Biography

Born on 3rd January 1964 in Paris

STUDENT

For as long as he can remember, Eric Vu-An wanted to dance. At the age of 5, he attended the Rue de Tournon studio in Paris and took his first dance lessons with Edith George. In 1974, he entered the competition for Paris Opera Ballet School. He auditioned alone, without a teacher, with the sole conviction of his consuming passion for dance. He still had much to learn, but Claude Bessy, director of the Opera Ballet School had already seen immense potential in this boy of exceptional proportions. Once again, she was right, in just a few years, Eric Vu-An made outstanding progress, setting himself apart from the other students. This difference, although unsought, is very much part of him, beyond the qualities he possesses. His intense sensitivity, his lively disposition and his mixed race necessarily make him an exceptional dancer. In 1979, a waiver of the age requirements by the Ministry of Employment meant he could join the corps de ballet at the Paris Opera. Eric Vu-An became a professional dancer. He was fifteen. After Ballet School, he attended lessons with various teachers including Rita Thalia, Yves Brieux, Robert Bertonso and Jacqueline Finaert.

DANCER

He was quickly recognised for his powerful and sensitive performances of the major roles in the classical repertoire (Don Quixote, Giselle, Swan Lake, Le Corsaire, Romeo and Juliet…). Other works by George Balanchine, Serge Lifar, Mikhail Fokin, Nijinsky, Jerome Robbins and John Neumeier, enabled him to express the full diversity of his talent and bring nuances to his interpretation and performance. During his career, he would partner great artists such as Rudolf Nureyev, Noëlla Pontois, Sylvie Guillem, Élizabeth Maurin, Carla Fracci, Yvette Chauviré, Marie-Claude Pietragalla, Monique Loudières, Manuel Legris, Vladimir Vasiliev, Dominique Khalfouni, Alessandra Ferri, Zizi Jeanmaire and Heather Parisi.

An unparalleled dancer who expresses himself with ease in all repertoires, Eric Vu-An has been chosen by modern choreographers who want to include him in their creations. Among others, Carolyn Carlson, Alvin Ailey, William Forsythe and Heinz Spoerli have created major roles for him, but it was his experience with Maurice Béjart that would prove to be decisive. Béjart wanted to promote this unique dancer and created many roles for him. Of these, Arépo marked a crucial turning point in Eric Vu-An’s life and career. In 1986, he triumphed in the role of Méphisto which Béjart had tailor-made for him. The choreographer, congratulating him amid the applause, then announced he would become principal dancer with Manuel Legris “with the management’s agreement”. A few moments later, Nureyev contradicted this, reserving such decisions for himself. An unprecedented controversy shook the dance world. A victim of the struggle between these two giants, Eric Vu-An lost the chance to become principal dancer at the Paris Opera. The institution in turn deprived itself of the (unique?) opportunity to have an artist with such a rare talent as its principal dancer. Consequently, Eric Vu-An’s dance career became that of an independent artist. He performed as a guest artist for several major companies and travelled the world to take part in prestigious events. He returned to Paris in 1987, no longer a “subject” – his reputation as a principal dancer acquired on major international stages and with the greatest choreographers had put an end to that – but as a guest soloist.

A MULTI-TALENTED ARTIST

Curious about everything and with a taste for a challenge, Eric Vu-An expands his horizons by trying other disciplines. He takes risks and ventures into the unexpected. His performances as a comedian, notably alongside Didier Sandre in Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien by Béjart were widely acclaimed. A theatre performer but also a singer who has worked diligently on his voice and sang with Zizi Jeanmaire on Valentine’s Love Songs by Roland Petit. Inevitably, television began to take a close interest in this multi-talented artist and invited him to present a number of shows, series and documentaries about dance.
Then it was the turn of the film sets. Among the films in which he features, he has performed with Bernardo Bertolucci in The Sheltering Sky. He also appears in Katia et Volodia by Dominique Lelouche and Nijnski, la Marionnette de Dieu by Philippe Vallois.

CHOREOGRAPHER

Eric Vu-An has arranged choreographies on several occasions, the first in 1989. In a show put together by Maurizio Scaparro, he played the role of Antinous in Les Mémoires d’Hadrien and created his own fifteen-minute solo. Other choreographies followed in quick succession including Histoire du Soldat, Du Rhum et du Coton, La Marseillaise Noire sous les Flamboyants, Ivresses de Dionysios, Isoline… At the same time, he has proved his originality and precision in adapting and reproducing the great ballets from the classical repertoire.

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

So many qualities that several theatres, festivals and ballet companies were eventually persuaded to make him responsible for their artistic direction. In 1995, he was appointed artistic director of the Ballet of the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux. In 1997, he directed the Opera Theatre of Avignon. In 2005, he was involved with the artistic direction of the National Ballet of Marseille and since 2009 he has been artistic director of the Ballet Nice Méditerranée.

AWARDS

2011 : Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, Ariston Proballet International Prize for Dance and Art.

2008 : French National Order of Merit.

2005 : Ludmilla Tcherina Award.

2004 : Knight of the Legion of Honour.

1991 : Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters. Aquidanza Prize, Italy. Art Danza Prize, Italy. Gino Tani Prize, Italy.

1986 : Nijinsky prize awarded by Serge Lifar and the University of Dance.

1980 : Silver medal at the International Dance Competition of Varna.

1982 : First Grand Prix of the Cercle Carpeaux.