Broadcast live on Wednesday 6 November 2024, the opera is now available for replay for the next 30 days!

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by Gaetano Donizetti

La Fille du régiment

In a tribute to this choreographer who died fifteen years ago, the Paris Opera Ballet presents three works initially created during the seventies and which all shine with equal choreographic and musical intensity.The mythical Boléro espouses Ravel’s eponymous score. Surrounded by dancers, alone on a table, the principal performer – male or female – is transported by the voluptuous rhythms into an erotic and hypnotic dance that is like a vibrant call to life.   For The Firebird, an ode to youth designed for the company’s dancers, the choreographer took up Stravinsky’s powerful score bringing out its quintessence. Young “partisans” recharge their ardour and their energy at the well‑spring of life represented by the Firebird.Finally, Le Chant du compagnon errant, written for two male dancers, is an intimate work to a song cycle by Mahler highlighting all the rigour and grace of Béjart’s language. The Paris Opera Ballet Étoiles, Soloists and Corps de Ballet The Paris Opera OrchestraA coproduction of the Paris Opera and Telmondis, with the participation of France Télévisions, the support of the CNC and the Fondation Orange, sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts.Director: Louise Narboni © Opéra national de Paris - Telmondis - 2023

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Maurice Béjart

In a tribute to this choreographer who died fifteen years ago, the Paris Opera Ballet presents three works initially created during the seventies and which all shine with equal choreographic and musical intensity. The mythical Boléro espouses Ravel’s

Boléro / The Firebird / Le Chant du compagnon errant

The dancers discover Tokyo's Bunka Kaikan theatre, the technicians try to make themselves understood by their Japanese colleagues, and time is running out as the premiere of Swan Lake approaches. This documentary is supported by Lexus, official car of the Opéra national de Paris, the Orange Foundation, patron of the Opéra's audiovisual broadcasts, and the Cercle POP, patron of the Opéra's audiovisual and digital projects.

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Dancing in Tokyo: the secrets of a tour - Trailer

Dancing in Tokyo: the secrets of a tour - Episode 3

The dancers discover Tokyo's Bunka Kaikan theatre, the technicians try to make themselves understood by their Japanese colleagues, and time is running out as the premiere of Swan Lake approaches.This documentary is supported by Lexus, official car of

Episode 3 - Towards the premiere

Dancing in Tokyo: the secrets of a tour - Ep.3/7

In 1838, Gaetano Donizetti moved to Paris after a career already rich in works such as Lucia di Lammermoor, when he received a commission from the Opéra-Comique. La Fille du régiment, his first work written directly in French, premiered there two years later and gave the composer the opportunity to explore a broad range of musical styles, from the boisterous overture to bravura arias such as “Ah! mes amis” and poignant, languorous romances. Foreshadowing Offenbach, this military opera about a vivandière, Marie, adopted at birth by a French regiment, doubles as a sentimental fable and a comic confrontation between two opposing worlds, that of the military encampment and that of the aristocracy. Laurent Pelly takes on this pinnacle of bel canto with his characteristic verve. Setting the work during the 1914 war rather than the Napoleonic Wars and adapting the dialogue, the director modernises the piece without sacrificing a single ounce of its brio.

Marie: young vivandière Tonio: young Tyrolean Sulpice: sergeant The Marchioness of Berkenfield Hortensius: marquise's steward The Duchess of Crakentorp

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In 1838, Gaetano Donizetti moved to Paris after a career already rich in works such as Lucia di Lammermoor, when he received a commission from the Opéra-Comique.La Fille du régiment, his first work written directly in French, premiered there two year

Gaetano Donizetti

Discover this month

Watch on POP some of the works in the Paris Opera repertoire that you'll have the opportunity to see on stage throughout the 24/25 season!

“When I recreate a ballet, I search for the fragrance of the period”, said dancer and choreographer Pierre Lacotte, who died in 2023. In Paquita, that perfume is the heady scent of Spain, mixed with elegant French fragrances. In the Valley of the Bulls, near Saragossa occupied by Napoleon’s armies, Paquita, a young gypsy girl, refuses the advances of an aristocrat, Lucien d’Hervilly, because of her modest condition. But when she saves him from a plot hatched by the Spanish governor, she discovers that her origins are far nobler than she thought… Pierre Lacotte, a lover of the Romantic repertoire, reconstructed Joseph Mazilier’s ballet in 2001. The work had enchanted Théophile Gautier when it premiered at the Paris Opera in 1846 but gradually fell into oblivion despite Marius Petipa’s new version in 1882. With its sumptuous sets and costumes, his Paquita portrays a picturesque Spain combining mime and characterful dances with dazzingly vivacious virtuoso technique.

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Paquita

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Paquita by Pierre Lacotte, from 5 December 2024 to 4 January 2025 at the Opéra Bastille

“When I recreate a ballet, I search for the fragrance of the period”, said dancer and choreographer Pierre Lacotte, who died in 2023. In Paquita, that perfume is the heady scent of Spain, mixed with elegant French fragrances.In the Valley of the Bull

Pierre Lacotte

“Oh! Le roi s’amuse is the greatest theme and perhaps the greatest drama of modern times. A work worthy of Shakespeare!”A few months before he wrote these words to Francesco Maria Piave, urging him to “turn Venice upside down and make sure Censors will authorize this theme” – no easy matter given that social morality was prompt to be shocked -, Verdi was working on an adaptation of King Lear.And while probably absorbed in Shakespeare’s play, his revered master, he discovered Victor Hugo’s drama and felt “like an illumination, an inspiration”, finding in the French author’s words (to whom he owned the greatest triumph of his “years of misery” with Ernani) a counterpart to the triangle formed by the King, his daughter and the Jester.Between the futile and indecent Duke and Gilda, victim of the ignorance in which she is kept, looms the Jester, a two faceted character, a hunched back Fool and a father obsessed with a curse.Monstrous and heartbreaking, grotesque and sublime, the lead role reaches its climax in the aria “Cortigiani, vil razza dannata”, whose descent from wrath to pleading roots the capacity of the composer to bend a form inherited from Bel Canto to the stage realism.Conducted by Nicola Luisotti, this new production of Rigoletto marks director Claus Guth’s first collaboration with the Paris Opera. The Paris Opera Orchestra and ChorusWith the participation of France Télévisions. With the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts and with the assistance of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée.Director: François Roussillon © Opéra de Paris - François Roussillon et Associés - 2016Picture: © Monika Rittershaus / OnP

<ul><li>The Duke of Mantua: A cynical libertine and womaniser</li><li>Rigoletto: The Duke of Mantua’s jester</li><li>Gilda: Rigoletto’s daughter</li><li>Sparafucile: Hired killer</li><li>Maddalena: Sparafucile’s sister</li><li>Giovanna: Rigoletto’s servant</li><li>The Count of Monterone: Courtier whose daughter has been seduced by the Duke of Mantua</li><li>Marullo: Courtier at the Court of Mantua</li><li>Matteo Borsa: Courtier at the Court of Mantua</li><li>Le comte de Ceprano: Courtier at the Court of Mantua</li><li>La comtesse de Ceprano: Count Ceprano’s wife, wooed by the Duke</li></ul>

Rigoletto

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Rigoletto from 1 December 2024 to 12 June 2025 at the Opéra Bastille

“Oh! Le roi s’amuse is the greatest theme and perhaps the greatest drama of modern times. A work worthy of Shakespeare!” A few months before he wrote these words to Francesco Maria Piave, urging him to “turn Venice upside down and make sure Censors w

Giuseppe Verdi

"I like creating worlds that have never been seen before." - Alexander Ekman A sparkling personality on the contemporary dance scene, Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman has been invited for the first time to work with the dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet.Trained at the Swedish Royal Ballet, he danced with the Nederlands Dans Theater and the Ballet Cullberg before turning to choreography. His language, both visceral and tinged with humour, combines theatricality and classical and contemporary vocabulary alike.Best known for the spectacular quality of his pieces with their dreamlike imagery, he fills the stage of the Palais Garnier with metallic structures, dancers suspended in space, elevations… A surprising production carried along by enticing rhythms and communicative energy. The Étoiles, the Premiers Danseurs and the Paris Opera Corps de Ballet Voice of Alan Watts from recordings on the Tao of Philosophy courtesy of alanwatts.orgA production of the Paris Opera, Bel Airt Média and SVT With the participation of France Télévisions and the support of the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animéeDirector: Tommy Pascal © Opéra national de Paris - Bel Air Media - SVT - 2018Picture: © Ann Ray / OnP

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Play

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Play from 7 December to 4 January at the Palais Garnier

"I like creating worlds that have never been seen before."- Alexander EkmanA sparkling personality on the contemporary dance scene, Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman has been invited for the first time to work with the dancers of the Paris Opera 

Alexander Ekman

“I want a treasure which contains them all! I want youth!” Frustrated by the futile quest for knowledge, the erudite old Faust sells his soul to the devil in exchange for eternal youth and the beautiful Marguerite…Reworking the legend popularised by Goethe, Gounod focuses on the love story and elevates the significance of Marguerite’s fall and ultimate salvation. Choosing to lighten the narrative’s philosophical scope allows him to strike a balance between scenes where the supernatural calls for the visually spectacular and others depicting a universe governed by inward actions and feelings.Transposed to the present day, Tobias Kratzer’s Faust reflects on contemporary society’s obsession with eternal youth. His production’s sophisticated scenography oscillates between hyperrealism and magic, between the world of today and the mysterious atmosphere of German romanticism.The Paris Opera Orchestra and ChorusA coproduction of the Paris Opera and Cinétévé, with the participation of France Télévisions, With the exceptional support of Rolex, Timepiece of the Paris Opera, the Cercle Berlioz and the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée.Director: Julien Condemine © Opéra national de Paris – Cinétévé – 2021

<ul><li>Doctor Faust</li><li>Méphistophélès</li><li>Marguerite</li><li>Siebel: a student</li><li>Valentin: Marguerite’s brother</li><li>Wagner: a friend of Valentin</li><li>Dame Marthe: Marguerite’s neighbour</li></ul>

01-Faust 20-21 © Monika Rittershaus - OnP

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Faust

Faust 21-22 © Charles Duprat - OnP (25)

“I want a treasure which contains them all! I want youth!”Frustrated by the futile quest for knowledge, the erudite old Faust sells his soul to the devil in exchange for eternal youth and the beautiful Marguerite… Reworking the legend popularised by 

Charles François Gounod

There is no work to compare with Falstaff. In his last opera, Giuseppe Verdi, then aged eighty-four, delivered, from behind the mask of his buffoon-like rascal of a hero, the testimony of a life approaching its end and whose moral, like that of the opera, would be: life is but a joke.This indefinable comedy, tinged with pessimism, defies all the conventions of 19th century Italian opera and testifies to Verdi’s passion for the theatre.Dominique Pitoiset’s witty, humorous production brings these eccentric characters to life and their sparkling interplay maintains a perfect balance between fantasy and reality, the very essence of the work. The Paris Opera Orchestra and ChorusA co-production of Opéra de Paris Production and Cinétévé With the participation of France Télévisions and with the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of audiovisual transmissions and the National Center for Cinema and Moving Images.Director: Philippe Béziat © 2013 - Opéra de Paris Production - CinétévéPicture: © Mirko Magliocca / OnP

<ul><li>Sir John Falstaff: a ruined gentleman, a buffoon and a boaster</li><li>Ford: a rich man of Windsor</li><li>Alice Ford: Ford’s wife</li><li>Meg Page: a friend of Alice</li><li>Mrs Quickly: a townswoman of Windsor</li><li>Nannetta: Alice and Ford’s daughter</li><li>Fenton: in love with Nannetta</li><li>Pistola and Bardolfo: Falstaff’s servants</li><li>Dr Caius: Nannetta’s unwelcome suitor</li></ul>

Falstaff 

Falstaff from 10 to 30 September at the Opera Bastille

There is no work to compare with Falstaff. In his last opera, Giuseppe Verdi, then aged eighty-four, delivered, from behind the mask of his buffoon-like rascal of a hero, the testimony of a life approaching its end and whose moral, like that of the o

When, in 1731, l’Abbé Prévost wrote L’Histoire du chevalier Des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut – the work that inspired Massenet’s Manon – he portrayed an entire era, that of the Regency, which saw the old order fade away and a new order, full of the promise of unprecedented freedom, rise from its ashes.Manon must make her way between these two worlds, fleeing the convent in order to embrace the paths of desire and transgression, throwing herself headlong into a burning and destructive passion with Des Grieux. A parenthesis opens, only to close again in suffering and obscurity.The director Vincent Huguet casts the work’s customary taffeta aside in order to bring out its violence to the full. Paris Opera Orchestra and ChorusA co-production of the Paris Opera and Telmondis, with the participation of France Télévisions and medici.tv With the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée.Director: François-René Martin © Opéra national de Paris – Telmondis - 2020Picture: © Julien Benhamou / OnP

<ul><li>Manon Lescaut</li><li>Le Chevalier des Grieux: Manon’s lover</li><li>Lescaut: Manon’s cousin</li><li>Le Comte des Grieux: The Chevalier’s father</li><li>Guillot de Morfontaine: An old rake</li><li>Brétigny: Manon’s wealthy patron</li><li>Poussette, Javotte, Rosette: Three demimondaines  </li></ul>

Manon 19-20 © Julien Benhamou-OnP (1)

Manon

Manon from 26 May to 20 June 2025 at the Opera Bastille

When, in 1731, l’Abbé Prévost wrote L’Histoire du chevalier Des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut – the work that inspired Massenet’s Manon – he portrayed an entire era, that of the Regency, which saw the old order fade away and a new order, full of the pro

Jules Massenet

"To sharpen the mind of the most doleful of women and suddenly make her shrewd, all it takes is to lock her away and the deed is done." - Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Act I, scene 11 “The Barber is one of the century's masterpieces”. These words were written by the very Berlioz who in his youth had denounced not only Rossini, but also the “fanaticism he aroused in the fashionable circles of Paris”. Accordingly, the compliment, “repeated until exhaustion” – the composer's own words – is all the greater. The work was so “brilliant” and “so finely orchestrated” that the “dilettanti of Rome”, enraged by the “slightest unforeseen innovation in melody, harmony, rhythm or instrumentation were ready to kill the young maestro”. Il Barbiere di Siviglia has been performed continually since its turbulent premiere on February 16th 1816. The composer's opera buffa transcends the spirit of Beaumarchais’ comedy and combines the absurd with a touch of satirical realism in a score where rhythm and virtuosity place the comic effects in an ongoing dramatic narration. As a result, the characters – Rosina in particular – gain a new degree of realism and break with the usual archetypes. Damiano Michieletto’s giddying production embraces this perpetual motion and carries in its wake the happy couple formed by René Barbera and Karine Deshayes. Paris Opera Orchestra and Chorus A co-production of the Paris National Opera and A Prime Group, with the participation of France Télévisions, with the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris National Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée. Director : François Goetghebeur © Opéra national de Paris - A Prime Group - France 2015 Picture: © Bernard Coutant / OnP

<ul><li>Count Almaviva: A young Spanish nobleman in love with Rosina</li><li>Bartolo: An old greybeard who is Rosina’s guardian</li><li>Rosina: Bartolo’s ward</li><li>Figaro: Bartolo’s barber, formerly in the service of Count Almaviva</li><li>Don Basilio: Rosina’s music teacher</li><li>Fiorello: The Count’s servant</li><li>Bertha: Bartolo’s old maid  </li></ul>

Barbier de Séville

Il Barbiere di Siviglia

Il Barbiere di Siviglia from 10 June to 13 July 2025 at the Opera Bastille

"To sharpen the mind of the most doleful of women and suddenly make her shrewd, all it takes is to lock her away and the deed is done." - Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Act I, scene 11“The Barber is one of the century's masterpieces”. These words were writ

Gioacchino Rossini

Watch on POP some of the works in the Paris Opera repertoire that you'll have the opportunity to see on stage throughout the 24/25 season!  

On stage soon: 24/25 season

Inspired by Marius Petipa’s choreography, Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote is a true celebration of dance with a Spanish flavour. The soloists and the Corps de Ballet are carried away in ensembles and pas de deux to the strains of a spirited score. Written in the 17th century, Cervantes’ novel recounts the adventures of Don Quixote, an idealist and bookworm who one day decides to ride across Spain with the naive Sancho Panza. In Nureyev’s ballet they meet Kitri and Basilio. The two lovers use every trick in the book – from a puppet performance to a fake suicide – to be reunited, despite Kitri’s father’s resistance. In the end it is Don Quixote who delivers the happy ending after battling windmills and crossing paths with Cupid, Dulcinea and the Queen of the Dryads. The costumes and colourful sets sublimate a vivacious and entertaining work. The Etoiles, the Premiers Danseurs and the Paris Opera Corps de Ballet The Paris Opera OrchestraA co-production of the Paris Opera, ARTE France and François Roussillon et Associés, with the support of the Orange Foundation, sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée.

<ul><li>Kitri: Lorenzo’s daughter, in love with Basilio but betrothed to Gamache</li><li>Basilio: Penniless barber, in love with Kitri</li><li>Don Quixote: Knight errant who sets out to conquer the world</li><li>Camacho: Rich peasant, betrothed to Kitri</li><li>Lorenzo: Innkeeper, Kitri’s father</li><li>Sancho Panza: Don Quichotte’s loyal squire</li><li>The Queen of the Dryads: Nymph and guardian of the forests</li></ul>

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Don Quixote (2024)

Inspired by Marius Petipa’s choreography, Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote is a true celebration of dance with a Spanish flavour. The soloists and the Corps de Ballet are carried away in ensembles and pas de deux to the strains of a spirited score.Writte

Rudolf Nureyev

Immerse yourself in a ballet evening at the Palais Garnier. A unique event, the sumptuous Ballet Défilé gathers the Étoiles, soloists and Corps de Ballet dancers and all the students of the Dance School. A dazzling spectacle unveiling the stage up to the Foyer de la danse. The Ballet School students take the spotlight with Ivan Clustine's Suite de danses, an homage to the French school infused with Russian influences from Fokine's Les Sylphides. Set to Chopin's music, the choreographic style born from Romanticism paves the way for 20th-century modernism.A virtuosic showcase of classical technique, Études invites the audience to follow the dancers' work at the barre in the shadows, culminating in a grand display with the entire corps de ballet in the spotlight.Finally, three dancers from the Opera Ballet present Aunis by Jacques Garnier, a ballet evoking the influences of folklore on classical dance. With the Paris Opera Étoiles, Soloists, Corps de Ballet and Ballet School The Paris Opera Orchestra conducted by Frédéric Laroque With the participation of France Télévisions, the support of the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée and the Fondation Orange, sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual and digital projects.Director: François Roussillon © Opéra national de Paris – 2014 Picture: © Sébastien Mathé / OnP

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Ballet Evening at the Palais Garnier

Immerse yourself in a ballet evening at the Palais Garnier. A unique event, the sumptuous Ballet Défilé gathers the Étoiles, soloists and Corps de Ballet dancers and all the students of the Dance School. A dazzling spectacle unveiling the stage up to

Défilé / Études / Suite de danses / Aunis

Filled with eerie images on the border of reality and dream, Jiří Kylián's work blends oneirism and wry humour. Set to music by John Cage and Anton Webern, Stepping Stones pays tribute to the memory and heritage of dance. On stage, Egyptian cats are the guardians of tradition.Three new pieces by Kylián enter the Ballet's repertoire this season. Petite Mort poetically explores the double theme of death: the lesser one symbolising orgasm and the greater one that brings life to a close. Pas de deux and swordplay alternate against a backdrop of Mozart concertos.Sechs Tänze extends the Mozartian universe and caricatures it in a series of dances with a quirky sense of humour, while Gods and Dogs explores the borderline between normality and madness: when dogs become gods and vice versa. In a midnight blue light, the dancers perform in front of delicate strings that recall those of a Beethoven quartet. The Étoiles, the Premières Danseuses, the Premiers Danseurs and the Paris Opera Corps de Ballet Recorded music   Director: Floris Bernard Production exécutive BEL AIR MEDIA © Opéra national de Paris - 2023

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Stepping Stones (Jiri Kylian) © Icare - OnP 7924-7 2004

Jiří Kylián

Filled with eerie images on the border of reality and dream, Jiří Kylián's work blends oneirism and wry humour. Set to music by John Cage and Anton Webern, Stepping Stones pays tribute to the memory and heritage of dance. On stage, Egyptian cats are 

Stepping Stones, Gods and Dogs, Petite Mort, Sechs Tänze

The final work of a life utterly devoted to dance, La Bayadère by Rudolf Nureyev has become one of the jewels of the Paris Opera Ballet’s repertoire. First performed in 1992, La Bayadère recounts the ill-fated loves of the dancer Nikiya and the noble warrior Solor, promised to the redoubtable Gamzatti, in an imaginary India complete with elephants, tigers and palanquins.Rudolf Nureyev adapted the choreography by Marius Petipa – to music by Ludwig Minkus – restructuring it to include virtuosi variations and large‑scale ensemble movements. The celebrated Royaume des Ombres (Kingdom of Shadows) in Act III is considered to be one of the summits of choreographic art.Unfailingly popular at the Paris Opera, the spectacular richness of Ezio Frigerio’s decors and costumes by Franca Squarciapino make La Bayadère a flamboyant spectacle. The Etoiles, the Premiers Danseurs and the Paris Opera Corps de Ballet The Paris Opera OrchestraUne production de l’Opéra national de ParisDirector: Isabelle Julien © Opéra national de Paris - 2020 Picture: © Little Shao / OnP

<ul><li>Solor: A noble and valiant warrior from the Indian kingdom of Golconda. He is in love with Nikiya.</li><li>Nikiya: Temple dancer and guardian of the Temple’s sacred fire. She is in love with Solor.</li><li>The High Brahmin: High priest of the temple. He is secretly in love with Nikiya.</li><li>The Rajah of Golconda: Monarch of the kingdom, father of Gamzatti. He wants her to marry Solor.</li><li>Gamzatti: The daughter of the Rajah of Golconda and Solor’s fiancée.</li><li>The Kshatriyas: Friends of Solor and members of the caste holding temporal power.</li><li>The Slave: Dances with Nikiya at the betrothal of Gamzatti and Solor.</li><li>Aiya: Gamzatti’s servant.</li><li>The Golden Idol: Incarnation evoking the god Shiva, holding the position of the lotus flower.</li><li>The Shades: The ghosts of dead bayadères.</li></ul>

Live Bayadere

La Bayadère

The final work of a life utterly devoted to dance, La Bayadère by Rudolf Nureyev has become one of the jewels of the Paris Opera Ballet’s repertoire. First performed in 1992, La Bayadère recounts the ill-fated loves of the dancer Nikiya and the noble

Rudolf Noureev

Created in 1997 for the Paris Opera Ballet, this work was born out of the painter Olivier Debré’s desire to paint a series of abstract tableaux: evocations of that primordial sign, the smile. Taking these flamboyant painted scenes as her starting point, representing different places in the world like so many different emotional states and humours, the choreographer Carolyn Carlson sets her dancers in motion to an original score by René Aubry and gives life to a dreamlike piece.A ballet that has since become a cult work in the Paris Opera repertoire, Signes embodies the links between painting, music and dance and extends them to the stage.The Étoiles, the Premières Danseuses, the Premiers Danseurs and the Paris Opera Corps de BalletWith the support of the Orange Foundation, sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts.© Opéra national de Paris - 2023 Picture: © Agathe Poupeney / OnP

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Signes

Created in 1997 for the Paris Opera Ballet, this work was born out of the painter Olivier Debré’s desire to paint a series of abstract tableaux: evocations of that primordial sign, the smile. Taking these flamboyant painted scenes as her starting poi

Carolyn Carlson

If Handel were alive today, he would be termed resilient. In 1734‑1735, when the public had cooled towards him and his contract with the King’s Theatre drew to a close, the composer began to write Ariodante, an “opera seria” intended for the opening of the brand new Theatre Royal in Covent Garden. As if galvanised by adversity, he produced a radiant work, as virtuoso as the libretto, drawn from an episode of Arioste’s Orlando Furioso, is simple: Ginevra, a Scottish princess, is in love with Ariodante to whom she is betrothed, but a conspiracy led by the traitor Polinesso results in her being accused of infidelity.As well as giving us Handel’s most beautiful lament, this inspired score abounds throughout in virtuoso arias and breathes theatrical intelligence. Enough to inspire Robert Carsen who, in the wake of his legendary Paris Opera production of Alcina, composed the same year, signs a new production of Ariodante. The English Concert Chœurs de l’Opéra national de ParisCoproduction with the Metropolitan Opera, New-York With the support of the Orange Foundation, sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts.© Opéra national de Paris - 2023 Picture: © plainpicture / Narratives / Brent Darby

<ul><li>The King of Scotland: Ginevra’s father</li><li>Ginevra: Daughter of the King of Scotland, betrothed to Ariodante</li><li>Ariodante: Feudal Prince, Ginevra’s fiancé</li><li>Lurcanio: Ariodante’s brother, in love with Dalinda</li><li>Polinesso: Duke of Albany</li><li>Dalinda: Ginevra’s lady-in-waiting, secretly in love with Polinesso</li><li>Odoardo: King’s secretary</li></ul>

Ariodante 22-23 © Agathe Poupeney-OnP (4)

Ariodante

If Handel were alive today, he would be termed resilient. In 1734‑1735, when the public had cooled towards him and his contract with the King’s Theatre drew to a close, the composer began to write Ariodante, an “opera seria” intended for the opening 

Georg Friedrich Handel

Guided by a strange voice under the flickering light of a flush-fitting ceiling lamp, two men observe one another and then confront each other. This duo soon becomes a crowd, a swell, which comes alive to the rhythm of Chopin’s preludes. Crystal Pite’s second creation for the Paris Opera Ballet, Body and Soul serves up waves of words and gestures which form the material for a secret narrative. Through the movement of the dancers, the words of a woman never cease to manifest themselves, like a duet between body and soul. Exploring the theme of mourning and bereavement, the Canadian choreographer presents the conflicting urges and impulses that challenge the unity of each of us. In a mysterious twilight awash with sound effects, this dramatically powerful three-act ballet progresses, not without humour, towards an exuberant and stimulating finale.  Les Étoiles, les Premiers Danseurs et le Corps de Ballet de l’OpéraWith the participation of France Télévisions, the support of the ORANGE Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée. A co-production of the Opéra national de Paris and La Belle TéléDirector: Tommy PascalOpéra national de Paris - La Belle Télé - 2020 Visuals © Julien Benhamou / OnP

Body and Soul

Guided by a strange voice under the flickering light of a flush-fitting ceiling lamp, two men observe one another and then confront each other. This duo soon becomes a crowd, a swell, which comes alive to the rhythm of Chopin’s preludes. Crystal Pite

Crystal Pite

Drawing on ancient Slavic and Norse mythology where destiny is often born out of the mysterious forces of nature, Swan Lake has become a legend in its own right. Tchaikovsky’s first ballet score is imbued with a deep sense of nostalgia, echoing the composer’s own experience of love as elusive as it was impossible.However the work remained misunderstood until 1895 when Marius Petipa undertook his own choreographic interpretation. With the help of Lev Ivanov, Petipa created majestic figures for the female corps de ballet and breathed life into the swan‑dancer.In Rudolf Nureyev’s “Freudian” version, conceived for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1984, Prince Siegfried, manipulated by the evil Rothbart, shuns the realities of power and marriage to take refuge in dreams where a magic lake symbolizing idealised love appears to him.Nureyev elevated the role of the prince to that of the heroine by giving him a deeper psychological dimension whilst opting to give this masterly action ballet a tragic denouement more in tune with its musical substance. The Etoiles, the Premiers Danseurs and the Paris Opera Corps de Ballet The Paris Opera OrchestraA co-production of the Paris National Opera and François Roussillon et Associés, with the participation of Medici.tv / MUSEEC, the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris National Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and with the assistance of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'image animée.Director: François Roussillon © Opéra national de Paris - François Roussillon et Associés - 2016Picture: © Svetlana Loboff / OnP

<ul><li>Siegfried: Young prince in love with Odette, he swears fidelity to her and seeks to save her from her curse. Unfortunately he is deceived by Rothbart and Odile.</li><li>Odette: Young princess transformed into a swan by Rothbart, only eternal love can free her.</li><li>Odile: Rothbart’s daughter, she takes the appearance of Odette to trick Siegfried.</li><li>Rothbart: A huge bird of prey, he transforms young women into swans and prevents Siegfried and Odette’s union.</li><li>Wolfgang: The Prince’s tutor, he mysteriously disappears when Rothbart appears.</li></ul>

20161201-LAC-Loboff-06

Le Lac des cygnes

Swan Lake

Performance at the Opera Bastille, from 21 June to 14 July 2024

Drawing on ancient Slavic and Norse mythology where destiny is often born out of the mysterious forces of nature, Swan Lake has become a legend in its own right. Tchaikovsky’s first ballet score is imbued with a deep sense of nostalgia, echoing the c

Swan Lake (2016)

In Swan Lake, Tchaikovsky took up the legend of the immaculate bird to create some of the most beautiful music ever written for ballet. The choreographers Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov left their distinguished mark on this story of an impossible love between an earthly prince and a bird‑princess, refashioning the myth of the swan‑dancer, the ultimate ballerina.When creating his version for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1984, Rudolf Nureyev chose to give it a Freudian dimension, illuminating Tchaikovsky’s poetic dream through a sense of profound hopelessness. The Paris Opera Corps de Ballet The Paris Opera OrchestraA co-production by the Paris Opera and Telmondis, with the participation of France Télévisions, and the support of the CNC and the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts.Director: François-René Martin © Opéra national de Paris – Telmondis – 2019 Picture: © Julien Benhamou / OnP

DSC_6405 (c) Julien Benhamou - OnP

Swan Lake (2018)

Swan Lake (season 18/19)

In Swan Lake, Tchaikovsky took up the legend of the immaculate bird to create some of the most beautiful music ever written for ballet. The choreographers Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov left their distinguished mark on this story of an impossible love 

In February 1972, the American president Richard Nixon went to China to meet Mao Zedong. In the context of the war in Vietnam and the cold war, this encounter marked a turning point in Chinese‑ American relations. John Adams, a major musical figure of the last forty years, made this event of contemporary history the subject of his first opera.Nixon in China tackles the political thaw instigated by ping-pong diplomacy, begun by the invitation of the American table tennis players by their Chinese counterparts, one year before the presidential visit. A mesmerising work in which the pulsations and repetitions typical of minimalism are combined with melodic lines of great lyricism.For its entry into the Paris Opera repertoire, this work has been entrusted to the director Valentina Carrasco, who underlines the importance and the mediating power of Chinese national sport in history. The Paris Opera Orchestra and ChorusWith the support of the Orange Foundation, sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts.© Opéra national de Paris - 2023 Picture: © Everett Collection / Bridgeman Images

<ul><li>Richard Nixon: President of the United States</li><li>Mao Tse-tung: Chairman of the Chinese Communist Party</li><li>Pat Nixon: First Lady of the United States</li><li>Chiang Ch’ing: Mao’s wife</li><li>Henry Kissinger: US National Security Advisor</li><li>Chou En-lai: Chinese Prime Minister   </li></ul>

Nixon in China 22-23 

Nixon in China

In February 1972, the American president Richard Nixon went to China to meet Mao Zedong. In the context of the war in Vietnam and the cold war, this encounter marked a turning point in Chinese‑ American relations. John Adams, a major musical figure o

John Adams

Most watched on POP

Back in February 2024, the Paris Opera Ballet flew to Tokyo to perform Swan Lake and L'Histoire de Manon. Discover what happened behind the scenes of this unforgettable tour: from the Étoiles to the stagehands, not forgetting the hairdressers, make-up artists and ballet masters... A journey into the intimacy of the Paris Opera Ballet.

The documentary series comprises 7 episodes, released one episode per month starting from September 1st.A tour in Japan is announced, while the young dancers wait to find out if they will be participating. The technicians begin to prepare the sets and costumes. For the Étoiles Myriam Ould-Braham and Mathieu Ganio, this will be their last tour. This documentary is supported by Lexus, Sponsor of POP's innovative content, the Fondation Orange, Sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and the POP Circle, Major donors of the Paris Opera's audiovisual projects.

Danser à Tokyo Japon POP documentaire 2024-4

Dancing in Tokyo: the secrets of a tour - Episode 1

The documentary series comprises 7 episodes, released one episode per month starting from September 1st. A tour in Japan is announced, while the young dancers wait to find out if they will be participating. The technicians begin to prepare the sets a

Épisode 1 - Who is coming

Rehearsals started at a steady pace, but promotions and injuries are causing changes in the cast.This documentary is supported by Lexus, Sponsor of POP's innovative content, the Fondation Orange, Sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and the POP Circle, Major donors of the Paris Opera's audiovisual projects.

Danser à Tokyo : les secrets d’une tournée - Épisode 2 Japon 2024-2

Dancing in Tokyo: the secrets of a tour - Episode 2

Rehearsals started at a steady pace, but promotions and injuries are causing changes in the cast. This documentary is supported by Lexus, Sponsor of POP's innovative content, the Fondation Orange, Sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, 

Episode 2 - Musical chairs

Dancing in Tokyo: the secrets of a tour - 2/7

Back in February 2024, the Paris Opera Ballet flew to Tokyo to perform Swan Lake and L'Histoire de Manon. Discover what happened behind the scenes of 

Dancing in Tokyo: the secrets of a tour

Watch here all the episodes of the documentary series Graines d'étoiles (Budding stars), which follows the lives of the students of the Ecole de Danse over ten years, from 2013 to 2023.

The beginning of the future dancers' school year is an intense experience as it crystallises their early commitment to adult life. How do the younger pupils (9 to 12 years) experience it, and how do the older pupils (15 to 18 years) prepare for it?On what inner strengths and convictions do the pupils base their decisions? What forms do their desires take? What do they draw on, and with what tools do they equip themselves, to deal with being far from their families? And how do they stay in contact with them? (there is a Korean pupil, a Chinese pupil, Italian pupils, pupils from the French provinces and they all use Skype) How do the teachers introduce the pupils to the new school year? What memories do the teachers have of their own new school years, and what do they bear in mind when addressing their new pupils? Behind the vast array of preparatory activities for the beginning of the school year, the extent of expectations at the school becomes implicit.This first film will recount the "climbing on board", influenced here and there by the memories of new school years experienced 30 years earlier by those accompanying the pupils as they join the dance. A coproduction ARTE France, SCHUCH Productions, the Paris Opera and NHK With the support of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée, the PROCIREP - Société des Producteurs and of the ANGOADirector: Françoise Marie © SCHUCH Productions – ARTE France – Opéra national de Paris – 2012

017 Graines d'étoiles saison 1 épisode 1

Graines d'Étoiles, saison 1 - ép. 1

Graines d'étoiles, saison 1 - Épisode 1 : La rentrée (FR)

Budding stars, season 1 - Episode 1: The New School Year

The beginning of the future dancers' school year is an intense experience as it crystallises their early commitment to adult life. How do the younger pupils (9 to 12 years) experience it, and how do the older pupils (15 to 18 years) prepare for it? O

Episode 1 - The New School Year

Budding stars, season 1 - ep. 1

As the daily practice of hard work is becoming part of life at the school, with the pupils rehearsing the same movements over and over again to gain suppleness, another practice is underway: finding the personalities of the pupils.The younger ones are introduced to expression work via three subjects: mime, corporal expression and folklore. For the older pupils, this work continues with "character dance".This second film will track the quest for movement and what it expresses, in the search for the creative resources each dancer possesses.How do the pupils gradually gain the autonomy they need to make their dream come true? We can measure how far they have come by looking at how the older pupils' behaviour differs from that of the younger pupils. A coproduction ARTE France, SCHUCH Productions, the Paris Opera and NHK With the support of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée, the PROCIREP - Société des Producteurs and of the ANGOADirector: Françoise Marie © SCHUCH Productions – ARTE France – Opéra national de Paris – 2012

007 Graines d'étoiles saison 1 épisode 2

Graines d'Étoiles, saison 1 - Épisode 2

Graines d'étoiles, saison 1 - Épisode 2 : Au travail (FR)

Budding stars, season 1 - Episode 2: To work

As the daily practice of hard work is becoming part of life at the school, with the pupils rehearsing the same movements over and over again to gain suppleness, another practice is underway: finding the personalities of the pupils. The younger ones a

Episode 2 - To work

Budding stars, season 1 - ep. 2

The dance school requires the pupils to have a good level in subjects right across the board, whether in dance, maths or French. Dance classes take part in the afternoons and mornings are set aside for schooling. The pupils follow a general curriculum that will take them through to the Baccalaureate, in which the school can be proud of its 100% pass rate.The timetable also includes other activities, such as visits to the school nurse and physiotherapist, learning about nutrition, and receiving support from the school head.The pupils seek comfort, help and care from these resource workers. This chapter will look at what we can learn about the birth of a dancer, via the interwoven perspectives of those who accompany them and via small events or incidents that are part of the school year.  A coproduction ARTE France, SCHUCH Productions, the Paris Opera and NHK With the support of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée, the PROCIREP - Société des Producteurs and of the ANGOADirector: Françoise Marie © SCHUCH Productions – ARTE France – Opéra national de Paris – 2012

015 Graines d'étoiles saison 1

Graines d'Étoiles, saison 1 - ép. 3

danseurs comedie music copie

Graines d'étoiles, saison 1 - Épisode 3 : Les progrès (FR)

Budding stars, season 1 - Episode 3: Progress

The dance school requires the pupils to have a good level in subjects right across the board, whether in dance, maths or French. Dance classes take part in the afternoons and mornings are set aside for schooling. The pupils follow a general curriculu

Episode 3 - Progress

Budding stars, season 1 - ep. 3

Two events, in association with the Opéra de Paris, mark life at the dance school. The first, the "Dance School Demonstrations" takes place in December. In these demonstrations, dance lessons are given exactly as they take place at the school, except these are in public and on stage at the Palais Garnier.The event, which includes three performances, is highly popular among a "specialist" audience of dance professionals and pupils from many dance courses. It is also a highlight for the pupils' families. This makes it an all-important event in the life of the school, as it opens up its cocoon for a day.The younger pupils will take their maiden steps on a stage steeped in legend. For the older pupils, it is the opportunity to become familiar with the feeling of being evaluated and being compared to each other. They experience both the pleasure and pride of being part of a family as well as the desire to stand out from that family. These are the basics of working within a corps de ballet.  A coproduction ARTE France, SCHUCH Productions, the Paris Opera and NHK With the support of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée, the PROCIREP - Société des Producteurs and of the ANGOADirector: Françoise Marie © SCHUCH Productions – ARTE France – Opéra national de Paris – 2012

011 Graines d'étoiles saison 1 épisode 4

Graines d'Étoiles, saison 1 - ép. 4

4 danseuses justo rose

Graines d'étoiles, saison 1 - Épisode 4 : Un monde à part (FR)

Budding stars, season 1 - Episode 4: A World Apart

Two events, in association with the Opéra de Paris, mark life at the dance school. The first, the "Dance School Demonstrations" takes place in December. In these demonstrations, dance lessons are given exactly as they take place at the school, except

Episode 4 - A World Apart

Budding stars, season 1 - ep. 4

Violette Verdy, the French ballerina and one of the most famous dancers at the New York City Ballet run by George Balanchine, will lead the pupils of the school's 2nd and 3rd division this year, as they dance to a piece by Johannes Brahms, Variations on a Theme of Paganini. Verdy created the original choreography for the piece while she was director of dance at the Opera de Paris.This film provides the opportunity to look into what differentiates the genres in the classical approach to dance, via the technical performances that are expected of the girls and boys. The online availability of numerous extracts of choreographies, interviews with dancers, and ballet recordings modifies the expectations of the trainee dancers. Whilst providing them with all sorts of technical and artistic information, the variety of issues this material raises strengthens the special relationship between master and pupil.Violette Verdy's choreography, which will feature in the school's end-of-year performance, will be danced at the Palais Garnier in April, and will constitute a highpoint in the life of the young dancers. A coproduction ARTE France, SCHUCH Productions, the Paris Opera and NHK With the support of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée, the PROCIREP - Société des Producteurs and of the ANGOADirector: Françoise Marie © SCHUCH Productions – ARTE France – Opéra national de Paris – 2012

006 Graines d'étoiles saison 1 - épisode 5

Graines d'Étoiles, saison 1 - ép. 5

BUDDING STARS

Graines d'étoiles, saison 1 - Épisode 5 : En scène (FR)

Budding stars, season 1 - Episode 5: On stage

Violette Verdy, the French ballerina and one of the most famous dancers at the New York City Ballet run by George Balanchine, will lead the pupils of the school's 2nd and 3rd division this year, as they dance to a piece by Johannes Brahms, Variations

Episode 5 - On stage

The pupils of the 1st division will spend their last year at the school before the final exam that will determine their entry into professional life. By now, they have acquired a maturity and a way of thinking that should have made artists of them.This sixth chapter will also come full circle by critically highlighting the questions and professions of faith revealed by the pupils six years their junior, in the first film. A coproduction ARTE France, SCHUCH Productions, the Paris Opera and NHK With the support of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée, the PROCIREP - Société des Producteurs and of the ANGOADirector: Françoise Marie © SCHUCH Productions – ARTE France – Opéra national de Paris – 2012

The pupils of the 1st division will spend their last year at the school before the final exam that will determine their entry into professional life. By now, they have acquired a maturity and a way of thinking that should have made artists of them.  

Episode 6 - Exam time

Budding stars, season 1 - ep. 6

Watch here all the episodes of the documentary series Graines d'étoiles (Budding stars), which follows the lives of the students of the Ecole de Danse

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