.
Eventually, Vaslav Nijinsky became a top choreographer alongside Diaghilev, with his work quickly becoming known for being controversial and modern. He even developed an unusual system for scoring dances, that he created for his own use.
Interpreting them is how we were able to restore parts of obscure ballets such as The Afternoon of a Faun and The Rite of Spring.
After his death in 1950, he has remained well-regarded and whole ballets have even been choreographed about him.
Manuel Legris
Recently retired after spending years with Opera Garnier, Manuel Legris stands out in the French landscape of the best classical dancers.
Dubbed one of the little rats of the opera when he joined at age 11, Manuel Legris began his career at the Palais Garnier in Paris. He rose through the ranks and become an 'Etoile' by 21.
By the end of his very first performance, he was named the principal dancer of the company right there on stage- a rare occurrence in the world of ballet.
From that performance onwards, he performed in a succession of important roles, showing his flawless technique and style as well as his actor-like talent for expression.
His fame grew around the world and was invited to appear on the best and most prestigious stages, from the Met in New York to the Bolshoi in Moscow. Legris became known as a wonderful partner and every top ballerina requested him for performances.
His farewell performance was the title role in Onegin on the Opera Garnier stage in May 2009. From then until 2020, he directed the Vienna State Ballet, moving to La Scala in Milan later that year.
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Maurice Béjart
Maurice-Jean Berger, born January 1927, professionally known as Maurice Béjart, was one of the greatest dancers and choreographers of the twentieth century.
Entranced by the dance young, the French-born dancer trained in Marseille, Paris and London. He then opened his first school in Belgium in 1960, called The Twentieth Century Ballet, which went on to tour the world.
Béjart was inspired by classical and modern representations in dance and utilised choreographic elements from different world traditions from India to Japan in his performances.
Unlike classic ballets, Bejart used dialogue and words, as well as theatrical effects to render the performance more mesmerising, as believed that his style of dance could be a thrilling and popular as modern cinema.
Today, Maurice Bejart is recognised as one of the most influential choreographers, who established the foundation of modern dance in France and Belgium. He even revolutionised music for dancing, creating works to electronic music in the 1960s.
A member of the French Academy of Fine Arts from 1994 until his death in November 2007, he remains one of the most cited choreographers in the dance community.
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Benjamin Millepied
Born in 1971 in Bordeaux, he was a lead dancer with the New York City Ballet, where his fame really took off.
Millepied is another dancer who left his birthplace to pursue his career in 1992 when he started studying at the School of American Ballet.
As much a dancer as a choreographer, Benjamin Millepied soon became a principal dancer, but that is not where his fame actually lies.
Benjamin Millepied is one of the go-to choreographers sought out when filming stories interpreted through dance, most recently for the film Dune.
The most famous title to his credit, Black Swan, involved the rigorous training of an American ballet dancer to take the lead in Swan Lake.
Fresh off his success in Black Swan, in January 2013, it was announced that he would become dance director of the Opera of Paris ballet corps, a post he held from 2014 to 2016.
He also became the husband of beautiful Natalie Portman, who met on the set – a lovely story seen in countless Hollywood productions!
Today, Benjamin Millepied is known the world over as one of dance's greats.
You can find information about adult dance classes here.
Rudolf Nureyev
Nureyev has often been hailed as the Lord of the Dance – how could we not cite him on our list of ten greatest dancers turned choreographers, and later hailed as director of ballet?
Born in 1938 in the Soviet Union, he died in 1993 in Hauts-de-Seine. Still today, Rudolf Nureyev is recognized both for his close-to-perfect dance technique and as one of the few male dancers to go en pointe.
Due to the disruption of World War II, Nureyev was unable to follow his passion for dance until 1955, when he gained admission to the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet aged 17.
After graduating at 20 years old, he joined the Kirov Ballet and was given solo roles as a principal dancer almost immediately. He was even personally selected as a partner by the prima ballerina Natalia Dudinskaya.
Eventually, Nureyev defected to Paris and eventually began to dance for The Royal Ballet in London, where he regularly performed until the 1980s. During this time, he danced often with Margot Fonteyn, another of the stars on our list.
He filled the role of director for the Paris Opera Ballet from 1983 to 1989, indelibly leaving his mark on one of the world's most important operas.
Considered one of the greatest classical dancers of all time even after his death in January 1993, his trademark style combined ballet with contemporary and even baroque repertoires.
A great international dancer and gifted choreographer, he added a page to the history of dance and ballet by putting male ballet dancers at the forefront in the majority of his choreographies.
Famous Female Dancers: Margot Fonteyn
Born in 1919 in Surrey, very few other ballerinas reached the stardom of Dame Fonteyn, who began ballet lessons at 4 years old, and went on to study in England and China.
By 1935 at just 16, she became the prima ballerina of the Vic-Wells company, where she was particularly well known for her portrayal of Aurora in Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Beauty. She danced there until her retirement in 1979.
In 1949, she led Vic-Wells on a tour of the United States, quickly becoming an international sensation, even appearing on popular programs like the Ed Sullivan Show and in live colour productions on the BBC
As we mentioned before, Fonteyn rose to further stardom when she partnered with Rudolf Nureyev in 1962 in a production of Giselle. From then on, the two dancers pushed each other to perform their best work with each other and performed in many productions together.
At 60, Fonteyn retired among the many awards she received during her career, she was named prima ballerina assoluta of the Royal Ballet, a rare award given only to the most notable female dancers.
Marie-Claude Pietragalla
Discovered quite publicly during her judging performance on Dancing with the Stars, Marie-Claude Pietragalla is widely known in the world of dance for her ambitious and evocative dancing as well as choreography.
In fact, now, she is one of the top choreographers in France!
Born in 1963 in Paris, she entered the world of dance as a young ballerina to counter brimming hyperactivity. Those early efforts earned her entrance into the ballet school of the Paris National Opera School at the tender age of 9 years.
At 16, she joined the opera's corps du ballet, graduating to principal dancer in December 1990, after a mesmerising performance in Don Quixote.
From that moment until the early 2000s, the ballerina continued to appear in famous ballets from Swan Lake to contemporary pieces like Don't Look Back, even receiving the prestigious Prix Benois de la Danse award in 1998.
After choreographing for other companies, in 2004, this dancer turned choreographer launched her own dance company with her husband Julien Derouault, called The Theatre of the Corps Pietragalla–Derouault.
Their particular brand of choreographed art is inspired by classical and contemporary dance, peppered with hip-hop influences.
Marie-Claude Pietragalla is now one of the most recognised dancers and choreographers of the profession, who is also well-known by the general public, even taking turns as a writer and actress.
She is currently presenting an introspective, solo production on her own life called La Femme Qui Danse, based on her artistic endeavours and unpublished writings from her life.
Genre Switch: Josephine Baker
While many of the people featured on this list are classical dancers, ballet is certainly not the only popular genre of dance, and there are many artists from different genres to discuss.
One of these great is Josephine Baker, a dancer, actress, singer and civil rights activist. Her story is one that must be covered in any list of great performers.
Her birthplace was St. Louis, Missouri in 1906, and her parents were both former slaves. She was determined to have a role in show business, and by 13 years old was already performing in chorus lines.
Her performances in the US gained her enough popularity to land an opportunity in Paris, where she would shoot to fame and call home for the rest of her life.
After breaking out as a star in Paris, she toured Europe and even starred in the Folies Bergère, one of the most famous cabarets in the world. You might remember that famous picture of her in her banana costume!
Her dancing style found its roots in Jazz Age moves like the Charleston, and also fused tap, ballet and African dance styles. She was able to improvise with quick steps and kicks, completing complex patterns with incredible accuracy and energy.
As her fame and success grew, she became a muse for artists like Picasso and Hemingway. However, this period of success was interrupted by war and she was recruited by the French military in counterintelligence.
After this period was over, she returned to the Folies Bergère as a more serious artist and became one of the best singers of the moment, even receiving the NAACP's Woman of the Year award in 1951.
During her life and after her death in April 1975, her legacy paved the way for many female entertainers, especially women of colour, to flaunt their talents with confidence and exuberance.
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Ginger Rogers
Another incredible female talent, Ginger Rogers was much more than Fred Astaire's well-known dance partner. She was a premier actress and singer in dance films during the Golden Age of Hollywood who firmly deserves her place on this list.
Rogers was born in Missouri and began her successful vaudeville career in 1925, followed by a turn on the Broadway stage in a production called Crazy Girl.
The success of this performance led to a variety of film contracts, leading up to 1933 when she made her first film at RKO with actor Fred Astaire. Together, the two revolutionised Hollywood dance numbers, combining ballroom, tap and jazz dancing.
They would complete complex ballroom numbers in long shots, often to music specifically composed for the two. During this period, Rogers was praised for her incredible dancing technique, but also her expression as a dramatic actress.
Rogers continued to appear in films both musicals and non-musicals, even winning an Academy Award in 1941 for her role in Kitty Foyle.
After a storied and lengthy career, Rogers passed away in April 1995, leaving behind a great legacy that continues to inspire other female dancers around the world.
Michael Jackson
Who today knows nothing of the King of Pop, one of the most famous American singers in history, and his incredible moves? Our list would, of course, be incomplete without his name.
International star, singer, dancer, choreographer, director and actor Michael Jackson has more than one arrow in his quiver.
He is also known for having uttered memorable dance quotes.
Born in 1958 in his birthplace of Indiana, the Guinness Book of World Records and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame have designated the star as the most popular artist of all time, and the most successful recording artist ever.
The King of Pop did not start his career alone.
With his brothers backing him up, little Michael headlined the Jackson Five. After seeding the musical landscape with his talent for pop, the artist began his solo career in 1971.
He then released great hits like Thriller, Smooth Criminal, Beat it and The Way You Make Me Feel which were nominated for awards from the American Music Awards to the Grammys.
His artistic flair outshone the controversial man that he was. Nevertheless, loved or reviled, The King of Pop is known in virtually every corner of the planet.
His concerts were all-encompassing shows that mixed dance, singing and videos. His stage performances are unparalleled to this day.
Michael Jackson knows how to do it in terms of dance, fusing jazz, hip hop and even tap moves with incredible technique.
He popularised dance steps such as The Moonwalk, The Sidewalk and The Lean: a true prowess of the body that leans at 45 ° and then comes up seemingly effortlessly, a feat that fascinates all his fans and even students of physics!
Michael Jackson was a driven man, the author of many dance songs that, even today, are replayed all over the world.
So, if the work of these popular artists has inspired you, look for dance classes in your area across Australia.
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