“Serge Lifar was an idol and a genius for me. I became his pupil when I was very young and later was his partner for many years. I have admired all of his creations. He had the gift of being able to bring out the personality of his partners. His neoclassical language has borne fruit and among his disciples are such stars as Roland Petit, Maurice Béjart, Françoise Adret, Claude Bessy… and many others”