The ultimate romantic ballet, Giselle marked the apogee of a new aesthetic that saw diaphanous tutus, white gauze, tulle and tarlatan take over the stage. The Willis bring the illusion of immateriality to this ghostly transfiguration of a tragedy.First performed at the Académie royale de Musique on June 28, 1841, the ballet travelled to Russia, then temporarily disappeared from the repertoire before finally returning to France in 1910. Today’s version by Patrice Bart and Eugene Polyakov – which closely follows Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot’s original choreography – continues to reaffirm the ballet’s early success.Bright, earthly scenes and spectral, nocturnal visions: dance becomes the language of the soul and the ballerina’s ethereal presence seems to defy gravity. <hr>The Étoiles, the Premiers Danseurs and the Paris Opera Corps de Ballet The Pasdeloup OrchestraA coproduction Opéra national de Paris, François Roussillon et Associés With the participation of France Télévisions and TF1, the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the audiovisual retransmissions of the Opéra National de Paris and the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée.Director: François Roussillon © Opéra national de Paris – François Roussillon et Associés -2020Picture: © Svetlana Loboff / OnP

Giselle: A young peasant girl. She falls in love with Loys, who turns out to be Duke Albrecht. Consumed by madness, she dies of a broken heart at the end of Act I. Albrecht: Duke of Silesia. Already betrothed to Princess Bathilde, he seduces Giselle during the harvest season. Myrtha: Queen of the Wilis, spirits of young maidens who have died before their wedding day. At night, they lure men into a deadly dance. Hilarion: The village gamekeeper who is in love with Giselle. He reveals Albrecht’s true identity then dies, punished by the Wilis.

Giselle

The ultimate romantic ballet, Giselle marked the apogee of a new aesthetic that saw diaphanous tutus, white gauze, tulle and tarlatan take over the stage. The Willis bring the illusion of immateriality to this ghostly transfiguration of a tragedy.  F

Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot

"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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"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

Inspired by the character of Siddharta, Angelin Preljocaj offered in 2010 a new creation to the Paris Opera Ballet. The choreographer revisits the legend of this prince who became the 'enlightened one', or the Buddha, making a personal and free version, exploring the character's path to asceticism and sacrifice in his quest for truth.Beyond a simple tale, Preljocaj unveils the torments and the mysteries of this long inner path towards light, full of obstacles and doubts.For his fourth creation for the Paris Opera Ballet, Angelin Preljocaj has gathered an incredible team of artists: Bruno Mantovani, author of a long symphonic poem, Eric Reinhardt for the libretto, visual artist Claude Lévêque, and finally Dominique Bruguière and Olivier Bériot for the lighting and costumes. The Étoiles, the Premières Danseuses, the Premiers Danseurs and the Paris Opera Corps de Ballet The Paris Opera OrchestraCoproduction Opéra national de Paris, LGM, MEZZO With the participation of France Télévisions and the support of the Centre National de la CinématographieDirector: Denis Caiozzi © Opéra national de Paris – LGM - Mezzo – 2010Picture: © Ann Ray / OnP

Siddharta

Inspired by the character of Siddharta, Angelin Preljocaj offered in 2010 a new creation to the Paris Opera Ballet.The choreographer revisits the legend of this prince who became the 'enlightened one', or the Buddha, making a personal and free versio

Angelin Preljocaj

Four contemporary choreographers come together for a programme that leads the Opera’s dancers to a new form of modernity where bodies vibrate with intensity.To open the evening, James Thierrée takes over the public areas of the Palais Garnier and introduces us to his dream-like world. Canada’s Crystal Pite returns with The Seasons’ Canon, a dazzling creation that thrilled audiences at the Palais Garnier last season. Spain’s Iván Pérez occupies the stage of the Opera for the first time with a creation for ten male dancers. To conclude the evening, Israel’s Hofesh Shechter, often lauded for his telluric, trance-evoking dances, offers a new version of his piece The Art of Not Looking Back.

 Les Étoiles, les Premiers Danseurs et le Corps de Ballet

A co-production of the Paris Opera, BEL AIR MEDIA and ARTE France 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 animéeDirectors: Cédric Klapisch, Miguel Octave © Opéra national de Paris – Bel Air Media / France 2018Picture: © Agathe Poupeney / OnP

Soirée Thierrée / Shechter / Pérez / Pite

Four contemporary choreographers come together for a programme that leads the Opera’s dancers to a new form of modernity where bodies vibrate with intensity. To open the evening, James Thierrée takes over the public areas of the Palais Garnier and in

Thierrée / Shechter / Pérez / Pite

Thierrée / Shechter / Pérez / Pite Evening

Both similar and different, two French composers and two choreographers of the New York City Ballet – Georges Balanchine who founded it and Benjamin Millepied who was trained there- are the heart of this evening.Georges Balanchine set his first creation for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1947 to an early work by Bizet, Le Palais de cristal, as a tribute to the company and the French ballet tradition.A refine work intrinsically connected to music, this piece is a model of academic virtuosity, unfolding in the wonderful case designed by an artist of colours and lights, Christian Lacroix.With Daphnis and Chloe, Benjamin Millepied offered his third creation to the Paris Opera Ballet, reviving the myth with the help of his friend Daniel Buren.Inspired by Balanchine, the choreographer drew his inspiration on the rhythms and colours of a “chorographical symphony” by Ravel for orchestra and chorus.These masterpieces of French music are conducted by Philippe Jordan who accompanies, for the first time, the dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet. The Étoiles, the Premiers Danseurs and the Paris Opera Corps de Ballet The Paris Opera Orchestra and ChorusA co-production of the Paris Opera, Telmondis and Mezzo With 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 animéeDirector: François Goetghebeur © Opéra national de Paris – Telmondis - Mezzo - 2014Picture: © Agathe Poupeney / OnP

Daphnis et Chloé - 17

George Balanchine / Benjamin Millepied Evening

Both similar and different, two French composers and two choreographers of the New York City Ballet – Georges Balanchine who founded it and Benjamin Millepied who was trained there- are the heart of this evening. Georges Balanchine set his first crea

George Balanchine, Benjamin Millepied

The mysterious, unwavering chant of the English horn, punctuated by notes from the bassoon and the clarinet, follows its chromatic descent over twenty bars as if plunging into an unknown world. A world where Iolanta has lived in seclusion since her birth. She is unwittingly blind, since no one has the right to reveal the fact to her. This simple tale of collective denial at the court of Provence as narrated by the Danish writer Henrik Hertz in his play King René’s Daughter, was discovered by Tchaikovsky in 1883. However, moved beyond words by the presence of the young actress Elena Konstantinova Leshkovskaya in the title role, it would be another five years before the composer decided to transform it into an opera. Should we believe him when he claims that “the dukes, knights and noble damsels of the Middle Ages had captivated his imagination, but not his heart”? Would the fate of the heroine, like a rite of passage from darkness to light, from lies to truth, not rekindle his own wounds which ended up carrying him to his grave less than a year after the double premiere of Iolanta and The Nutcracker at Saint Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre on December 18th 1892?Directed for the stage by Dmitri Tcherniakov, this exceptional programme combines all the talents of the Paris Opera and offers an opera and a ballet in a single evening: Tchaikovsky originally intended Iolanta and The Nutcracker to be staged together. However, since their debut performance at Saint Petersburg’s Mariinsky Theatre in 1892, they have been presented separately. The composer found inspiration for his opera in Danish playwright Henrik Hertz’s work recounting the romantic story of Iolanta, the blind daughter of King René. Protected by her father in his Provençal château, the princess ultimately regains her sight before marrying the gallant knight Vaudémont. The Nutcracker is based on a tale by Hoffmann adapted by Alexandre Dumas. Like a two-sided mirror reflecting the dreams of a composer who took refuge in the realms of the imaginary, the Paris Opera is reviving the original diptych. Alain Altinoglu conducts and Dmitri Tcherniakov stages this production that symbolises the link between opera and ballet.Orchestre et Choeurs de l’Opéra national de Paris Le Corps de Ballet de l’Opéra national de Paris Maîtrise des Hauts-de-Seine Chœur d’enfants de l’Opéra national de Paris Avec la participation d’élèves d’écoles de danse parisiennes.Une coproduction Opéra national de Paris et Bel Air Media With the participation of France Télévisions and the support of the Orange Foundation, sponsor of the audiovisual retransmissions of the Paris National Opera, and the National Center for Cinema and Moving Images. Director : Andy Sommer© Opéra national de Paris – Bel Air Media – France 2016Picture: ©Agathe Poupeney / OnP

Iolanta / Casse-Noisette - 5

Iolanta / The Nutcracker

The mysterious, unwavering chant of the English horn, punctuated by notes from the bassoon and the clarinet, follows its chromatic descent over twenty bars as if plunging into an unknown world. A world where Iolanta has lived in seclusion since her b

Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky / Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Edouard Lock, Arthur Pita

Iolanta/The Nutcracker

A legendary and fantastical Persia becomes the backdrop of the thwarted love triangle uniting the hunter Djémil, the beautiful Nouredda - engaged to the Khan- and Naïla, the water sprite.In his first creation for the Paris Opera Ballet, Etoile dancer Jean-Guillaume Bart revived an almost-forgotten ballet of the repertoire, originally premiered in 1866 at the Paris Opera.In a close collaboration with playwright Clément Hervieu-Léger, Jean-Guillaume Bart gave back to La Source its original freshness.He created a wonderful danced tale, poetic and virtuosic, enhanced by Christian Lacroix’s flamboyant costumes and Eric Ruf’s evocative stage set. The Etoiles, the Premiers Danseurs and the Paris Opera Corps de Ballet The Paris Opera OrchestraA co-production of the Paris National Opera - François Roussillon et Associés - 2011 With the participation of France Télévisions, the support of the CNC and the Orange Foundation, sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts.Director: François RoussillonPicture: © Anne Deniau / OnP

La Source 

A legendary and fantastical Persia becomes the backdrop of the thwarted love triangle uniting the hunter Djémil, the beautiful Nouredda - engaged to the Khan- and Naïla, the water sprite. In his first creation for the Paris Opera Ballet, Etoile dance

Jean-Guillaume Bart

Edgar Degas devoted half of his artistic life to dance and ballerinas, haunting the rehearsal studios, the corridors of the street Le Peletier and, later, the Palais Garnier. He was not solely captivated by movement: the hard work and discipline of these children dressed with silk and tulle, the golds of the theatre house, the backstage, the dust, the youth and femininity of simple and mysterious beings also fascinated him.Freed from her glass prison, the famous wax sculpture named the Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer takes life under the gaze of choreographer Patrice Bart.Basing his work on the true story of Marie Van Goethem, who was Degas’ model, Bart delves into the past of the Opera and tells us the sorrowful fate of one of the Corps de Ballet’s ballerinas, and, above all, depicts us the scent of an era.From the rehearsal studios to the artist’s workshop, from a sulfurous cabaret to jail, the settings unveil the Palais Garnier and its backstage, along with the “working-class” Paris of the end of the 19th century. The Etoiles, the Premiers Danseurs and the Paris Opera Corps de Ballet With the participation of the Paris Opera Ballet School students The Paris Opera OrchestraA co-production of Opéra national de Paris, Telmondis and Bel Air Media With the participation of France Télévisions, Mezzo and Ciel Ecran and with the support of the Centre National de la Cinématographie.Director: Vincent BataillonPicture: ©Julien Benhamou / OnP

La Petite danseuse de Degas 

La Petite Danseuse de Degas 

La Petite danseuse de Degas

Edgar Degas devoted half of his artistic life to dance and ballerinas, haunting the rehearsal studios, the corridors of the street Le Peletier and, later, the Palais Garnier. He was not solely captivated by movement: the hard work and discipline of t

Patrice Bart

As a tribute to Nicolas Joel, who passed away one year ago, the Paris Opera is releasing online the opera Akhmatova, staged and directed by Joel in 2011. For this worldwide premiere, dedicated to one of the most prominent Russian poets of the 20th century, the Opera commissioned Bruno Mantovani to compose the score and Christophe Ghristi to write the libretto. Their work focuses on the darkest moments of Anna Akhmatova’s life: Stalin’s regime and especially her son’s deportation.After 20 years at the direction of the Capitole de Toulouse, where he enriched the repertoire with many of his own productions, Nicolas Joel was named Director of the Paris Opera from 2009 to 2014. He directed, among others, Mireille by Gounod and Akhmatova. A major figure of the operatic stage, he received many awards for his productions, including a Music Award in the “Best Lyrical Production” category for Dialogue of the Carmelites in Toulouse.Paris Opera Orchestra and ChorusA co-production of the Paris National Opera and François Roussillon et Associés With the participation of France Télévisions and the support of the Centre National de la Cinématographie© Opéra national de Paris – François Roussillon et Associés – 2012Picture: © Elisa Haberer / OnP

Akhmatova

As a tribute to Nicolas Joel, who passed away one year ago, the Paris Opera is releasing online the opera Akhmatova, staged and directed by Joel in 2011. For this worldwide premiere, dedicated to one of the most prominent Russian poets of the 20th ce

Bruno Mantovani

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

Created in 2004 by Trisha Brown, an emblematic figure of New-York avant-garde, O złozony / O composite was a milestone in the “Postmodern Dance” era at the Paris Opera, a major step for both the performers and the choreographer who intensely questioned theatrical conventions.“The body is the place where any dream can come true”: in this piece, Trisha Brown explores an experimental work where poetry is put in motion and dance is weaved and intertwined along the verses of poets Czeslaw Milosz and Edna St. Vincent Millay.Working in cycles, she unveils here an attempt to combine classical and postmodern dance languages, echoed by Laurie Anderson’s music that embellishes the Polish sonorities of the text, and danced under a sky full of stars designed by Vija Celmins. A co-production of Opéra de Paris production and Souffleurs de vert With the support of the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée, the participation of France Télévisions, the support of the American Friends of the Paris Opera &amp; Ballet and the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcastsDirector: François Goetghebeur © 2013 - Opéra national de Paris production – Souffleurs de vertPicture:&nbsp;© Anne Deniau / OnP

O złozony / O composite 

Created in 2004 by Trisha Brown, an emblematic figure of New-York avant-garde, O złozony / O composite was a milestone in the “Postmodern Dance” era at the Paris Opera, a major step for both the performers and the choreographer who intensely question

Trisha Brown

Scaramouche, was created in 2005 by José Martinez for the School’s youngest pupils. The work, conveyed by the imagination of the children, joyfully revives the troubadour spirit of the Commedia dell’arte.The film director created a mix of fiction and recorded performances.A co-production ARTE France, Opéra national de Paris and François Roussillon et Associés 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 animéeDirector: François Roussillon © ARTE France - Opéra national de Paris - François Roussillon et Associés - 2014Picture: © Francette Levieux / OnP

Les Enfants de Scaramouche

Scaramouche, was created in 2005 by José Martinez for the School’s youngest pupils. The work, conveyed by the imagination of the children, joyfully revives the troubadour spirit of the Commedia dell’arte. The film director created a mix of fiction an

José Martinez

From Giselle to Akhmatova, discover a selection of operas and ballets first performed at the Paris Opera.

Thumbnail Thématiques  - 2

From Giselle to Akhmatova, discover a selection of operas and ballets first performed at the Paris Opera.