Canada, 27 December 1921; trained there with Maurice Lacasse-Morenoff and later abroad with Margaret Craske, Vera Volkova and Olga Preobrajenska; danced with Montreal's Les Variétés Lyriques; 1944 joined New York's Ballet Theatre (renamed American Ballet Theatre, 1957) as dancer, later ballet master and, 1960-64, co-director of the company school; returned to Montreal, 1965, as assistant, later co-artistic director of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens until 1974, then resident choreographer until 1989; named choreographer emeritus, 1990; resident guest choreographer Colorado Ballet, 1978-81, artistic director, 1981-82; created a foundation in 2003 to secure his choreographic legacy (see www.fcfn.ca); Canada Centennial Medal, 1967; Officer of the Order of Canada, 1977; Chevalier de l'ordre national du Québec, 1990; Governor General's Performing Arts Award, 2000. Survived by longtime companion Philippe Giroux, only sister Marguerite and her five children; died Montreal, 26 December 2006. |
