Yevgeni Panfilov

Who was Yevgeni Panfilov?

Eugene Panfilov was a Russian choreographer.

Panfilov was a graduate of the Institute of Culture in Perm and of GITIS, the state theatrical and dance institute in Moscow. His work was a combination of classical ballet and modern dance. He formed his first company, Impulse, in 1981 to explore modern dance. This was followed in 1987 by Experiment, and then in 1994 by the Yevgeny Panfilov Ballet.

His choreography was a mixture of many dance styles performed to music ranging from classical ballet's great composers to modern rock music. His works were often given eclectic titles, "Waltzes for the Dim-witted", for example

Panfilov visited America in the early '90s where he premiered his work, Lolita.

The ballet world lost an original and inventive mind in 2002 when Panfilov was stabbed to death in his home in Perm by a burglar.