Career
Born in Northampton, he began his dance journey at The Fairweather School of Dancing before completing his study of both classical ballet and contemporary at the Rambert Ballet School. After graduating in 1996, he joined CAPAB (since renamed the Cape Town City Ballet Company). He became a principal before returning to England in 1999 to join Northern Ballet Theatre (now Northern Ballet) as Principal.
Ollivier joined the Alberta Ballet Company as a Principal dancer in 2007.
Ollivier was a strong partner, fine actor and a dancer of extraordinary physical and emotional intensity. Ollivier died on 9 August 2015 in a motorbike accident hours before he was due to perform on stage.
A special performance - Mr Wonderful: A Celebration of Jonathan Ollivier"s Life in Dance - was staged at Sadler"s Wells in honour of Ollivier on 18 January 2016. The performance included extracts from The Carolina Manitoba, Matthew Bourne"s Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty.
New Adventures principle dancers Richard Winsor, Sam Archer, Simon Williams and James Leece performed in Matthew Bourne"s Mr Wonderful.
Income from the event was placed in charitable trust funds for Ollivier"s two young sons.
