Professional dancer Jonathan Ollivier died in a motorcycle accident just hours before he was supposed to take the stage.
On Sunday, the 38-year-old ballet dancer was driving his motorbike in Central London when a Mercedes struck him, according to The Guardian. Ollivier was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver of the car was arrested on suspicions of dangerous driving as the cause of death.
Ollivier was scheduled to perform in the final show of Matthew Bourne's production of "The Car Man" at London's Sadler Wells Theatre just hours later. Bourne had called Ollivier "one of the most charismatic and powerful dancers of his generation," according to BBC News. Ollivier had joined Bourne's company New Adventures after studying dance for many years. He had even played The Swan in the popular production of "Swan Lake."
"Yesterday's events have ripped at the heart of the New Adventures family," Bourne said. "We join together to send our heartfelt condolences to all of Jonny's family and friends. In our grieving for the irreplaceable artist we take some comfort in the legacy of memories that he has left behind. A man of great warmth and charm, Jonny was a true gent, loved and respected by his colleagues and adored by audiences who were mesmerized by his memorable performances on stage as well as his friendly and genuine personality."
The theater released a statement to patrons via email that the Sunday night performance would be 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 been cancelled due to a tragic accident earlier today," the email read.
His sister, Rachel Ollivier, announced his death on Facebook, according to The Telegraph.
"To all my beautiful little bro friends," she wrote. "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."
