Paris National Opera opens 2026/2027 season

The Paris National Opera's annual opening gala took place on Saturday, October 10, 2026, featuring a new creation and two repertoire entries, including Rings of Saturn by Brazilian choreographer Juliano Nunes, Vers un pays sage by Jean-Christophe Maillot, and Busk by Canadian choreographer Aszure Barton.

Dance director highlights diversity

José Martinez, director of dance at the Paris National Opera, described the evening as highlighting "three works, three universes that testify to the diversity of languages and talents that today make our company vibrant." The event also included the traditional Ballet Parade, which brought together Étoiles, Premier Danseuses, Premier Danseurs, the Corps de Ballet, students from the Dance School, and the Junior Ballet.

Contemporary ballets open new season

The Paris National Opera teams opted to open the 2026/2027 season with three contemporary ballets, including two repertoire entries, following the 2025/2026 season's launch with Giselle. Vers un pays sage, an emblematic ballet from 1995 created by Jean-Christophe Maillot for the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, will be presented as part of the evening Paysages intérieurs at the Palais Garnier until November 7, 2026, alongside works by William Forsythe and Aszure Barton.

Aszure Barton's background and new work

Aszure Barton, born in Alberta, Canada, and trained at the National Ballet School in Toronto, has collaborated with numerous international dance companies, including Mikhail Baryshnikov, the Bolshoi, the National Ballet of Canada, the American Ballet Theatre, and the Nederlands Dans Theater. For the 2026/2027 season, she made her debut at the Paris National Opera with her piece Busk, created in 2009.

Juliano Nunes' highlight performance

The presentation of Rings of Saturn by Juliano Nunes, trained at the Rio de Janeiro Dance Conservatory, was one of the highlights of the evening. The eight-minute piece was performed by Étoiles Hugo Marchand and Germain Louvet, wearing costumes designed by Matthieu Blazy for Chanel, the Grand Patron of the Paris National Opera. The minimalist stage design allowed the costumes to stand out, with Marchand and Louvet wearing shirts in lime green, navy blue, and carmine red, resembling watercolors from a distance.