When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

LES ECHOS

Happy 300th Birthday, Paris Opera Ballet

Paris Ballet stars Adenaur and Isabelle Ciaravola
Paris Ballet stars Adenaur and Isabelle Ciaravola
Martine Robert

PARIS - Founded in 1713, the Paris Opera Ballet is about to celebrate 300 years of innovations, while continuing to transmit its classical repertoire.

This festive season, as always, the Ballet is a huge success. Whether it is for its 26 performances of the classic "Don Quixote" at the Bastille Opera; the 21 nights dedicated to William Forsythe and Trisha Brown, two contemporary choreographers at the Opera Garnier, or even the six presentation shows by the Paris Opera Ballet School – the performances are fully booked, with a total of 110,000 spectators. This is without taking into account those who saw the Dec. 18 live performance of "Don Quixote" relayed in the 76 movie theatres around France.

"Every time the numbers outmatch our expectations. But we can’t rely only on old recipes; we have to be constantly innovating. We need to create, but also to make people watch and watch again – from another point of view," says Brigitte Lefevre, the Ballet’s director.

The troupe is composed of 154 dancers, 19 of which are "etoile" ("star" in French) leading dancers. It remains a perpetual fountain of live art, alternating classic and contemporary creations. Home to some of the best choreographers, it is considered – with London’s Royal Ballet and Moscow’s Bolshoï – as the most prestigious in the world. Its repertoire is rich, from romantic pieces to classic and contemporary pieces, including special performances by invited artists.

Each production requires an investment between 150,000 and one million euros, which is much cheaper than an opera but the tickets are twice as cheap too. In 2012, the ballet generated 18.6 million euros in benefits and enthralled 350,000 French spectators during 166 performances. Most of the dancers are graduates from the Paris Opera Ballet School and their median age is 25. They earn 2.655 euros a month at their debuts, to finally reach around 7000 euros as an etoile. This does not come close to a renowned opera singer’s salary.

Founded in 1713 under King Louis XIV as a dance school for artists to perfect their talents, the Paris Opera Ballet is the cradle of classical dance in France. This innovative structure gave French dancers international fame. Moved to the Palais Garnier opera from 1876 to 1987, it now resides in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre, in a place where French tradition is transmitted to budding artists.

[rebelmouse-image 27086123 alt="""" original_size="499x331" expand=1]

The legendary Opéra Garnier Theater in Paris (Peter Rivera)

Despite its flattering reputation and its international influence – the Ballet only toured twice in 2012, in the U.S. and Japan – Brigitte Lefevre is disappointed with "the lack of time and space allocated to ballet in France."

Stephane Lissner, the future head of the Paris Opera, has expressed his wish to see the troupe perform each year in a different French city for a few days. For the moment, very few French cities outside Paris are actively promoting dance: Bordeaux and Toulouse have their own troupes and opera houses and Nice’s ballet is drawing more attention every day… As of the other 19 existing national choreographic centers, they have rooms for rehearsals but no stages.

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Society

Mapping The Patriarchy: Where Nine Out Of 10 Streets Are Named After Men

The Mapping Diversity platform examined maps of 30 cities across 17 European countries, finding that women are severely underrepresented in the group of those who name streets and squares. The one (unsurprising) exception: The Virgin Mary.

Photo of Via della Madonna dei Monti in Rome, Italy.

Via della Madonna dei Monti in Rome, Italy.

Eugenia Nicolosi

ROME — The culture at the root of violence and discrimination against women is not taught in school, but is perpetuated day after day in the world around us: from commercial to cultural products, from advertising to toys. Even the public spaces we pass through every day, for example, are almost exclusively dedicated to men: war heroes, composers, scientists and poets are everywhere, a constant reminder of the value society gives them.

For the past few years, the study of urban planning has been intertwined with that of feminist toponymy — the study of the importance of names, and how and why we name things.

Keep reading...Show less

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

The latest