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

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

fr / en

Bastille salle

Performance of The Nutcracker by Noureyev at the Opera Bastille, from 08 December 2023 to 01 January 2024

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

"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

Play | Opéra chez soi

Play

Palais Garnier salle -opa30

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 