Paris National Opera Junior Ballet

Thursday, May 13, 2027, and Friday, May 14, 2027
  19:30 h
  €36, €38, and €40
MUN Theater
Director: José Carlos Martínez

Founded in September 2024 under the direction of José Martinez, Director of Dance at the Paris Opera, the Junior Ballet reflects the Paris Opera’s commitment to constant evolution and to exploring innovative approaches to creation, training, and outreach, while preserving the institution’s centuries-old legacy.

Designed as a breeding ground for young talent, the Paris National Opera Junior Ballet aims to diversify the profiles of its dancers, support their professional development, strengthen the ties between the Dance School and the Ballet, and increase public engagement through tours and outreach initiatives.

By offering the public a more accessible program, consisting of repertoire pieces and contemporary works, the Junior Ballet fosters a virtuous cycle of artistic transmission and enriches the Paris Opera’s dance season. Conceived as a means of reaching new audiences, it addresses the challenges of promoting dance both nationally and internationally. It also carries out artistic and cultural outreach initiatives throughout France (meetings, hands-on workshops, on-stage classes), in parallel with its tours.

The Junior Ballet program is designed to alternate between periods of intensive training and stage performances. Over the course of these two years of professional training, the dancers will deepen their mastery of the classical and contemporary repertoire. By providing opportunities to talented dancers from around the world, the Junior Ballet seeks to diversify the profile of the dancers who perform on the stages of the Paris National Opera, in line with the institution’s commitments to diversity and inclusion.

Teaser

José Martínez

Artistic Director

José Martinez began dancing in his hometown and later joined the Rosella Hightower Center in Cannes, studying in José Ferran’s class. In 1987, he won a scholarship at the Prix de Lausanne, which opened the doors to the Paris Opera Ballet School for him. He was hired the following year into the Corps de Ballet. In 1992, he won the gold medal at the Varna International Dance Competition. That same year, he was promoted to “Principal Dancer.” Following a performance of *La Sylphide* on May 31, 1997, he was named “Danseur Étoile.” He is the only dancer of Spanish origin to have been named a star in the Paris Opera Ballet.

In addition to his work at the Paris National Opera, José Martinez has been a guest étoile with the world’s leading companies and founded the group “José Martinez en Compagnie,” which performed regularly for several years in Europe (particularly in Spain) and in the United States.

She has danced the great ballets of the classical and neoclassical repertoire, and has also worked with the greatest choreographers of the 20th century, such as M. Béjart, P. Bauch, Mats Ek, and W. Forsythe.

The Paris Junior Ballet receives exceptional support from Chanel and generous support from the BNP Paribas Foundation and the Kinoshita Group.