Isabelle Guérin

Born in Paris, Isabelle Guérin studied at the Conservatoire of Paris and at the Paris Opera Ballet School.  At the age of 17, she joined the Paris Opera Ballet where she was quickly promoted from Quadrille (1978) to Coryphée (1979), Sujet (1981) and Première Danseuse (1984). In 1985 she was appointed Étoile by Rudolf Nureyev after a performance of »Swan Lake«. Isabelle Guérin’s roles with the Paris Opera Ballet included all important leading roles of the classical and romantic repertoire such as »La Bayadère«, »Giselle«, »Manon«, »The Nutcracker«, »Romeo and Juliet« and »The Sleeping Beauty« as well as neoclassical and contemporary works by George Balanchine, Kenneth MacMillan, Jerome Robbins, Roland Petit, William Forsythe, Twyla Tharp and Angelin Preljocaj, among others, and several role creations. Guesting all over the world, she repeatedly performed at the Vienna State Opera such as Kitri/Dulcinea in Rudolf Nureyev's »Don Quixote« (1984), Henriette in Nureyev's »Raymonda« (1985) and in the »Nureyev Galas« in 2015, 2016 and in 2018 alongside Manuel Legris. After her retirement from the stage of the Paris Opera, Isabelle Guérin was still guesting there. Since 2001 she is passing on her knowledge by teaching ballet and staging different ballets for famous international compagnies. After the restaging of Jerome Robbins’ »Other Dances« for the »Nureyev Gala 2014«, Isabelle Guérin returns to the Vienna State Ballet in the 2021/22 season to work on Robbins’ ballet again. Her awards include the Prix Pavlova (1988), Benois de la Danse in Moscow (1993), Chevalier des Arts et Lettres (1997) and Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur (2000).