Guillem, Sylvie, << gee yehm, seel vee >> (1965-…), a French dancer, is one of the most famous ballerinas in the world. She is a tall, long-limbed dancer with excellent technique and extraordinary leg extension. Guillem is one of the most inventive dancers of her generation.
Guillem became successful at an early age. She reached the top rank of the Paris Opera ballet company’s dancers when she was only 19 years old. She first gained attention for her performances in ballets staged by Rudolf Nureyev, who was then the Paris Opera ballet’s artistic director.
Sylvie Guillem was born on Feb. 23, 1965, in Paris. Her mother was a gymnastics teacher, and Guillem competed in gymnastics as a young girl. At the age of 11, she enrolled at the Paris Opera Ballet School. She joined the Paris Opera ballet company in 1981 and rose to the ballet’s top rank of etoile (prima ballerina) in 1984. She has been a principal guest artist at the Royal Ballet in London since 1989 and has danced with many of the world’s most renowned dance companies. She received a gold medal and a prize for excellence at the Varna International Dance Competition in 1983 and the Prix du Cercle Carpeau in 1984. In 1988, the French government awarded her the Grand Prix de la Danse (Grand Prize in Dance), Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres (Commander of Arts and Letters), and Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honor), France’s highest civilian award.
