Eric Vu-An RIP

[BeauxArts]

Éric Vu-An, a wonderful former étoile at the Paris Opera Ballet and director of Nice Ballet, has sadly died at the age of 60. I hope it will be possible to post a link to an obituary; so far I have read about this is Le Figaro but I cannot bring across the link as behind a paywall. Some may recall him

as a partner of Sylvie Guillem as a young étoile, when both were featured dancing a Bejart odd in Natalia Makarova’s ballet documentary series. A very sad day for French ballet. 

[alison]

Oh no, how very sad. And he was so young still.

[Josette]

I remember seeing him with Bejart's company.  He was a brilliant, handsome, charismatic dancer, unforgettable. 

[Jan McNulty]

Very sad news.  RIP

[Sophoife]

9 hours ago, BeauxArts said:

Éric Vu-An, a wonderful former étoile at the Paris Opera Ballet and director of Nice Ballet, has sadly died at the age of 60. I hope it will be possible to post a link to an obituary; so far I have read about this is Le Figaro but I cannot bring across the link as behind a paywall.

 

I have included four obituary links in today's Links section, all are in French but can be translated. The Ariane Bavelier one at Le Figaro allowed me full viewing as long as I accepted the cookies.

[Emeralds]

Very sad news- gone too soon. (I understand it was due to a brain tumour). I remember seeing him dance with a small group of Paris Opera dancers (from etoiles to corps de ballet members) years ago on tour. Eric, only just out of his teens, and Frédéric Olivieri danced the socks off everyone else. There were whispers that Eric was like the next Patrick Dupond or Baryshnikov! What a treat it was to see him dance. Condolences to his loved ones. May he rest in peace. 

Edited June 9 by Emeralds

[Sabine0308]

I'm so sad. I saw him only in film/video clips but was mesmerized about his artistry and flexibility, especially in the duets with Sylvie Guillem.  He died only one week after his husband Hugues Gall had passed away. So sad. May he rest in peace,  and dance with the angels now.

 

Edited June 9 by Sabine0308

[Sabine0308]

Isabelle Ciaravola, his daughter, posted the tragic news as well.

https://www.instagram.com/isabelle_ciaravola?igsh=MWM5cTFmd3ZkaXM1bA==

[Josette]

Eric Vu-An was not an "étoile" of the Paris Opera Ballet.  It is fairly well known that Béjart announced Vu-An and Légris's promotion to étoile after a performance at the time that Nureyev was director, but Béjart did not have authority to do so.  (See, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-02-15-ca-3269-story.html.)  Légris remained with the company and was later promoted to étoile. 

 

Isabelle Ciavavola is not the daughter of Eric Vu-An, but she was a sublimely beautiful étoile.  

[JaneHartley]

2 hours ago, Josette said:

Isabelle Ciavavola is not the daughter of Eric Vu-An, but she was a sublimely beautiful étoile.

 

I am guessing this comment comes from the Instagram translation of her statement... perhaps a mistranslation of 'papounet adoré'?

 

I have no words.. 😢
Receive my love one last time, my beloved daddy...
you've always been there for me...
I love you...
Your little girl who cherished you..

Edited June 9 by JaneHartley

[Sophoife]

7 hours ago, Josette said:

Eric Vu-An was not an "étoile" of the Paris Opera Ballet.  It is fairly well known that Béjart announced Vu-An and Legris's promotion to étoile after a performance at the time that Nureyev was director, but Béjart did not have authority to do so...

Isabelle Ciavavola is not the daughter of Eric Vu-An, but she was a sublimely beautiful étoile.  

 

@Josette if you go to the Dance Links sub-forum, I did make sure to mention the "nomination that never was".

 

I read Mme Ciaravola's post in full - the first image is of herself as a child with Éric Vu-An.

 

The second image is of herself with her Légion d'Honneur medal between Élisabeth Platel and Éric Vu-An. This was in the Grand Foyer after her final performance, and in her speech she thanked her "parents du sang" and her "parents du cœur ": Platel and Vu-An.

 

The third image is of a message she received from Éric Vu-An in which he signs himself "ton papounet Éric".

 

He's obviously been a major figure in her life.

[Naomi M]

There is a system in the Paris Opera Ballet school called petit père or mère which means your daddy or mommy in the company, a kind of mentor. 
Maybe Vu An was Ciaravola’s petit père

[Emeralds]

I and lots of other people outside France only heard about the surprise "promotion" by Bejart of Eric and Manuel Legris in dance magazines and because there was no website/email let alone social media or company websites in those days, we had no idea till years later that the promotions had been withdrawn and the etoile position later given by Nureyev to Legris but not Eric- in our minds, if anyone was a star and a rightful holder of the position of etoile, it was Eric. He was a great box office draw and acclaimed by critics. Not one of Nureyev's smartest decisions. Glad Eric's dancing lives on in TV recordings now available on YouTube. 

[MAB]

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Emeralds said:

if anyone was a star and a rightful holder of the position of etoile, it was Eric.

 

Hear, hear!

 

I've just finished reading Rudolf Nureyev: As I Remember Him by Patricia Boccadoro.  That incident is discussed at some  length, though she has not a good word to say about Bejart she acknowledges that the appointment of an etoile had to be approved by the Opera's panjandrums, not just the director.