Maurice Béjart
Biography
Maurice Béjart was a French dancer, choreographer, and opera director born in Marseille, France, in 1927. He devoted himself to dance after being fascinated by a recital, studying under prominent instructors in Paris and abroad. Béjart founded the Ballet du XXe Siècle in Brussels in 1960, which toured extensively and became renowned for its expressionistic modern ballet style. He was appointed to the Académie des Beaux Arts from 1994 until his death in 2007.