RIP Patricia Ruanne

[Sim]

Gramilano has announced the death in Rome at age 77 of this wonderful dancer, whom I had the pleasure of seeing many times here in London when she danced with Festival Ballet, and she was always gorgeous, no matter what she was dancing.  She was a large part of what made my initial London-going ballet experience so wonderful.

 

RIP Patricia.  

[Jan McNulty]

I came to ballet-watching too late to have seen her dance but all my friends told me over and over how wonderful she was.

 

Such sad news.  RIP

[Jamesrhblack]

Truly sad to read thus. She was one of the dancers I made a point of seeing, surely unforgettable above all as Nureyev’s Juliet. She was also exceptionally beautiful and can, more recently, coaching that ballet for ENB’s Agony and Ecstasy.

[alison]

I'm not sure whether I ever saw her - I think I started my LFB balletgoing a little too late - but how very sad.  We need to treasure these people while we have them.

 

RIP.

[Jan McNulty]

Graham Spicer's obit:  https://www.gramilano.com/2022/11/patricia-ruanne-has-died-at-77/?fbclid=IwAR3bcwejLILj6c5NSsnqfCQtHwiEEvzBaqpM3pwcuI5pj209Z50VorLVMDg

 

[PatC]

Loved her dancing - I started out ballet watching with London Festival Ballet so I saw many of her performances. So many from that era now gone but it was a glorious company that included Elisabetta Terabust, Eva Evdokimova, Paul Clarke, Maina Gielgud. Very happy memories. Condolences to her family and all who worked or knew her

[bridiem]

A beautiful and memorable dancer - I especially remember her Juliet with Nureyev. May she RIP.

[Emeralds]

Sob! Not Patricia Ruanne too! I can’t think of ENB’s production of Nureyev’s Romeo and Juliet without thinking of Pat Ruanne. Likewise Nureyev’s Sleeping Beauty. I have photos of her in London Festival Ballet productions in a book I had as  a child and studied her beautiful line, placement and expression in various roles- such elegance and expressiveness. Rest in peace, Patricia Ruanne. My condolences to her loved ones. 

[Sharon]

How sad!

Such a wonderful ballerina  - so many roles I was lucky enough to see.  She was the first Tatiana I ever saw....

RIP 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[SheilaC]

37 minutes ago, Sharon said:

How sad!

Such a wonderful ballerina  - so many roles I was lucky enough to see.  She was the first Tatiana I ever saw....

RIP 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

She was a wonderful Tatiana and was nominated for it. Before joining LFB she was a valuable member of the Royal Ballet touring group shining in the many diverse ballets that company performed. She was guest teacher several times at the Yorkshire Ballet seminars, demanding high levels of discipline and concentration. But one of the most important contributions to ballet was assisting Rudolf Nureyev in mounting and rehearsing ballets and, as a ballet mistress at the Paris Opera Ballet, helping him mould the wonderful dance artists he formed at that company. The recent comments on former directors of the POB concentrated on the length of time served but in terms of regenerating the company and producing dancers of the highest class I think he was the best- in no small part due to Pat Ruanne's commitment and contribution.

[Suffolkgal]

Saw her often at the Nureyev festival. A lovely legacy. Rest in peace.

[miliosr]

1 hour ago, SheilaC said:

But one of the most important contributions to ballet was assisting Rudolf Nureyev in mounting and rehearsing ballets and, as a ballet mistress at the Paris Opera Ballet, helping him mould the wonderful dance artists he formed at that company. The recent comments on former directors of the POB concentrated on the length of time served but in terms of regenerating the company and producing dancers of the highest class I think he was the best- in no small part due to Pat Ruanne's commitment and contribution.

The former etoiles from 'Generation Nureyev' (and immediately thereafter) have all posted about her on Instagram today - Aurelie Dupont, Isabelle Guerin, Marie-Claude Pietragalla and Wilfried Romoli.

[Scheherezade]

So very sad.
Many wonderful and happy memories of Patricia Ruanne to treasure from my early ballet watching days. 

Deepest condolences to her family, loved ones and friends. 
And, yes, what a glorious company London Festival Ballet was back in the day. 

[LinMM]

This is so sad as saw her dance on many occasions and she was a very expressive dancer…one of those you looked out for. Still seems too soon 😥
Condolences to family and close friends. 

[Two Pigeons]

I was exceptionally luck to see her as Tatiana and I can still remember how much she moved me.  (Whisper this, better than even Makarova who was appearing at roughly the same time.)

 

She was such a dramatic and intelligent dancer.

[mauriceC]

I think of her very much as a RB Touring Company dancer,part of that great John Field group of protegees in the late 60s/early 70s;she was a fine dance actress.As has already been said,she was also great support for Nureyev in his Paris Opera direction.

Vividly recall seeing her giving an opening day class at Yorks Ballet Seminars,.......not an easy ride!!!!

 

[Diandri]

Just wanted to point out that the Guardian newspaper has added Jane Pritchard's lovely tribute to Patricia Ruanne to their obit pages (free to view to all).

 

Also of interest to ballet fans might be Peter Farley's obit as he was designer Yolanda Sonnabend's assistant & worked on many of her ballet projects including the RB's 1987 Swan Lake.

[Jan McNulty]

8 hours ago, Diandri said:

Just wanted to point out that the Guardian newspaper has added Jane Pritchard's lovely tribute to Patricia Ruanne to their obit pages (free to view to all).

 

Also of interest to ballet fans might be Peter Farley's obit as he was designer Yolanda Sonnabend's assistant & worked on many of her ballet projects including the RB's 1987 Swan Lake.

Pop over to links for the link to the Guardian obituary: