Acting · Born 1923-02-03 · Paris, France
Jean Babilée (real name Jean Gutman(n); 3 February 1923 – 30 January 2014) was a prominent French dancer and choreographer of the latter half of the 20th century. He is considered to have been one of modern ballet's greatest performers, and the first French dancer to gain international acclaim. Babilée has been called the "enfant terrible of dance." Born in Paris in 1923, the son of a doctor, Babilée studied at the Paris Opéra Ballet School from 1936 to 1940. His dance career was interrupted during World War II because he was Jewish on his father's side. He left Paris in 1940 when the Wehrmacht was approaching the city, but returned to dance with the Paris Opera Ballet in early 1942. He narrowly escaped being sent to Auschwitz during the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup in Paris on 16 July 1942. In early 1943 he left the city to avoid compulsory deportation to Germany as a forced laborer. He spent the rest of the war with the French Resistance, fighting with the Maquis in Touraine. After the war, Babilée returned to dance, joining the Soirées de la Danse, which later became Les Ballet des Champs Elysées. His birth name was Jean Gutmann, but he adopted his mother's maiden name for professional use. Babilée enjoyed some of his greatest successes as a member of Les Ballets des Champs-Elysées and Les Ballets de Paris. From 1945 to 1950 he was principal dancer of the Ballets des Champs-Élysées, for which he created roles in ballets including Jeu de cartes, Jean Cocteau's Le Jeune Homme et la Mort, L'Amour et son amour, and Till Eulenspiegel. In several of these ballets he performed opposite his wife, featured ballerina Nathalie Philippart. In the 1940s Babilée quickly developed a reputation for his physical prowess. It was said that he could leap better than any dancer since Nijinsky, and in the 1946 premiere of Le Jeune Homme et la Mort he hung by his neck on a gallows for one minute, supported only by wrapping one arm around a pillar. In the 1950s he danced as a guest of Le Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris and the American Ballet Theatre, before forming his own company, Les Ballets Jean Babilée. In 1972 and 1973 he served as director of the Ballet du Rhin in Strasbourg. In the early 1980s, Maurice Béjart created the solo Life for him. In 1984, at the age of 61, he performed Le Jeune Homme et la Mort with the Ballet de Marseille. He also appeared as a stage actor and in several films. The 2000 documentary film Le Mystère Babilée, directed by Patrick Bensard, reconstructs Babilée's career through interviews with the dancer, excerpts from his choreographic work, and recollections by observers and collaborators including Béjart, Christian Lacroix, Jean-Paul Goude and Yvette Chauviré. Source: Article "Jean Babilée" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Also known as: Jean Gutmann
Watch every Jean Babilée movie and TV series free in full HD on FluxEntertainment. Browse the complete filmography, biography and highest-rated performances. Stream any title instantly with multi-language subtitles in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Hindi and many more languages. Multiple streaming servers available for reliable playback with no sign-up required.
Jean Babilée is known for acting, born on 1923-02-03 in Paris, France. Their filmography on FluxEntertainment includes The Wolves in the Sheepfold, Sweet and Sour, Spotlight on a Murderer, The Shadow Line, Duelle (Une Quarantaine) and more titles available to stream free.
Discover more about Jean Babilée and watch their best movies and TV shows on FluxEntertainment. Every title in the filmography is available to stream in HD quality with no download, no subscription and no app install needed. Whether you are a long-time fan or just discovering their work, FluxEntertainment has the complete collection ready to watch instantly in your browser.
Browse all Jean Babilée movies and TV appearances, sorted by popularity and rating. Each title includes multi-language subtitles, multiple streaming servers and full HD quality. Start watching any Jean Babilée film or series right now — completely free on FluxEntertainment.