Sylvie Guillem to receive Special Award at Oliviers

Dancer Sylvie Guillem will be presented with a Special Award at the Olivier Awards next month in celebration of her "extraordinary 39 year career".

Guillem became a prima ballerina with the Paris Opera in the mid 1980s and in 1994 became a Principal Guest Artist with London's Royal Ballet.

She has performed all the leading roles of the classical repertoire with the world's leading companies including Kirov Ballet, Tokyo Ballet, Australian Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and La Scala Theatre Ballet, Milan.

In 2003 she was awarded an honorary CBE. This was followed in 2004 with an Olivier Award for Best Dance Production with Broken Fall. An associate artist at Sadler's Wells since 2006, she announced her retirement from the stage in November last year.

Guillem's final dance programme, Life In Progress, is touring nationally and internationally this year.

As previously announced, outgoing Old Vic artistic director Kevin Spacey will also receive an Special Award at this year's Oliviers, which are hosted by Lenny Henry at the Royal Opera House on 12 April.