To be fair, José Martinez, the company’s Director of Dance, has pulled off quite the coup: the first cast brings together no fewer than five Étoiles of the Paris Opera Ballet on the Garnier stage — a rare and resplendent event within the company’s historic walls. The tale of Diana’s nymph will be brought vividly to life by Amandine Albisson in the title role, with Germain Louvet as Aminta, Guillaume Diop as Eros, and Marc Moreau as Orion. As for Diana, goddess of the hunt, she will be portrayed by Roxane Stojanov — newly promoted to Étoile at the dawn of 2025!

Manuel Legris, a former Étoile of the company and now a distinguished choreographer, offers a faithful revival of Louis Mérante’s original version, set to the luminous score by Léo Delibes. Faithful, however, does not mean static — Manuel Legris has infused the work with the elegance of the French ballet tradition, combined with a thoroughly modern technical rigour.

And with a five-star cast already in place, José Martinez has entrusted the supporting roles to the company’s virtuoso Premiers Danseurs — Florent Mélac will dance Endymion, Francesco Mura becomes the Faun, and the radiant young Inès McIntosh, full of promise, will perform the Naiad. By spotlighting soloists beloved by audiences — some already prizewinners — José Martinez signals his intention to shake up the company’s famously hierarchical system by offering rising stars a chance to shine now, not later.

The premiere of Sylvia, now entering the Paris Opera Ballet’s repertoire, is already nearly sold out — but this same dazzling constellation of dancers will return for performances on 10, 21 and 23 May 2025.

Secure your seats now — before they vanish!

CLICK HERE FOR THE LAST REMAINING TICKETS!

To learn more about this new production, click also here!

Amandine Albisson, Marc Moreau, Germain Louvet, Guillaume Diop & Roxane Stojanov – c – James Bort & Matthew Brookes (source : OnP)

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This revival is all the more symbolic as Sylvia was the very first classical ballet choreographed at Garnier in 1876, just one year after the inauguration of this true cultural temple and one of Paris’ most iconic landmarks.

Created by Louis Mérante, a former Étoile dancer who became the ballet master of the prestigious institution, it is one of the great classical ballets that defined its era. Despite its renown, this work remains rare and is seldom performed in the repertoire of the Paris Opera Ballet.

Long forgotten, Sylvia experienced a resurgence in 1952 thanks to the choreography of Frederick Ashton, artistic director of the Royal Ballet. His version quickly became a staple in the repertoire of the world’s leading ballet companies.

Today, Manuel Legris carries the torch for the Paris Opera Ballet. Created in 2018 for La Scala Ballet in Milan, his choreography now officially enters the repertoire of the Paris Opera Ballet.

With a renewed approach while remaining deeply faithful to classical dance, Manuel Legris brings a deeper dimension to the characters, particularly Diana, goddess of the hunt, and Sylvia, a prisoner of her own laws. This enriched vision adds an extra layer of dramatic intensity to a work that has left its mark on Garnier’s stage history. Like Rudolf Nureyev before him, Manuel Legris gives greater prominence to male roles, elevating them to the same technical level as the female characters.

An event not to be missed, where the grace and power of ballet promise to captivate the audience at the Palais Garnier!

To book your tickets, click here!

Affiche Sylvia – c – OnP

The post The Palais Garnier Reunites with Sylvia, the Forgotten Nymph! appeared first on News Music & Opera.