Danseur étoile

Danseur étoile (for men) or danseuse étoile (for women), literally "star dancer", is the highest rank a dancer can reach at the Paris Opera Ballet. It is equivalent to the title "Principal dancer" used in English or to the title "Primo Ballerino" or "Prima Ballerina" in Italian.

The term étoile had been used to designate the best soloists of the Paris Opera Ballet since the 19th century, but it was only in 1940 that ballet master Serge Lifar decided to codify the title at the top of the company's hierarchy.[1] Unlike all lower ranks in the Ballet (quadrille, coryphée, sujet, premier danseur), promotion to étoile does not depend on success in the annual competitive examinations. Dancers have to perform in leading roles, sometimes for many years, before they can be accorded the rank by the director of the Paris Opera, after nomination by the head of the ballet (directeur de la danse), in recognition of outstanding excellence and merit.[2]

There is no specific rule regarding the nomination. Étoiles are usually chosen from among the premiers danseurs (the highest rank achievable through examinations), but exceptionally some dancers, such as Manuel Legris or Laurent Hilaire, have been promoted directly from the lower rank of sujet.[3] The nominations were initially made in an administrative setting, then later backstage with the curtain closed. They now take place at the end of a performance, with the curtain open.

The title is conferred for life and is therefore kept after retirement, which is set at a maximum age of 42, like for all other dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet.[4] The maximum number of active Danseurs étoiles within the company, originally limited to four, has progressively increased over time and is nowadays set at eighteen.[3] The institution has hosted several invited Étoiles, though the invitation remains extremely rare and is reserved for Principal Dancers of notably high acclaim around the World.

List of Paris Opera Ballet étoiles

By year of nomination (first date, second date corresponding to year of resignation or retirement):

[1][3]

References

  1. ^ a b "Le chemin des étoiles, 1940–1972". Google Cultural Institute. Archived from the original on April 1, 2014.
  2. ^ La Danse, film by Frederick Wiseman, 2009, 159 min.
  3. ^ a b c "Le chemin des étoiles, 1972–2014". Google Cultural Institute. Retrieved 3 November 2014.
  4. ^ "Retraite des danseurs de l'Opera National de Paris".
  5. ^ "La danseuse étoile Aurélie Dupont fait ses adieux à la scène". Vanity Fair. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  6. ^ Boisseau, Rosita (26 September 2017). "Danse: les adieux d'une étoile sur une rivière de joyaux". Le Monde. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  7. ^ Atanasio, Sofia (2 April 2018). "Marie-Agnès Gillot a fait ses adieux sur la scène de l'Opéra de Paris". France Musique. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  8. ^ Jouve, Sophie (18 February 2016). "Benjamin Pech, des adieux à la scène de l'Opéra en forme d'au revoir". Culturebox. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  9. ^ Sulcas, Roslyn (2023-09-22). "At Paris Opera Ballet's Gala: Champagne, Chanel, Contemporary Dance". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  10. ^ Renard, Bertrand (14 May 2017). "A Garnier, les adieux en solo de Jérémie Bélingard sous une pluie de confettis". Culturebox. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  11. ^ Bavelier, Ariane (30 December 2018). "Karl Paquette, un grand pas vers l'avenir". Le Figaro. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  12. ^ "Opéra, les adieux de Stéphane Bullion". France Culture (in French). 2022-05-30. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  13. ^ Bertrand, Amélie. "Adieux à la scène de Josua Hoffalt". Danses avec la plume. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  14. ^ Boisseau, Rosita (2024-05-16). "Myriam Ould-Braham tire sa révérence à l'Opéra de Paris". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  15. ^ Lopez, Louis-Valentin (2022-07-14). "Adieux reportés pour l'étoile Alice Renavand, blessée sur la scène de Garnier". France Musique (in French). Retrieved 2023-09-25.
  16. ^ "Laura Hecquet : "Première étoile nommée par Millepied, ça me touche encore plus"". Culturebox. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
  17. ^ "Étoile dancer Laura Hecquet will bid farewell to the stage on Thursday 10 October 2024". Opéra national de Paris. Retrieved 2024-10-16.
  18. ^ Boisseau, Rosita (29 December 2016). "Germain Louvet élevé au rang de danseur étoile". Le Monde. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
  19. ^ "Léonore Baulac nommée danseuse étoile de l'Opéra de Paris". Le Monde. 1 January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  20. ^ Boisseau, Rosita (3 March 2017). "Hugo Marchand nommé danseur étoile à Tokyo". Le Monde. Retrieved 3 March 2017.
  21. ^ "Valentine Colasante nommée Danseuse Étoile de l'Opéra national de Paris". Opéra national de Paris. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  22. ^ Park, Jae-eun (11 June 2021). "Korean ballet dancer Park Sae-eun named "star" dancer at the Paris Opera Ballet". Korea Herald.
  23. ^ "François Alu, virtuose et rebelle de l'Opéra, nommé danseur étoile". France 24. AFP. 24 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  24. ^ Boisseau, Rosita (2022-11-24). "Le danseur François Alu préfère « laisser la place d'étoile à quelqu'un qui occupera le poste à plein temps »". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 2024-05-23.
  25. ^ a b "Paris Opera Ballet names New Zealand dancer among two new stars". France24. 3 March 2023.
  26. ^ "Guillaume Diop devient le premier danseur étoile noir de l'Opéra de Paris". Huffpost. 11 March 2023.
  27. ^ Boisseau, Rosita (2024-03-28). "Bleuenn Battistoni nouvelle danseuse étoile de l'Opéra national de Paris". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 2024-05-22.