Ballet star Jonathan Ollivier, who was performing in Matthew Bourne's "The Car Man" at London's Sadler Wells Theatre, died in a motorbike accident Sunday before he was scheduled to take the stage.
Ollivier, 38, was reportedly struck by a Mercedes Sunday morning on Farringdon Road and the driver of the vehicle was arrested on suspicion of
causing death by dangerous driving, The Guardian reported.
Ollivier, married to South African ballerina Desiré Samaai, was pronounced dead at the scene of the collision at around 11a.m.
A professional dancer for more than 18 years, Ollivier started his professional career in South Africa at Cape Town City Ballet. He was also the principal dancer at the Alberta Ballet Company in
Canada for two years, according to the BBC News.
Ollivier worked with Bourne on "Play Without Words" and danced the lead in "Swan/Stranger in Swan Lake." He won an honorary fellowship to the Dance Critics Circle and was nominated as best young dancer in 2003 and best male dancer 2004.
"To all my beautiful little bro friends, it is with a heavy heart that we have to tell you that Jon tragically died today. We love him and will miss him massively," wrote Ollivier's sister Rachel Ollivier on Facebook, according to The Guardian.
The theater issued a statement to patrons via email announcing that Sunday's performance was canceled.
"On behalf of the company New Adventures, we regret to inform patrons that tonight's performance of 'The Car Man' at Sadler's Wells has had to be cancelled due to a tragic accident earlier today," the email stated, according to The Guardian.
Ollivier's supporters expressed their condolences on social media.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.