Ollie at the Théâtre du Châtelet: an original creation combining dance, skateboarding and parkour - our opinion

This spring, the Théâtre du Châtelet presents an original show! From Friday April 25 to Sunday April 27, 2025, the Parisian cultural establishment will host 5 performances of"Ollie". Produced by the Pavillon Noir agency and directed by choreographer Nicolas Musin, founder of theUrban Move Academy (UMA), this creation blends various artistic expressions from the urban space (skateboarding, parkour and dance). Skateboarder Morgan Bouvant is also in charge of general coordination.

For the occasion, some 20 artists and athletes will perform around a huge skateboard ramp, divided into several sections and installed on the stage of the Théâtre du Châtelet. Among them? The 2024"Parkour Speed" world champion Caryl Cordt-Moller and Maxime Renaud, both seen as masked torchbearers at the Paris Olympic Games ceremony, as well as Emmanuel Nasshan, best known for his impressive acrobatics. Former German professional gymnast Merit Laengner also features in the cast, as do four hand-picked Parisian skateboarders.

Nicolas Musin 's musical director is Pedro Winter. The famous French composer and producer is in charge of the musical direction of the show, which features new talents from the French Touch, associated with poems by Kae Tempest, Mark Gonzales and Matt Lloyd.

• To be read
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In recent years, skateboarding seems to have found a new lease of life. As one of the official events at the Paris Olympics, skateboarding was also given pride of place a few weeks ago at the"Skateboard Culture" exhibition in the capital.

Our opinion:

How can you not be impressed by this huge skateboard ramp installed on the stage of the majestic Théâtre du Châtelet? A ramp on which artists walk, run, dance, jump, fall, slide (with or without skateboards), challenge each other, clash, make up, find love... Ollie is a profoundly modern show combining dance, acrobatics and poetry.

Led by an incredibly talented, young and dynamic cast, Ollie is a real eye-catcher, especially when the skateboarders link up their figures and the athletes simultaneously multiply their acrobatics on the ramp. They fly, they run. And every move is perfectly timed and mastered. It's a feat to be commended, given that at any one time there are some fifteen artists riding, jumping and dancing on stage. It's also a thrilling moment when one of the dancers performs an angel jump, with her back to the ground, before being caught by five of her acolytes!

But Ollie's show also moves us, with several touching tableaux in which the dance takes center stage. Sometimes fast, sometimes slow, the gestures lengthen and the show takes on another, gentler, more poetic dimension.

Special mention must also be made of the music, a real emotional thread. Pedro Winter rises to the challenge, with tracks by young artists from the French electro scene, such as Bambounou, Ouai Stéphane and Tatyana Jane, not forgetting Paul Prier!

In short, Ollie gave us 1h10 of good vibes through this visual, musical and poetic experience. It's a show that shakes up the rules and fuses genres, while celebrating the spirit of youth and the rich culture of the street. Lovers of skateboarding, of course, but also of contemporary dance and electro music are sure to be seduced!

This spring, skateboarding takes to the stage for the very first time at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, with this original creation not to be missed if you like Backside 180s and other Kickflips, but also Parkour and contemporary dance. Join us on April 25 at 8pm, April 26 at 3pm or 8pm and April 27 at 11am and 3pm to discover"Ollie" at the Théâtre du Châtelet!