Russian ballet patriarch Yuri Grigorovich dies at 98

Legendary Russian ballet figure Yuri Grigorovich, who was the lead choreographer at Moscow's famed Bolshoi Theatre for three decades, has died aged 98.

Born in the Soviet city of Leningrad to a ballet family, Grigorovich's career -- as a dancer and choreographer -- spanned 80 years.

For much of it, he was the artistic powerhouse behind the Bolshoi, which he was said to have run with an iron fist.

"Yuri Grigorovich, one of the key figures in the world of ballet in the second half of the 20th century, has died," the Bolshoi said on social media.

President Vladimir Putin called him "an exceptional and hardworking choreographer, and a creator who personified an entire era", in a statement published by the Kremlin.

Grigorovich made his name staging classics such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and The Stone Flower. The latter was his most famous piece, based on folk tales from the Urals accompanied by composer Sergei Prokofiev's music.

Top choreographer Boris Akimov, 78, told AFP he was "proud to have been Grigorovich's student".

He "especially revitalised male dance, introducing male roles into ballet, which had previously been dominated by female roles", Akimov said, also defending Grigorovich's  strict leadership style.

"He was criticised for authoritarianism and was even called a dictator -- but to lead a team, one has to be rigid," Akimov said.

Grigorovich was the choreographer for performances at Moscow's 1980 Olympics opening ceremony and presided over various ballet competitions, including the French Benоis de la Danse, known as the "ballet Oscars".

In 1995, the ballet patriarch had to part ways with the Bolshoi over allegations the theatre had became artistically stagnant during the last decade of his 30-year tenure.

He returned in 2008 to serve as a choreographer, and insiders and ballet critics said his presence over Russia's most famed stage remained formidable.

"It is an era without which much would not have happened. It is a greatness that cannot be overcome. It was a life that will be remembered... Genius," Russian-Georgian ballet dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze wrote on social media.