The Paris Opera Kicks Off the New Dance Season with its Traditional Opening Gala
Marking the opening of the new dance season, the traditional opening gala of the Paris Opéra is one of the most prestigious events on the calendar. This prestigious event raises funds in support of the Paris Opera Ballet, bringing together individual and corporate donors within an Honorary Committee. On the stage of the Palais Garnier, the Étoiles, Premières Danseuses and Premiers Danseurs, the Corps de Ballet, the Junior Ballet, the students of the Ballet School, and the Orchestra of the Paris Opera all took part in the performance.
The traditional Défilé of the Ballet and the Ballet School was followed by Requiem for a Rose by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, performed by the dancers of the Junior Ballet. This work, making its debut in the Paris Opera repertoire, employs the metaphor of red roses to explore themes of romance and love. The Gala concluded with a pillar of the Romantic repertoire: Giselle, by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, a work in which betrayed love is transcended by forgiveness in a flood of white gauze.
Following the performance, more than 750 guests shared a dinner created by Antoine Villard, Hanz Gueco, and Zélikha Dinga, accompanied by Taittinger champagnes.
Organized by AROP, the Association for the Influence of the Paris Opera, the event raised nearly €1.5M in support of the Opera’s activities, thanks in particular to the exceptional patronage of Chanel, Major Patron of the Paris Opera, Rolex, Official Watch of the Paris Opera, as well as the generosity of the members of the Honorary Committee, composed of both individual and corporate donors.
Among the distinguished guests were Angèle, Ashley Graham, Guillaume Diop, Hugo Marchand, Léonore Baulac, Dorothée Gilbert, Thaddaeus Ropac, and Germain Louvet.
Photos : Jean Picon
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