Patrick Bissell

Quick Facts

Full Name	Patrick Bissell
Occupation	Ballet Dancer
Date Of Birth	Dec 1, 1957(1957-12-01)
Age	67
Date Of Death	December 29, 1987, Hoboken, NJ
Birthplace	Corpus Christi
Country	United States
Birth City	Texas
Horoscope	Sagittarius

Patrick Bissell Biography

Patrick Bissell is one of the most popular and richest Ballet Dancer who was born on December 1, 1957 in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States.

Walter Patrick Bissell (December 1, 1957 – December 29, 1987) 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 and personal ballet eminence 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 role was as Solor in La Bayadère. His death prompted investigations into the alleged widespread drug use within the American Ballet Theatre.

While Bissell showed early promise as a dancer, he also showed signs of being a troubled young man and began alcoholic behavior by age 10 and taking drugs at the age of 14. He was expelled from his first school for dealing drugs on the premises. He was noticed by the American ballet dancer Edward Villella, who encouraged his parents to send him to a performing arts boarding school. In 1972 he joined the National Academy of Dance in Champaign, Illinois from which he was dismissed for behavior problems. Bissell then spent a year at the North Carolina School of the Arts which he left when he was informed that he should pay more attention to his academic studies. He hitch-hiked all the way to New York to pursue a lifelong career in dance— as that’s where the company’s top schools are. He then won a scholarship to study at the School of American Ballet, where he was encouraged by Lincoln Kirstein, its founder, and Stanley Williams, one of his teachers. He was invited to join Balanchine’s New York City Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre. He decided to join ABT and became a member of the corps. Though he quickly rose through the ranks due to the shortage of men in the company. Wherever Bissell went, he attracted attention, both from his fiery dancing and his habit of wearing a cowboy hat and cowboy boots around New York City-—his way of distinguishing he was a true-blue native Texan. He also made his way around the city on a motorcycle.

Patrick Bissell Net Worth

Patrick Bissell is one of the richest Ballet Dancer from United States. According to our analysis, Wikipedia, Forbes & Business Insider, Patrick Bissell 's net worth $5 Million. (Last Update: December 11, 2023)

Bissell was born on December 1st 1957, in Corpus Christi, Texas. He was one of the five children of Donald and Patricia Bissell; his siblings included his twin brother William, two sisters Susan and Barbara, and brother Donald. The family lived in Palos Park, Illinois for several years. His father was a computer-systems designer with Hiram Walker Inc. Bissell was an athlete who enjoyed performing feats of daring: at the age of 8 he jumped off a 30-foot (9.1 m)-high diving board, even though he did not know how to swim. He dabbled in many sports— baseball, basketball, football, track, etc. He was the pitcher on the baseball team, the center on the basketball team. The coaches gave him an option-either quit sports or quit dance. He gave up athletics in favor of ballet. He was introduced to ballet at age ten by his older sister Susan, who practiced it before he did. She paid him to be her ballet partner; thus he was first paid to dance. While she went on to be a sail-maker and live on a boat, he went on to pursue ballet professionally. He found a home and sanctuary in the passion of ballet and decided to make it his life pursuit. He began training in ballet and jazz dance and was soon accepted into a company in Toledo, Ohio. Like many boys who take up ballet, he tried to keep his lessons a secret, but word got out and he was ridiculed and bullied every single day for the rest of his school days. “I was a skinny kid. They could have crushed me in an instant,” he stated.

Height, Weight & Body Measurements

Patrick Bissell height 6 ft 2 in Tiaan weight Not Known & body measurements will update soon.

Who is Patrick Bissell Dating?

According to our records, Patrick Bissell married to Jolinda Menendez. As of December 1, 2023, Patrick Bissell’s is not dating anyone.

Relationships Record : We have no records of past relationships for Patrick Bissell. You may help us to build the dating records for Patrick Bissell!

Bissell married Jolinda Menendez, a former American Ballet Theatre ballerina (she danced two roles in the Baryshnikov Nutcracker) and principal ballerina with the Pennsylvania Ballet, on June 26, 1982 at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church. However the marriage ended after a year due to Bissell’s many philanderings and erratic behavior. In 1984, company officials from the American Ballet Theatre consulted with experts on drug addiction and found a therapist for him. The following year, a condition of his continued employment by the company was that he undergo regular urine tests. The tests were held weekly with results 95 percent negative, however lapses were penalized with fines. In 1987, he spent five weeks at the Betty Ford Clinic in California for intensive therapy, completing the treatment in August. Prior to entering the clinic he had injured his foot and was thus prevented from going on the American Ballet Theatre’s fall tour. His family and Gelsey Kirkland blamed his drug use on the “highly competitive dance world in New York City”.

Facts & Trivia

Tiaan Ranked on the list of most popular Ballet Dancer. Also ranked in the elit list of famous people born in United States. Patrick Bissell celebrates birthday on December 1 of every year.

Top Facts about Patrick Bissell

1. Patrick Bissell was an American ballet dancer born in 1957.
2. He joined the American Ballet Theatre in 1974.
3. Bissell became a principal dancer at ABT in 1985.
4. He also danced with the New York City Ballet and others.
5. Bissell died tragically at age 30 from a drug overdose.
6. His performances were known for their athleticism and intensity.
7. Bissell won numerous awards throughout his career.
8. He choreographed several works, including “The Nutcracker.”
9. Bissell struggled with addiction and mental health issues.
10. His legacy continues to inspire dancers around the world today.