5 ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁Sans om ▁took ▁N ij in sky ' s ▁old ▁role ▁in ▁a ▁reconst ruction ▁at ▁the ▁Royal ▁Opera ▁House ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁Jeux . ▁ ▁He ▁retired , ▁after ▁ 1 6 ▁years ▁with ▁the ▁Royal ▁Bal let ▁company , ▁described ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁as ▁" the ▁company ' s ▁most ▁classical ▁dan cer ... ▁always ▁reliable , ▁always ▁committed ▁to ▁his ▁roles , ▁he ▁had ▁a ▁wider ▁range ▁than ▁might ▁be ▁expected , ▁taking ▁the ▁leads ▁in ▁almost ▁all ▁the ▁old ▁class ics ▁and ▁in ▁many ▁bal lets ▁by ▁As ht on , ▁Mac Mill an , ▁B int ley , ▁Bal anch ine ▁and ▁T et ley . ▁No ▁fewer ▁than ▁a ▁dozen ▁ch ore ograph ers ▁picked ▁him ▁to ▁create ▁new ▁roles ." ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁he ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁director ▁of ▁London ' s ▁Central ▁School ▁of ▁Bal let , ▁but ▁after ▁three ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁years ▁in ▁post , ▁returned ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁to ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Bal let ▁as ▁Bal let ▁Master ▁and ▁Ass istant ▁to ▁the ▁Art istic ▁Director . ▁ ▁On ▁film ▁he ▁may ▁be ▁seen ▁in ▁a ▁G ala ▁for ▁T cha ik ov sky ▁( An ast asia : ▁Pas ▁de ▁deux ), ▁Still ▁life ▁at ▁the ▁P engu in ▁C afé ▁( Tex an ▁K ang ero o ▁Rat ) ▁and ▁The ▁Prince ▁of ▁the ▁P ag