Jean-Pierre Bonnefous

Jean-Pierre Bonnefous or Bonnefoux was a French ballet dancer and instructor. He was during different tenures the artistic director of the Charlotte Ballet and the Chautauqua Institution.

Life and career

At 14, Bonnefous joined the Paris Opera Ballet, and became a star dancer at age 21. Under the direction of George Balanchine, Bonnefous became a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet.
He served twice as the president of the jury at the Prix de Lausanne.
Bonnefous resided with his wife Patricia McBride and two children in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he died on 15 April 2025, at the age of 82.