Dance by Lucinda Childs and Philip Glass (extract)

Lyon Opera Ballet is writing a new chapter in its history under the leadership of Director Julie Guibert. Combining its rich heritage – a repertoire of more than 100 works – with a renewed focus on the singular qualities of its performers, the Ballet continues to explore new horizons of contemporary art while maintaining a firm reliance on great choreographic creations. Such is the case for choreographers William Forsythe, who has been given carte blanche, as well as Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Mats Ek, and Pina Bausch, whose work Sur la montagne, on entendit un cri (On the Mountain, a Cry Rang Out) will be prepared during the 2021-2022 season and subsequently incorporated into the troupe’s repertoire. Kindling wonderment while striving to make sense of the world, blending local action and international prominence, reinterpreting the repertoire with a pioneering pursuit of new aesthetics: the Ballet holds fast to its tradition as a classically trained troupe turning its gaze to contemporary dance. After originating the solo series Danser encore – a call sent out to 30 choreographers for 30 performers in the troupe – today the institution seeks to imagine new ways of celebrating dance by highlighting dancers’ role in composition. Devoting special attention to the formulation of meaning, alongside language, voices and transdisciplinary collaborations – particularly in the fields of music and visual arts – the Ballet endeavors to broaden the spectrum of now, providing an eloquent counterpoint to the construction of the choreographic arts.

Photo: © Patrick Tourneboeuf