Laurent Hilaire Is the New Artistic Director of the Stanislavsky Ballet

November 21, 2016

Former Paris Opéra Ballet étoile Laurent Hilaire will succeed Igor Zelensky at the Stanislavsky Ballet in Moscow. Zelensky recently took over at Bayerisches Staatsballett (aka The Bavarian State Ballet) in Munich, Germany. You might remember him as the director who convinced Sergei Polunin to join the Stanislavsky, and helped get him back onstage after a particularly rocky patch in his career.

The New York Times reports that Zelensky had briefly attempted to manage both Bayerisches and the Stanislavsky, but he announced that the split prevented him from giving necessary attention to either company. Hilaire will be able to focus all his energy on the company as Zelensky settles into his own new directorship.

Hilaire has long shown leadership potential, serving as ballet master and associate artistic director at POB. He was also considered for the La Scala Ballet directorship. As a dancer, his consummate career began under Rudolf Nureyev and earned him, among other titles, a Lifetime Achievement award from the Benois de la Danse. He was also named Commander of Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government. Perhaps Hilaire and fellow POB dancer-turned artistic director Aurélie Dupont can compare notes.

 


Rudolf Nureyev and Laurent Hilaire (photo by Rodolphe Torrette)

 

For more news on all things ballet, don’t miss a single issue.