The Palais Garnier (French: [palɛ ɡaʁnje] (listen), Garnier Palace), also known as Opéra Garnier (French: [ɔpeʁa ɡaʁnje] (listen), Garnier Opera), is a 1,979-seat opera house at the Place de l’Opéra in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, France. It was built for the Paris Opera from 1861 to 1875 at the behest of Emperor Napoleon III. Initially referred to as le nouvel Opéra de Paris (the new Paris Opera), it soon became known as the Palais Garnier, “in acknowledgment of its extraordinary opulence” and the architect Charles Garnier’s plans and designs, which are representative of the Napoleon III style. It was the primary theatre of the Paris Opera and its associated Paris Opera Ballet until 1989, when a new opera house, the Opéra Bastille, opened at the Place de la Bastille. The company now uses the Palais Garnier mainly for ballet. The theatre has been a monument historique of France since 1923.
Drawing his inspiration from the story of the Roman emperor who, in the collective imagination, embodies a man in the grips of megalomania, Nicolas Le Riche overturns clichés to embark upon an intimate exploration of a richer, more complex personality.…
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…
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…
New York composer Steve Reich’s percussions provide a mesmerizingly rhythmical score for Drumming Live, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker‘s ballet created in 1998 by the Rosas Company, and performed today by the dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet. Like Rain, which entered…
Four contemporary choreographers from diverse backgrounds come together to create distinctly original works for the Paris Opera’s resident dance company, leading the dancers to a new form of modernity where bodies vibrate with intensity. Swiss-born James Thierrée takes over the…
Premiere of Body and Soul, choreographed by Vancouver’s own Crystal Pite, and performed by the Paris Opera Ballet. Following the phenomenal success of The Seasons’ Canon in 2016, Pite was invited back in 2019 to create a full-length work for thirty-six dancers of…
Originally created for the Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris and performed for the first time at the Palais Garnier on 9 April 1994, Angelin Preljoçaj’s highly personal contemplation on the nature of love now comes to the stage of the…
Each dancer is like a musical instrument with its own sonority and colour. Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker This triptych spans ten years of creation (from 1986 to 1995) and bears witness to Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker‘s remarkable dialogues with the great scores of…
Created in 2004 by Trisha Brown, an emblematic figure of New-York avant-garde, O złozony / O composite was a milestone in the “Postmodern Dance” era at the Paris Opera, a major step for both the performers and the choreographer who…
