The forthcoming ballet season of the Paris Opera Ballet unfolds as a magnificent tapestry of classical grandeur, poetic storytelling, and stylistic diversity—a season that not only celebrates the great masterpieces of the repertoire but also highlights the extraordinary depth of talent within the company. Across the stages of the Palais Garnier and the Opéra Bastille, audiences will be invited into a world where elegance, drama, virtuosity, and imagination coexist in perfect harmony.
The season opens with a powerful statement: L’Histoire de Manon, choreographed by Kenneth MacMillan, presented at the Palais Garnier from late September through October 2026. This ballet, one of the most emotionally charged works of the 20th-century repertoire, plunges into the turbulent journey of a young woman torn between love and desire, innocence and ambition. MacMillan’s choreography, rich in psychological nuance, demands not only technical mastery but also profound dramatic commitment. Set to the music of Jules Massenet, the ballet unfolds like a cinematic fresco, moving from the intimacy of a modest inn to the oppressive vastness of exile. It is a work that tests the limits of the dancers’ expressive range, requiring them to embody vulnerability, passion, and ultimately tragedy. In such a piece, the individuality of each performer becomes essential, shaping the narrative in subtle and deeply personal ways.
From this intense opening, the season transitions into a different yet equally evocative world with Les Enfants du paradis, staged in March 2027 at the Palais Garnier. Choreographed by José Martínez, this ballet draws inspiration from Marcel Carné’s legendary film and Jacques Prévert’s poetic screenplay. It is a work where theatre and dance merge seamlessly, where gesture and movement carry as much meaning as words once did. The setting—a vibrant, theatrical Paris of the 19th century—comes alive through bustling crowd scenes, intimate encounters, and moments of quiet longing. Martínez’s choreography is infused with a sense of nostalgia and cinematic flow, inviting dancers to inhabit their roles as fully rounded characters. The score by Marc-Olivier Dupin enhances this atmosphere, offering a musical landscape that is both romantic and contemporary. This ballet requires performers who can navigate between stylization and naturalism, between spectacle and introspection.
In April and May 2027, the Opéra Bastille becomes the stage for one of the most iconic abstract ballets ever created: Jewels by George Balanchine. This triptych—Emeralds, Rubies, and Diamonds—is not a narrative ballet but rather a celebration of dance itself, exploring three distinct aesthetic worlds. Emeralds, set to the music of Gabriel Fauré, evokes the refinement and lyricism of the French school, with its soft lines and delicate musicality. Rubies, driven by Igor Stravinsky’s vibrant rhythms, bursts with energy, wit, and a modern, almost jazzy sensibility. Finally, Diamonds, set to Tchaikovsky’s Third Symphony, pays homage to the grandeur of the Russian imperial tradition, with its expansive choreography and regal atmosphere. Together, these three sections form a kaleidoscope of styles, each requiring a different quality of movement and interpretation. For the dancers, Jewels is both a technical challenge and an artistic playground, offering endless possibilities for nuance and individuality.
The season continues in May 2027 with La Fille mal gardée, presented at the Palais Garnier. This ballet, in Frederick Ashton’s beloved version, is a jewel of the classical repertoire—light-hearted, humorous, and irresistibly charming. Set in a pastoral world of fields, farmhouses, and village life, it tells the story of young love triumphing over parental schemes. Yet beneath its apparent simplicity lies a work of extraordinary sophistication. Ashton’s choreography is rich in detail, filled with inventive steps, playful mime, and moments of genuine tenderness. The music, based on compositions by Louis-Joseph-Ferdinand Hérold and arranged by John Lanchbery, enhances the ballet’s joyful spirit. La Fille mal gardée requires dancers who can combine technical precision with a sense of spontaneity and comedic timing, bringing to life a gallery of endearing characters.
Finally, the season reaches its grand culmination with Raymonda, presented at the Opéra Bastille from mid-June to mid-July 2027. This monumental ballet, in Rudolf Nureyev’s version after Marius Petipa, stands as one of the ultimate tests of classical technique and artistic maturity. Lasting over three hours and structured in three acts, it offers a wealth of variations, ensemble scenes, and dramatic moments. Set to the richly orchestrated music of Alexander Glazunov, Raymonda unfolds in a medieval world of knights, visions, and exotic encounters. At its center is the heroine’s journey—a passage from youthful innocence to self-awareness, shaped by the tension between two contrasting figures: the noble Jean de Brienne and the enigmatic Abderam.
What makes this season particularly remarkable is not only the selection of ballets but also the extraordinary roster of dancers who bring them to life. The étoiles—Amandine Albisson, Bleuenn Battistoni, Léonore Baulac, Valentine Colasante, Guillaume Diop, Dorothée Gilbert, Mathias Heymann, Germain Louvet, Hugo Marchand, Paul Marque, Marc Moreau, Hannah O’Neill, Sae Eun Park, Roxane Stojanov—represent a dazzling spectrum of artistry, each with a distinct voice and presence. Alongside them, the premiers danseurs—Héloïse Bourdon, Thomas Docquir, Marine Ganio, Jack Gasztowtt, Hohyun Kang, Antoine Kirscher, Pablo Legasa, Inès McIntosh, Florent Melac, Clara Mousseigne, Francesco Mura, Jérémy-Loup Quer, Arthus Raveau, Silvia Saint-Martin, Andrea Sarri, Bianca Scudamore—form an equally impressive group, contributing depth, versatility, and vitality to every performance.
Across all these productions, one cannot help but imagine the countless possible casts, the ever-changing combinations of artists that transform each evening into a unique experience. A role like Manon might reveal different facets depending on the interpreter—sometimes fragile and luminous, sometimes fiery and defiant. In Les Enfants du paradis, the chemistry between performers shapes the emotional landscape of the ballet. In Jewels, subtle variations in style and musicality create entirely new atmospheres. La Fille mal gardée thrives on the individuality and charm of its cast, while Raymonda becomes a vast canvas on which each dancer leaves a distinct imprint.
This interplay between choreography and interpretation is at the heart of what makes the Paris Opera Ballet so exceptional. Each ballet, though rooted in tradition, is constantly renewed through the personalities of its dancers. Each performance becomes an encounter—between past and present, between structure and spontaneity, between the written choreography and the living body that embodies it.
In the end, this season is more than a succession of performances; it is an invitation to dream. To imagine, to anticipate, to be surprised. It is a celebration of dance in all its forms: narrative and abstract, classical and theatrical, intimate and grand. And above all, it is a testament to the enduring power of ballet—to move, to inspire, and to create moments of beauty that linger long after the curtain has fallen.



