Mathilde Froustey facts for kids

Mathilde Froustey (born June 8, 1985, in Bordeaux, France) is a famous French ballet dancer. She is known for her powerful and expressive performances.

Currently, Mathilde is a principal dancer at the San Francisco Ballet. A principal dancer is the highest rank a dancer can achieve in a ballet company. Before joining the San Francisco Ballet, she was a "Sujet" (a type of soloist) at the Paris Opera Ballet until 2013.

Mathilde's Early Steps in Dance

Mathilde Froustey started dancing in 1994 when she was nine years old. She began her ballet training in Dax, a town in the south of France. Ballet helped her with some back problems she had.

Later, in 1998, she trained at the Marseille National School of Ballet. Her teacher there, Colette Armand, saw her talent. She suggested Mathilde try out for the very famous Paris Opera Ballet School.

Dancing at the Paris Opera Ballet

Mathilde Froustey joined the Paris Opera Ballet School in 1999. She then became a dancer with the main Paris Opera Ballet company in 2002. She quickly moved up the ranks.

In 2003, she was promoted to "Coryphée." This is a rank for dancers who perform in small groups. The next year, in 2004, she won a gold medal at the Varna International Ballet Competition. She won this award with another dancer named Josua Hoffalt.

In 2005, Mathilde was promoted again to "Sujet." This rank means she was a soloist, performing important parts on her own.

Mathilde was also one of the first members of a special group called 3e étage. This group was made up of Paris Opera Ballet dancers who wanted to perform their own projects. It was led by Samuel Murez. She also toured Japan with Manuel Legris, who was a top dancer at the Paris Opera Ballet at the time.

Why Mathilde Became a Principal Dancer

Even though Mathilde Froustey performed many main roles at the Paris Opera Ballet, she was not promoted to "Première Danseuse" (first soloist). This was the rank just below principal dancer. The artistic director, Brigitte Lefèvre, couldn't explain why the judges didn't vote for her.

Some people thought her dance style was too energetic and showy for Paris. The Paris Opera Ballet often preferred a more calm and pure style.

During her career, Mathilde met artistic directors from other famous ballet companies. She became good friends with Helgi Tómasson and Manuel Legris. Both of them really liked her as a soloist.

In 2012, Manuel Legris saw her dance in Paris. He offered her a job as a principal dancer at the Vienna State Ballet. But he also told her to wait a little longer at the Paris Opera Ballet. Mathilde didn't wait too long. She was one of the first top dancers to leave the Paris Opera Ballet in many years.

Joining the San Francisco Ballet

In January 2013, Mathilde Froustey accepted an offer from Helgi Tómasson. He was the artistic director of the San Francisco Ballet. She became a principal dancer there.

Mathilde and Helgi Tómasson had met before, in 2006, at a competition in Paris. When she called him to ask about a job, a contract arrived in the mail just one week later! This was very unusual. It was the first time a principal dancer joined the San Francisco Ballet without having to audition first.

Mathilde's Favorite Roles on Stage

Mathilde Froustey's dream role is Kitri in Don Quixote. She was also highly praised for her performance as Lise in La Fille Mal Gardée. People said she was the "Lise that dreams are made of." They described her as a "whirlwind of good mood" with amazing technique.

In 2014, her first year with the San Francisco Ballet, she performed the main role in Giselle. She learned this difficult role in only ten days! Mathilde considers Giselle one of her favorite roles. She performed Giselle again in the 2015 season.

Awards and Recognitions

• 2004: Gold medal at the Varna International Ballet Competition with Josua Hoffalt.
• 2007: Ballet2000 dance prize.
• 2013: Danza & Danza's award for best foreign dancer.
• 2015: Isadora Duncan Dance Award for her performances of Giselle.
• 2018: Nominated for the Isadora Duncan Dance Award for her role as Aurora in Sleeping Beauty.

What Mathilde Has Danced

Mathilde has performed many different roles in famous ballets. Here are some of them:

• Kitri in Don Quixote
• Lise in La Fille Mal Gardée
• Anastasia in "Ivan the Terrible"
• Giselle in Giselle
• The Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker
• Juliet in Romeo and Juliet
• Odette/Odile in Swan Lake
• Tatiana in Cranko's Onegin
• Many roles in ballets by famous choreographers like Balanchine, Ratmansky, Robbins, and Wheeldon.

See also

• Paris Opera Ballet