Claude Bessy, the French ballerina who served as ballet master of the Paris Opera Ballet and later directed the Paris Opera Ballet School, died on April 23, 2026, at age 93.
Born on October 20, 1932, she trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School from age 10 and joined the Paris Opera Ballet at 13. Promoted to étoile in 1956, she was closely associated with Serge Lifar and created leading roles in his works Snow White, Noces fantastiques and Daphnis and Chloe.
Bessy also appeared in Gene Kelly’s film Invitation to the Dance, and he later created Pas de dieux for her. She staged ballets for the Comédie Française and Opéra Comique and continued to stage Lifar’s ballets throughout Europe.
Claude Bessy, 93, French ballerina.