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>

2015-16-BAYAD-011

Live Bayadere

La Bayadère_trailer

La Bayadère

The ballet is decked out in its finest jewels with Les Néréides

Jewels in Ballet with Les Néréides

20-21

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

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

<ul><li>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.</li><li>Albrecht: Duke of Silesia. Already betrothed to Princess Bathilde, he seduces Giselle during the harvest season.</li><li>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.</li><li>Hilarion: The village gamekeeper who is in love with Giselle. He reveals Albrecht’s true identity then dies, punished by the Wilis.</li></ul>

Giselle

Giselle_trailer

garnier-opa60 2

Performance at the Palais Garnier, from 02 May to 01 June 2024

26-27

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

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

Etudes Harald Lander saison 14-15

Ballet Evening at the Palais Garnier_trailer

Ballet Evening at the Palais Garnier

The ballet is decked out in its finest jewels with Les Néréides

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

This programme entitled Contrasts opens with two pieces by Trisha Brown. O złożony / O composite, created in 2004 for the Paris Opera Ballet, was an opportunity for the Company to experiment with “post-modern dance”. With this season’s addition to the repertoire of If you couldn’t see me, a solo danced back to the audience, the Opera is reinforcing its link with the emblematic New York avant‑garde choreographer, who died in 2017. In Anima Animus, British choreographer David Dawson not only explores the masculine and the feminine, but also plays on the contrasts between technical virtuosity and lyrical poetry whilst employing classical vocabulary. Finally, Imre and Marne van Opstal, brother and sister from the Netherlands, present their first work for the Paris Opera: Drift Wood. The symbol of driftwood, representing resilience, adaptability and abandonment, also reminds us of the beauty of nature and the passage of time.

"Anima Animus" by David Dawson (Germain Louvet, Bleuenn Battistoni, Paul Marque)

25112603-21BF_ANIMA ANIMUS_David Dawson_Germain Louvet, Bleuenn Battistoni, Paul Marque © Benoîte FantonOnP

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Contrasts

25-26

This programme entitled Contrasts opens with two pieces by Trisha Brown. O złożony / O composite, created in 2004 for the Paris Opera Ballet, was an opportunity for the Company to experiment with “post-modern dance”.With this season’s addition to the

Trisha Brown / David Dawson / Imre, Marne van Opstal

A comic yet tragic universal figure lost in his own world and out of place in the world of his contemporaries, ridiculous yet imposing, admirable yet pitiful, Don Quixote knows neither deceitfulness, abnegation, nor betrayal. The loss of his ideals and the surrender of principles: this was the death of Don Quixote.From the 17th century onwards, the character has inspired numerous avatars, not just literary ones, but in the fields of music and dance too. Their authors only had to draw from the abundance of episodes in the Cervantes novel—a veritable catalogue of adventures and anecdotes—which never fails to provide subject matter for artists short on inspiration.During the 19th century, all of Spain became a source of artistic creativity, almost to the point of cliché. Harsh, noble or picturesque, the work offers the best of itself through Mérimée’s pen, Bizet’s baton or Edouard Manet’s brush.With Marius Petipa, it gave rise to several ballets, including the famous Don Quixote. In Moscow and then Saint Petersburg, it was the same resounding success in successive adaptations by Petipa himself or by Alexander Gorski.The episode from the novel retained by the choreographer, the wedding of Kitri and Basil, paints the happiest aspect of the story. The shimmering colours and the character dances, together with the whirlwind of gypsies and beautiful Andalusian girls, were a huge success with audiences, won over as much by the new choreographic style as by the Iberian exoticism.In the following century, a young dancer by the name of Rudolf Nureyev would himself triumph in the very ballet that made the the Russian School famous. His memories of the work would accompany him to France where he revived it. In 1966, Nureyev staged his version of Don Quixote for the Vienna Opera Ballet, before revising it for its entry into the repertoire of the Paris Opera in 1981.Since then, the Knight of the sad face has never really left the stage of the Opera. Presented since 2002 with new sets and costumes inspired by the paintings of Goya, each of its appearances enjoys the same endlessly renewed triumph. The Etoiles, the Premiers Danseurs and the Paris Opera Corps de Ballet The Paris Opera OrchestraA co-production of Opéra de Paris Production, ARTE France and François Roussillon et Associés with the support of the Orange Foundation, patron of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and the assistance of the Centre National du Cinéma et de l'Image Animée.Director: François Roussillon © 2012 – Opéra national de Paris production – ARTE France – François Roussillon et AssociésPicture: © Julien Benhamou / OnP

<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>

Don Quichotte

Don Quichotte_trailer

A comic yet tragic universal figure lost in his own world and out of place in the world of his contemporaries, ridiculous yet imposing, admirable yet pitiful, Don Quixote knows neither deceitfulness, abnegation, nor betrayal. The loss of his ideals a

Rudolf Nureyev

Don Quixote (2012)

Charles Perrault’s celebrated tale, set to music by Sergei Prokofiev, is transposed to a film set. In a series of references to the heroes of the American cinema, Rudolf Nureyev propels his Cinderella under the spotlights of Hollywood.With a producer for fairy godmother and a star actor as Prince Charming, she escapes her miserable destiny and sees her dreams come true in a story not without similarities with that of the choreographer, the young Tartar who became an international star.With this “ballet‑metaphor”, the Company pays tribute to its former director Rudolf Nureyev. A great production that celebrates the opening of the Paris Opera’s anniversary year. The Paris Opera Étoiles, Premiers Danseurs and Corps de Ballet Pasdeloup OrchestraAn Arte France, Paris Opera, Bel Air Media coproduction with the support of the Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée and the Orange Foundation, patron of audiovisual broadcasts by the Paris Opera© Opéra national de Paris - ARTE France - BEL AIR MEDIA – 2018 Picture: © Yonathan Kellerman / OnP

2018-19-CENDRILLON Valentine Colasante (c) Yonathan Kellerman-Onp

2018-19-CENDR-021 (c) Yonathan Kellerman-Onp

Cinderella_trailer

Cinderella

Charles Perrault’s celebrated tale, set to music by Sergei Prokofiev, is transposed to a film set. In a series of references to the heroes of the American cinema, Rudolf Nureyev propels his Cinderella under the spotlights of Hollywood. With a produce

In the 1830s, during the period of the Restauration, Julien Sorel, an irresistible young 18-year‑old, experiences a meteoric rise. A protégé of the abbé Chélan, he gains access to the world of the aristocracy and finds himself at the very heart of the struggle for power. Le Rouge et le Noir (The Red and the Black) is the story of a tumultuous life in which love proves to be the most dangerous of passions. Madame de Rênal and Mathilde de La Mole lead the protagonist through the twists and intrigues of a 19th century in which desire, politics and religion form the backdrop for a brilliant character study.In sumptuous sets and costumes which he himself has conceived, Pierre Lacotte, who reconstituted La Sylphide, Paquita and Coppélia, now offers us an entirely new creation based on Stendhal’s novel of the same name, accompanied by a musical anthology from Jules Massenet. With the Paris Opera Étoiles, First soloists and Corps de Ballet The Paris Opera OrchestraA coproduction Opéra national de Paris, Telmondis and NHK With the participation of France Télévisions, and the support of the Fondation Orange, Sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts, and the CNC - Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée

Julien Sorel: Young provincial, a carpenter’s son Madame de Rênal: Wife of the mayor of Verrières Mathilde de la Mole: Daughter of the Marquis de la Mole Élisa: Madame de Rênal’s housekeeper Monsieur de Rênal: Mayor of Verrières The Abbé Chélan: Julien Sorel’s protector The Abbé Castanède: Director of the seminary of Verrières The Maréchale de Fervaques: Prominent figure in Parisian salons The Marquise de la Mole: Mathilde’s mother

Le Rouge et le Noir (saison 21/22) - Bianca Scudamore (Mathilde de la Mole) 

LE ROUGE ET LE NOIR 6

LE ROUGE ET LE NOIR 

Le Rouge et le Noir_trailer

Le Rouge et le Noir

In the 1830s, during the period of the Restauration, Julien Sorel, an irresistible young 18-year‑old, experiences a meteoric rise. A protégé of the abbé Chélan, he gains access to the world of the aristocracy and finds himself at the very heart of th

Pierre Lacotte

In 2021, Pierre Lacotte offered the dancers of the Ballet de l'Opéra his latest creation, Le Rouge et le Noir (The Red and the Black), based on Stendhal's masterpiece. Choreographer, ballet master and former Premier Danseur trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School, Pierre Lacotte has remounted several of the great romantic ballets in the Company's repertoire.For this piece adapted from the novel, he created the libretto, choreography, sets and costumes. Following the choreographer through the various stages of creation, the documentary traces the work of transmission and elaboration, from studio rehearsals with soloists and the Corps de Ballet, to set and costume design in the Paris Opera's workshops.Through this sumptuous dance fresco, Pierre Lacotte, who died in 2023, has offered a genuine tribute to the Paris Opera Ballet and to all those involved in the production.

Trailer_ Les temps de la création - Le Rouge et le Noir

The Red and the Black - The Red and the Black

In 2021, Pierre Lacotte offered the dancers of the Ballet de l'Opéra his latest creation, Le Rouge et le Noir (The Red and the Black), based on Stendhal's masterpiece. Choreographer, ballet master and former Premier Danseur trained at the Paris Opera

Vincent Cordier

The creative process - Le Rouge et le Noir

Adagio, Pas de deux - Dance of the Prince and ClaraThis series invites viewers to follow the rehearsals of emblematic excerpts from the second act of The Nutcracker in Rudolf Nureyev’s version, featuring Étoile dancers Dorothée Gilbert as Clara and Guillaume Diop as the Prince.These rehearsals are guided by Florence Clerc, Étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet, who danced this ballet alongside Rudolf Nureyev at the time of its creation.She shares her experience, the memory of the work, her interpretation, and the rigor inherent in Nureyev’s style. © Opéra national de Paris, 2025

POP Masterclass Casse-Noisette Episode1.1

POP Masterclass Casse-Noisette Episode1.2

POP Masterclass Casse-Noisette Episode 5.1

The Nutcracker in rehearsal

The Nutcracker, rehearsing with... Dorothée Gilbert, Guillaume Diop and Florence Clerc 1/6

Adagio, Pas de deux - Dance of the Prince and Clara This series invites viewers to follow the rehearsals of emblematic excerpts from the second act of The Nutcracker in Rudolf Nureyev’s version, featuring Étoile dancers Dorothée Gilbert as Clara and 

with Dorothée Gilbert, Guillaume Diop and Florence Clerc

The Nutcracker in rehearsal 1/6

Casse-Noisette en répétitions - 2/6

casse-noisette_cinema

The Nutcracker, rehearsing with... Dorothée Gilbert, Guillaume Diop and Florence Clerc 2/6

The Nutcracker in rehearsal 2/6

Clara's variationThis series invites viewers to follow the rehearsals of emblematic excerpts from the second act of The Nutcracker in Rudolf Nureyev’s version, featuring Étoile dancers Dorothée Gilbert as Clara and Guillaume Diop as the Prince.These rehearsals are guided by Florence Clerc, Étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet, who danced this ballet alongside Rudolf Nureyev at the time of its creation.She shares her experience, the memory of the work, her interpretation, and the rigor inherent in Nureyev’s style. © Opéra national de Paris, 2025

POP Masterclass Casse-Noisette Episode 3.1

The Nutcracker, rehearsing with... Dorothée Gilbert, Guillaume Diop and Florence Clerc 3/6

Clara's variation This series invites viewers to follow the rehearsals of emblematic excerpts from the second act of The Nutcracker in Rudolf Nureyev’s version, featuring Étoile dancers Dorothée Gilbert as Clara and Guillaume Diop as the Prince. Thes

with Dorothée Gilbert and Florence Clerc

The Nutcracker in rehearsal 3/6

POP Masterclass Casse-Noisette Episode 4.1

The Nutcracker, rehearsing with... Dorothée Gilbert, Guillaume Diop and Florence Clerc 4/6

The Nutcracker in rehearsal 4/6

CodaThis series invites viewers to follow the rehearsals of emblematic excerpts from the second act of The Nutcracker in Rudolf Nureyev’s version, featuring Étoile dancers Dorothée Gilbert as Clara and Guillaume Diop as the Prince.These rehearsals are guided by Florence Clerc, Étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet, who danced this ballet alongside Rudolf Nureyev at the time of its creation.She shares her experience, the memory of the work, her interpretation, and the rigor inherent in Nureyev’s style. © Opéra national de Paris, 2025

The Nutcracker, rehearsing with... Dorothée Gilbert, Guillaume Diop and Florence Clerc 5/6

Coda This series invites viewers to follow the rehearsals of emblematic excerpts from the second act of The Nutcracker in Rudolf Nureyev’s version, featuring Étoile dancers Dorothée Gilbert as Clara and Guillaume Diop as the Prince. These rehearsals 

The Nutcracker in rehearsal 5/6

Variation of the PrinceThis series invites viewers to follow the rehearsals of emblematic excerpts from the second act of The Nutcracker in Rudolf Nureyev’s version, featuring Étoile dancers Dorothée Gilbert as Clara and Guillaume Diop as the Prince.These rehearsals are guided by Florence Clerc, Étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet, who danced this ballet alongside Rudolf Nureyev at the time of its creation.She shares her experience, the memory of the work, her interpretation, and the rigor inherent in Nureyev’s style. © Opéra national de Paris, 2025

The Nutcracker, rehearsing with... Dorothée Gilbert, Guillaume Diop and Florence Clerc 6/6

Variation of the Prince This series invites viewers to follow the rehearsals of emblematic excerpts from the second act of The Nutcracker in Rudolf Nureyev’s version, featuring Étoile dancers Dorothée Gilbert as Clara and Guillaume Diop as the Prince

with Guillaume Diop and Florence Clerc

The Nutcracker in rehearsal 6/6

The son of two Étoile dancers, Mathieu Ganio seemed destined for a stellar career. A distinguished danseur noble, he is renowned for his elegance and partnering skills. This documentary delves into his close bond with his mother Dominique Khalfouni, his sister Marine Ganio and his emblematic partners including Isabelle Ciaravola, Dorothée Gilbert, Ludmila Pagliero, Amandine Albisson...A touching story that offers an intimate glimpse into a family legacy and takes us behind the scenes of the Paris Opera Ballet. Coproduction: Delange Production, Opéra National de Paris and Wowow Inc Directed by: Marlène Ionesco

MATHIEU_GANIO

Mathieu Ganio, a romantic Étoile_trailer

Mathieu Ganio, a romantic Étoile

Le Parc (season 20/21) - Alice Renavand, Mathieu Ganio

Le Parc (saisin 20/21) - 5

[PLAYLIST] Mathieu Gano, Étoile dancer

The son of two Étoile dancers, Mathieu Ganio seemed destined for a stellar career. A distinguished danseur noble, he is renowned for his elegance and partnering skills. This documentary delves into his close bond with his mother Dominique Khalfouni, 

Marlène Ionesco

Named an Étoile dancer in November 2007, Dorothée Gilbert has been a leading figure of the Paris Opera Ballet for nearly two decades. Ahead of her farewell performance on 15 October 2026, this selection revisits some of the defining roles of her career.

Thématique POP - 4

Named an Étoile dancer in November 2007, Dorothée Gilbert has been a leading figure of the Paris Opera Ballet for nearly two decades. Ahead of her far