Paris Opera Ballet Creates Junior Company for Tomorrow's Stars

Founded in the 17th century, the Paris Opera Ballet stands as a historic arts institution with a storied past, yet it's always looking toward the future. To that end, the ever-evolving company has created the Paris Opera Junior Ballet Company, which launched in August and is overseen by Paris Opera Dance Director José Martinez. Open to promising 17- to 23-year-old dancers — as well as to students of the Paris Opera Dance School seeking to enhance their training — the Junior Company will serve as a training academy for exceptional young talent from all backgrounds.

Over a two-year period, students — who were selected from a competition at the Palais Garnier this past summer — will study the Paris Opera Ballet's classical and contemporary repertoires and attend daily dance classes, learning sessions, and artistic workshops. In addition, they will glean valuable stage experience by performing with the Paris Opera Ballet and touring across France and internationally. The goal of the program is to ready students for professional opportunities in ballet companies around the world and to provide a possible path to joining the Paris Opera Ballet.

The Junior Company is a key part of the Paris Opera Ballet's new talent incubator, which also includes dance practice workshops and conference cycles to promote diversity, a laboratory to nurture new talent and creation in choreography, a think tank on the future of choreography and promoting the continued use of pointe shoes in contemporary programs, and a career transition program for dancers.

GRoW is honored to support the launch of the Junior Company and to continue its longtime support of the Paris Opera Ballet.