The tenth edition of the Opéra national de Paris dance season opening gala, held on October 1 at the Palais Garnier, would not have been possible without its private sponsors. Among them, the House of Chanel stands out.
Since its inauguration in 1847, the Opéra national de Paris has been the ideal setting for art, grace and elegance.
Today, the modern Opéra Bastille, with its ideal acoustics, has taken over as the venue for lyrical works. Butballets are now shared between its modern stage and the more historic Palais Garnier.
On October 1st, the neo-baroque décor of the Palais Garnier was the setting for an eagerly-awaited evening that was a feast for the eyes and ears: the opening gala of the Opéra national de Paris dance season.
France on the map
Its tenth edition did not disappoint the VIPs, corporate sponsors and enthusiasts gathered for the occasion. Testifying to the importance of the Paris Opera’s contribution to France’s influence, Rachida Dati, the French Minister of Culture, was also present. One of the few members of the previous government to have been reappointed, she embodied the resilience that the official institution of dance has demonstrated for nearly three centuries. …
A resilience that would not exist without the support of private enterprise.
The Paris Opéra’s operation at an extremely high level of excellence swallows up not inconsiderable sums…
Organized annually since 2015 by AROP, the Association pour le Rayonnement de l’Opéra de Paris, which has been bringing together its donors since 1980, the gala itself has “raised over a million euros for the Opera’s activities, thanks in particular to the exceptional support of Rolex. official watch of the Opéra national de Paris, Chanel, Grand Mécène de l’Opéra national de Paris, and the generosity of the members of the Honorary Committee, made up of individual and corporate donors”, explained the Opéra in a press release.
The Paris Opera also counts among itsprivate supporters other luxury goods companies, such as Taittinger champagnes (also patron of the opening gala) and, among its benefactors, shoe manufacturer J.M. Weston (E.P.I Group) and jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels (Richemont Group).
The big game
Backed by the crème de la crème, the Palais Garnier pulled out all the stops for its opening Gala, with a program mixing more and less recent creations. The evening also paid tribute to Hugues Gall, director of the Opéra from 1995 to 2004, who passed away in 2024, and who worked hard to renew the repertoire, with the introduction of many shows still performed at the Palais Garnier and Opéra Bastille.
In terms of creations, the opening gala evening included “Word for Word ‘ by American My’Kal Stromile, a disciple of William Forstythe, in costumes by Chanel, and ’Impasse” by Swedish choreographer Johan Inger, with music by Ibrahim Maalouf and Amos Ben-Tal.
The Paris Opéra dancers also presented two works by William Forsythe: Blake Works I, created for the Opéra Ballet in 2016 to electro music by James Blake and Rearray. This piece, created in 2011, has entered the repertoire in a new version.
The Junior Ballet: a new feature
Last but not least, the traditional Ballet Parade, bringing together on stage Étoiles, Premières Danseuses, Premiers Danseurs, Corps de Ballet and students from the Ecole de Danse, introduced an inclusive novelty this year : the presentation of the members of the Junior Ballet, which was created this year.
Since last September, this nursery of young talent has brought together 18 dancers aged 17 to 23. Among them are former students of the Paris Opera Ballet School wishing to complete their initial training, as well as talents from all over the world, recruited by competitive examination. 6 new dancers will complete the workforce from September 2025. The lucky ones will benefit from a two-year professionalization contract, offering them an exceptional experience, alternating “training periods and on-stage performances alongside the Ballet”. Under the direction of José Martinez, Director of Dance at the Opéra national de Paris, the young talents will be able to “deepen their mastery of the classical and contemporary repertoire of the Opéra national de Paris”.
In their first season, they will perform Sleeping Beauty, the ballet by the legendary Rudolf Nureyev, at the Opéra Bastille from March 8 to July 12, 2025, and on tour in France from May 2025.
Chanel, founding sponsor
Once again, the creation of this new ensemble has only been possible “thanks to the commitment of corporate patrons, private foundations and major donors, first and foremost Chanel, Founding Patron of Junior Ballet”, said the Paris Opera.
The desire toopen up this artistic discipline to new profiles and new audiences resonates withChanel’s attachment to young creation,” emphasized Bruno Pavlovsky, President of Chanel’s Fashion activities. It was important for us to support the Opéra in this project to pass on its choreographic heritage. This approach echoes the House’s ongoing commitment to the transmission of gestures and know-how.”
The love affair between Chanel and the Opéra national de Paris is not new.
In fact, it goes back to its DNA, since the House’s creator, Gabrielle Chanel, was herself “the friend and patron of the greatest artists, choreographers and composers of her time”.
In 2018, La Maison Chanel became patron of the Paris Opera’s opening Gala of the dance season, and in 2023, Grand Mécène de l’Opéra national de Paris.
“This commitment manifests itself notably in the creation of costumes under the artistic direction of Virginie Viard for Serge Lifar’s Variations (in 2019), Victor Gsovsky’s Grand pas classique (2021) and more recently Nicolas Paul’s ballet Singularités plurielles (2023), not forgetting the tutus, bustiers and tiaras that dress the Stars during the traditional Ballet Parade” explains the Maison.
Chanel fashion show in the corridors of the Opéra Garnier
The latest Haute Couture Autumn Winter 2024-2025 show, the last imagined by Virginie Viard who left the House in June, was itself presented, the same month, in the magnificent and theatrical corridors of the Opéra Garnier.
The Palais Garnier certainly suits Chanel’s complexion…
Proof of this came at the dinner organized after the opening Gala on October 1, signed by Pierre Touitou, James Henry, Sandra Mielenhausen and Nicolas Rozier-Chabert.
One of the 750 guests in attendance was particularly eye-catching: Charlotte Casiraghi. A Chanel ambassador, Princess Caroline’s eldest daughter did not go unnoticed, adorned in a sparkling midnight-blue gown and a pair of white gold and diamond earrings valued at 93,000 euros. All signed, of course, by the Maison de la rue Cambon.
Prior to this memorable evening, the young woman had attended the Maison de couture fashion show on the same day in a much simpler outfit: shorts and a blue-and-white striped jacket, somewhere between pajamas and workwear. But still from the House of Chanel. A far cry from the glittering Princess she transformed herself into that evening…
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Read also > Paris Fashion Week: Chanel returns to the Grand Palais
Featured Photo: © Didier Plowy/AROP
