Lifetime Achievement Award 2026

Sylvie Guillem’s career is a story of brilliance, courage, and reinvention — from prodigy to icon. 

Sylvie Guillem began her career driven by athletic prowess, but it was theatre that made her a legend. Born in Paris, she trained as a gymnast before joining the Paris Opera Ballet School at 11, where her exceptional physique and intelligence quickly stood out. At 16, she entered the company, rising rapidly through the ranks. When Rudolf Nureyev became director, he championed her talent, naming her Étoile at just 19 after her debut in Swan Lake.

In the following years, she became a muse for leading choreographers — Forsythe, Béjart, Neumeier, Robbins, MacMillan, and Ek — creating defining roles across classical and modern repertoires. In 1988, seeking more artistic freedom, she left the Paris Opera Ballet and joined The Royal Ballet in London, performing both classics and bold contemporary works.

Guillem’s collaborations extended globally, from the Kirov Ballet to American Ballet Theatre, with Béjart, Ek, and others creating major works for her. Later, she focused on contemporary projects such as Broken Fall, Push, Sacred Monsters (with Akram Khan), and Eonnagata (with Maliphant and Lepage), touring internationally. Her 2011 programme 6000 Miles Away honored Forsythe, Ek, and Kylián.

Celebrated worldwide, Guillem has received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement (2012), a special Olivier Award (2015), and the Praemium Imperiale (2015), among many French and British honours. One of the most influential dancers of her generation, she remains a defining figure in the evolution of modern dance.

Click here to find out more about Sylvie Guillem’s extraordinary story!

Photos : with courtesy of Sylvie Guillem.