Sylviane Bayard

The Prix de Lausanne represents an important step in my life, the one that allowed me to continue my studies at the prestigious school called Rosella Hightower International Dance Center with the Prix de Lausanne scholarship. It launched me into my professional career, one year later, at the Stuttgart Ballet at the age of 16.

I congratulate all the teams that have given so much to this wonderful competition that has existed and evolved for 50 years! All my respect and my greatest gratitude! And THANK YOU to the founders Mr. and Mrs. Braunschweig!

The message I would give to the candidates is: be grateful to be part of such an elegant ballet competition and to have the chance to be coached by fantastic dance Masters. Whatever the outcome will be for you in the competition, remember that keeping persistent and brave throughout your career is essential. The magical word is “work”! And do not forget to enjoy the work and this beautiful profession!

Sylviane Bayard began her ballet training in her hometown, Bergerac, at the Myrio and Desha School. She continued her dance studies at the Centre de Danse International de Rosella Hightower on scholarship. At the age of 15, she won a prize at the Prix de Lausanne.

She was chosen to be the leading actress in the movie L’Âge en Fleurs and began her dance career with the Stuttgart Ballet at 16 where she became Principal under the direction of Marcia Haydée. Her repertoire includes principal roles in classical ballets such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Nutcracker, La Sylphide, Don Quixote, Coppelia, La Fillle mal gardée, Carmen, as well as ballets from John Cranko (Onegin, La Mégère Apprivoisée, Romeo and Juliet, etc…)

She worked with many renowed choreographers such as: Glen Tetley, Maurice Béjart, Jiri Kylian, Hans Van Manen, George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Roland Petit, Kenneth Macmillan, Frederick Ashton, Heinz Spoerli, Uwe Scholz and more.

She was often invited to dance, for example by the Australian Ballet, Pennsylviana Ballet, the Zurich Ballet, the Basel Ballet, the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Ballet National de Marseille Roland Petit, the Bayerisches Staatsoper München, the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, the Capitole de Toulouse, the Opéra National de Bordeaux, the Ballet du XXe Siècle Maurice Béjart, the Metropolitan Opera House New York, the Teatro Colon, the Teatro Massimo, etc.

She has been Ballet Mistress of the Leipzig Ballet under Uwe Scholz’s direction and at the Deutsche Oper Berlin under Richard Cragun’s direction. Between 1999 and 2004, she was the Artistic Director of the Deutsche Oper Ballet Berlin.

Today she is an international guest teacher and coach at:

Bejart Ballet Lausanne, Rudra, Stuttgart Ballet, Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Finnish National Ballet, La Scala de Milano, Capitole de Toulouse, Opera National de Bordeaux, National Ballet of Portugal, Oper Leipzig, Wiener Staatsoper, Teatro San Carlo , Zurich Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Ballet du Rhin, Ballet Nice Mediterranée, European School of Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, etc. 

She is frequently invited as a Jury member to International ballet competitions, such as Prix de Lausanne.

Along with Michel Gascard, Sylviane Bayard is the first Prize Winner of the Prix de Lausanne.