Patrick Bissell

Who was Patrick Bissell?

Walter Patrick Bissell was an American danseur. He was a leading principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. On his death at age 30 from a drug overdose, he was described by the artistic director of the American Ballet Theatre Mikhail Baryshnikov as "without a doubt one of the brightest lights in American Ballet Theater's history, or, for that matter, in the entire ballet world". Bissell was noted for his height and athleticism. His most famous rôle was as Solor in La Bayadère. His death prompted investigations into the alleged widespread drug use within the American Ballet Theatre.