Overview

• Juri Grigorowitsch, renowned choreographer of the Moscow Bolshoi Ballet, passed away on May 19, 2025, at the age of 98 in Moscow.
• He shaped Soviet and Russian ballet for over three decades, serving as Bolshoi's chief choreographer from 1964 to 1995 and returning in 2008 to mentor new talent and oversee repertoire.
• Grigorowitsch's iconic productions include 'Spartacus,' 'Ivan the Terrible,' and 'Romeo and Juliet,' alongside celebrated reinterpretations of 'Swan Lake' and 'Sleeping Beauty.'
• In 1991, he founded the Benois de la Danse, an award often referred to as the 'Oscars of ballet,' honoring outstanding achievements in dance annually.
• Institutions such as the Mariinsky Theatre and Bayerische Staatsoper have paid tribute, with the Mariinsky declaring his death marks the end of an era in ballet history.