Michel Descombey (28 October 1930 – 5 December 2011) was a French ballet dancer, choreographer and director. Descombay studied dancing in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, and debuted as a professional dancer of the Ballet de l'Opéra National in 1947. In 1959 he became

premier danseur A principal dancer (often shortened to principal) is a dancer at the highest rank within a professional dance company, particularly a ballet company. A principal may be male or female. The position is similar to that of '' soloist''; however, p ...

,''Michel Descombey''
The Oxford Dictionary of Dance. then ballet master, and official choreographer and finally director of the company from 1962 to 1969. He also established the training ballet group of the Opéra National de Paris. Afterwards he was ballet director of the Zürcher Ballett of the Zurich Opera from 1971 to 1973, and was invited to

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

by Orozco.Gabriela Jiménez Bernal
''Michel Descombey''
, National Autonomous University of Mexico In 1975 he settled down in Mexico, where he became chief choreographer and associate director of the ''Ballet Teatro del Espacio'' in 1977. He was a member of the

Sistema Nacional de Creadores de Arte The Sistema Nacional de Creadores de Arte (SNCA; ''National System of Art Creators'') is program developed by the former Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, and founded per presidential decree on September 3, 1993. Its goal is the advancem ...

(SNCA).''Michel Descombey ''

Honors

* Chevalier (knight) of the

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...

* Chevaliers of the

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

Order of the Aztec Eagle The Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle ( es, Orden Mexicana del Águila Azteca) forms part of the Mexican Honours System and is the highest Mexican order awarded to foreigners in the country. History It was created by decree on December 29, 193 ...

References

External links

* 1930 births 2011 deaths People from Bois-Colombes French male ballet dancers French choreographers Ballet choreographers Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Paris Opera Ballet dancers French ballet masters Paris Opera Ballet artistic directors 20th-century French ballet dancers {{France-dance-bio-stub