A star among stars, it was only after a long and difficult road that Dorothée Gilbert succeeded in reaching the ultimate rank in November 2007 after a
performance of The Nutcracker.

Contrary to popular belief, she didn’t get into the prestigious Ecole de danse de l’Opéra national de Paris on the first try. It was only through hard work that she gained a place in the prestigious school on her second attempt, in 1995, at the age of 13. Like many other dancers who have gone on to become soloists or stars of the company, she spent two years as a Quadrille, i.e. replacing members of the corps de ballet.

She won prestigious awards in her first years as a professional dancer: firstly, the Prix AROP de la danse in 2003, then the Cercle Carpeaux in 2004 and the Prix Leonide Massine in Positano, Italy, as well as the Prix Ballet 2000 in Cannes in 2006. Much later, in 2022, she received the Prize for best choreographic performer from the Syndicat professionnel de la Critique Théâtre, Musique et Danse.

The duo she forms with Hugo Marchand, 10 years her junior, has also built a legend. Since their artistic encounter in 2015 during performances of Kenneth MacMillan‘s ballet Manon, the dancers have enchanted Parisian audiences with the intensity of their interpretation.

Dorothée Gilbert is a role model in the world of dance, thanks to her determination and hard work. After the performances of Giselle, she will be back in the Contrastes program with O złożony / O composite by choreographer Trisha Brown.

This is the last full season for the dancer, who turns 42 this season and will bid farewell to the stage in September 2026.

To see Dorothée Gilbert in Giselle, click here, and to see her in Contrastes, click here!

To find out more about the Paris Opera Ballet, click here!

Dorothée Gilbert in rehearsal and on stage in the ballet Giselle – c – Maria-helena Buckley & Agathe Poupeney

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This contemporary ballet, entitled Red Carpet, had its world premiere at the Palais Garnier on 10 June 2025. It marks an important stage in the choreographer’s career: it is his very first creation specially conceived for the Opéra national de Paris. True to his characteristic style, Hofesh Shechter has also created the soundtrack for Red Carpet, a haunting music with folkloric overtones that matches his “glamorous” and“punk” choreography.

In Red Carpet, the thirteen dancers of the Opera are not the only ones to occupy the stage. The emblematic red curtain and the majestic chandelier of the Palais Garnier also play a central role, almost as characters in their own right. But why this focus on the décor? When asked about the meaning of the title, Hofesh Shechter remains enigmatic: he simply wanted “to make a nod to the Opera“.

Red Carpet is set to seduce audiences across the Atlantic. The troupe will perform from 2 to 4 October 2025 at the Berkeley Theatre in San Francisco, then from 9 to 12 October 2025 at the New York City Center.

In the meantime, the creation continues to impress Parisian audiences. Red Carpet is on show at the Palais Garnier until 14 July 2025.

To see Hofesh Shechter’s creation at Garnier, click here!

To find out more about the latest news from the Paris Opera, click here.

Premiere of Red Carpet at the Palais Garnier – c – Julien Benhamou

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From 27 June to 14 July 2026, the Paris Opera Ballet will revive her masterpiece The Seasons’ Canon, a creation that has become iconic since its premiere in 2016.

Crystal Pite is one of the most beloved contemporary choreographers among Parisian audiences. Her monumental work Body and Soul, created in 2019 for the Paris Opera’s 350th anniversary, left a lasting impression with its dramatic intensity and groundbreaking choreographic storytelling.

With the return of The Seasons’ Canon, she invites spectators once more into her hypnotic world, set to Max Richter’s reimagining of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

The piece is renowned for its striking visual effect, with the dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet forming a human tide that moves in perfect unison, echoing the structure of a musical canon and creating the illusion of a constant flow. There are no solo stars here—only a celebration of the collective, where every body contributes to a living fresco in perpetual motion.

This much-anticipated revival already promises to be one of the standout events of the 2025–2026 season. Fans of contemporary dance and loyal followers of the Paris Opera alike are sure to snap up tickets to (re)discover the brilliance of Crystal Pite.

To be the first to have your tickets for the performance, click here!

The Season Canon by le Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris & Crystal Pite – c – Julien Benhamou & Anoush Abrar

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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

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On March 1st, Mathieu Ganio bid farewell to the Parisian stage after a final performance as Onegin in John Cranko’s ballet.

A few weeks later, in April, Ludmila Pagliero will also take her leave from the Palais Garnier stage following a performance of a contemporary program featuring choreographies by Mats Ek and Sharon Eyal. As the first Argentine Étoile of the company, appointed in 2012, Ludmila Pagliero has enriched the institution’s history with her unique journey and commitment on stage.

These departures are part of the natural renewal of the Paris Opera Ballet, creating opportunities for a new generation of dancers to rise on the stages of the Palais Garnier, the Opéra Bastille and worldwide.

This cycle will continue in 2026 with the departure of another emblematic figure, Dorothée Gilbert. After a career filled with major roles, she will take her final bow in a performance of Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon, following in the footsteps of Aurélie Dupont. She will likely be joined by her longtime partner, Hugo Marchand.

A new chapter will then begin for the company, carried forward by the legacy of these stars who continue to shape its history.

To go seeing Ludmila Pagliero before she bid farewell to the parisian stage, click here! 

Mathieu Ganio & Ludmila Pagliero –  c – IkAubert

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On the occasion of its 150th anniversary, the large advertising banner covering its façade since April 2023 is expected to be removed soon. This banner, however, foreshadows future renovation work, focusing primarily on the stage machinery, the fly system, the orchestra pit, and the stage frame. Starting in July 2027, the Palais Garnier will close for a two-year period—far too long for music lovers around the world!

To go to a representation at the Palais Garnier, click there !

Palais Garnier – c – Elena Bauer (OnP)

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After performing as Micaëla at Bastille in 2023, she will make her debut at the Palais Garnier as Ann Trulove in The Rake’s Progress by Stravinsky, running from November 30 to December 23, 2024. Inspired by a series of moralistic engravings by the painter William Hogarth, Stravinsky’s opera offers the soprano the role of a devoted lover who will stop at nothing to save her fiancé, Tom Rakewell, from ruin.

The compelling production by Olivier Py, his first creation for this prestigious French institution, remains one of his finest achievements. For this second revival, the musical direction is entrusted to Susanna Mälkki, with a cast featuring Golda Schultz alongside Ben Bliss as Tom Rakewell, Iain Paterson as Nick Shadow, and Jamie Barton as the bearded lady, Baba the Turk.

Pour pouvoir assister aux performances de Golda Schultz

Golda Schultz (c) Vittorio Greco

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Discover Benjamin Bernheim at the Metropolitan Opera

Benjamin Bernheim © Deutsche Grammophon Universal Music

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On the ballet side, it’s a true celebration with a repertoire festival. Masterpieces of the white ballet such as Tchaikovsky‘s The Sleeping Beauty by Rudolf Nureyev or Pierre Lacotte’s Paquita are mostly at the Opéra Bastille, but the Palais Garnier also includes great classical dance masterpieces in its 2024-2025 ballet season. Classical dance returns with strength in the programming with works like Onegin, the masterpiece of the great choreographer John Cranko. Aficionados will also not want to miss Sylvia, and should book their tickets early! Set to the music of the highly esteemed Léo Delibes, Sylvia is the very first ballet created at the Palais Garnier, which will be presented in the version by Manuel Legris, a famous Étoile dancer of the Paris National Opera and now the renowned director of the La Scala Ballet in Milan. This addition to the repertoire is an event. Other shows that quickly sell out include the season‘s Gala with the Ballet parade, as well as the Demonstrations and the Dance School Show, which are doubled by two exceptional performances. The first unites Maurice Béjart, August Bournonville, and Antony Tudor, while the second features the prestigious names of choreographers William Forsythe and Johan Inger. Throughout the rich 2024-2025 season, dance and ballet enthusiasts will flock to evenings where the new generation meets more established choreographers. Mats Ek’s brilliant Appartement is paired with Sharon Eyal’s OCD Love. All ballet lovers await the creation of the brilliant Hofesh Shechter, and those who have not yet seen it will benefit from the revival to buy their tickets to see the delightful Play by Alexander Ekman, a must-see. Speaking of essentials, Mayerling, the absolute classic masterpiece by choreographer Kenneth MacMillan, will undoubtedly bring a few tears, especially when performed by the Paris National Opera Ballet, one of the most prestigious companies in the world.

Also noteworthy, the chamber music concerts offered by members of the Paris National Opera Orchestra always enjoy great success. Recitals make a notable return to the Palais Garnier.

Music lovers who are fond of great voices will book their seats in advance to not miss the recitals of Benjamin Bernheim, the greatest French tenor of his generation, or the sublime Elina Garanca in French and international melodies. Two great stars are making their return to Garnier, Natalie Dessay and Renée Fleming, an event! Among the new opera productions at the Palais Garnier, there will be laughter with the comic opera that opens the season. Offenbach‘s The Brigands is directed by Barrie Kosky, who has brightened the nights of the Komische Oper in Berlin with his whimsy. The superb cast motivates reservations. What promises to be the season’s great success is almost sold out for the fall of 2024 but will fortunately be revived at the end of the season. One of the most anticipated opera performances at the Palais Garnier for the 2024-2025 season is Rameau’s Castor and Pollux, bringing together a perfect cast with Reinoud Van Mechelen, Marc Mauillon, Jeanine De Bique, and Stéphanie d’Oustrac under the expert direction of the brilliant Teodor Currentzis. This superb baroque opera is eagerly awaited by all specialists. Another anticipated production is the revival of Stravinsky‘s The Rake’s Progress, a chance to rediscover the incredible world of Olivier Py, who delivers a great spectacle here. The story of the Faust myth revisited is embodied by young and very great voices to discover urgently (Golda Schultz and Ben Bliss).

The last events of the 2024-2025 season at the Palais Garnier are exceptional concerts. A concert of the Rolex Ambassadors brings together Sonya Yoncheva, Juan Diego Flórez, Bryn Terfel, Rolando Villazón, Yuja Wang, and the musicians of the Vienna Philharmonic, while the 150th anniversary of the Palais Garnier will be celebrated with a gala featuring Lisette Oropesa and Ludovic Tézier. One must rush to get available tickets as the event is significant!

Get your tickets now for the new 2024-2025 season at the Palais Garnier

© Opéra national de Paris website

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