Russian Ballet Maestro Yuri Grigorovich dies at the age of 98

The famous Russian ballet choreographer, Yuri Grigorovich, died at the age of 98.

Described as one of the largest choreographers of the 20th century, he is the artistic director of Bolshoi Ballet from 1964 to 1995, which is said to have led an iron fist.

The productions of Grigorovich on the stone flower, Ivan the terrible and Romeo and Juliet redefined the Soviet ballet. Praise for the revival of male dance, he created parts for men that require extreme strength and artistry.

Born in 1927, a decade after the Bolshevik revolution, his work has penetrated the traditions of classical ballet.

His uncle, Georgi Rosai, studied under the legendary Veslava Nijinski, and the young Grigorovich continued to dance as a soloist with Ballet Kirov in Leningrad before turning to choreography.

Departure from Bolshoi in 1995 amid disputes over contracts of contractors led to the first of his kind of dancers in the theater in his 200-year history. During a planned performance, a dancer appeared to inform the audience that the show had been canceled, leaving stunning silence.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Bolchs are facing instability. Grigorovich moved to Krasnodar to find a new ballet company. He returned to Bolshoi in 2008 as a choreographer and master of ballet.

Grigorovich received top Soviet and Russian honors, including the titles of the people of the USSR and a hero of socialist work. His wife, the famous ballerina Natalia Besmeterova, died in 2008.

His death came the same day as that of one of his most famous associates, dancer Yuri Vladimirov, 83 years old.

Valery Gergiev, the head of the theaters of Bolshoi and Mariinski, told the Izvevi newspaper that Grigorovich is a “legendary figure who will continue to command respect and admiration for the decades ahead.”