We rarely get a glimpse of dancers from the Paris Opera Ballet in the UK apart from the occasional guest appearance at a gala. This very disappointing ongoing situation has been partially rectified by the first visit of the Paris Opera Junior Ballet as part of The Royal Ballet’s Next Generation Festival 2025. It’s a new venture created in 2024 for dancers between the ages of 18 and 23. Interestingly, of the 18 dancers in the troupe, only five of them have graduated directly from the Paris Opera Ballet School.
Director of Dance José Martinez chose a well balanced programme including Balanchine’s Allegro Brilliante which was first on the quadruple bill. There is very little room to cover up anything that doesn’t quite go to plan in this fiendishly difficult, very exposing ballet. It is pleasing therefore to report that after a few moments of anxious looking faces at curtain up, the whole cast proved to be adept at tackling Balanchine’s unrelenting, very musical passages of demanding steps, tricky pirouettes and complex batterie.
The proximity of the dancers on stage to the audience in the Linbury Theatre means that we can see at close quarters every bead of sweat, hear every breath and cannot help but scrutinise each fifth position. Plaudits must go therefore to French-Swedish Natalie Vikner and Italian Davide Alphandery for leading with such composure. Vikner looked very at home in the Balanchine style with lovely lines and neat footwork. Alphandery also has a commanding technique and is a solid partner even though Vikner is a little tall for him when on pointe.
The second ballet was a great contrast with Maurice Béjart’s Cantata 51 to music by Johann Sebastian Bach. Béjart’s work is seldom seen in the UK and it was interesting to witness how these young dancers adapted to the style. Inspired by the Annunciation, there were outstanding performances from Spanish dancer Jaime Almaraz who has joined from the Finnish National Ballet Youth Company, in the role of the Angel and Paris Opera trained Angélique Brosse as Mary. She possesses a serenity and a certain aloofness that was ideal for the part. Almaraz is already an extraordinarily accomplished dancer with startling arabesque lines and superbly airborne ballon which he completed with the softest of landings.
If the Béjart was not overwhelmingly engaging choreographically, Annabelle López Ochoa’s Requiem for a Rose was all consuming visually. Costume designs by Tatyana van Walsum really helped. Clad in voluminous red skirts (both men and women), as they pirouetted and swirled across the stage, the heaviness of the fabric enhanced the movements, giving the impression of a mass of blooming roses. Shani Obadia in flesh coloured leotard, with a rose between her teeth and skirtless, gave a striking account of the single rose representing fleeting romance and eternal love. The ensemble moved gracefully through rippling duets and solos, in between some memorable lifts and smoothly executed shifts of focus.
The final piece was Martinez’s own Mi Favourita which he created in 2002. It’s a homage (in the form of parody) to all the well-known choreographers who have come before him. From Petipa, Balanchine and Nureyev to Forsythe, Kylián and even Louis XIV ‘Le Roy Soleil’, there are instantly recognisable passages of choreography. While some of it was hilarious, particularly during the exercises of one-upmanship and open competitive spirit, everything was immaculately presented and in some cases, supremely well danced.
The men got very good mileage out of their zealous pushiness and the expressions on their dismissive faces were priceless. It was, for all the humour, a very cleverly constructed work. The detail on offer, with which one could identify the choreographer being depicted within seconds, was enormously gratifying. Unsurprisingly, the company was warmly received at the end.
A few other mentions for dancers who were not in leading roles: Laure Ravera has a strong technique matched with a natural ebullience and charming personality; Isaac Petit was notable not only for his warmth on stage but for his lyrical port de bras and fluid upper body movements. And finally, Australian Jackson Smith-Leishman has a lot going for him. He deftly delivers multiple pirouettes, jetés with grace and height and is an attentive partner. Mostly though, he has undeniable charisma which draws the eye. Let us hope we see this group of talented dancers again in the not too distant future.
