The Théâtre Libre is hosting Classique ?, the first show by choreographer and dancer Victoria Dauberville, from December 17, 2025, to January 4, 2026. This new 2025 creation revisits traditional ballet by confronting it with contemporary aesthetics such as hip-hop, modern dance, and more unpredictable forms, in an effort to renew the classical language. The show is a continuation of the artist's work, which was notably revealed during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The story follows a ballerina who escapes from her music box, a metaphor for the constraints and strict codes of academic ballet. Through this quest for freedom, she traverses new spaces, meets other dancers, and discovers new ways of existing on stage. The show explores the transition between tradition and artistic emancipation, addressing how a performer can break free from constraints to create a more personal and intuitive dance. This initiatory tale, presented as a "ballet-bifurcation," questions what it really means to dance, with oneself and with others.
Paul Pascot 's staging offers a theatrical style that draws on the diversity of choreographic styles and the rich backgrounds of the performers. The show combines narrative dance, humor, and shifts in tone to offer an accessible experience designed to renew the image of ballet. Classique ? is also conceived as a collective work in which each member of the troupe participates in the construction of a hybrid universe, blending multiple influences and techniques, in the spirit of the projects carried out by the Victoria Dauberville Company.
The cast brings together several dancers from leading schools and companies: Athina Klironomou, Rémi-Hugo Buyens, Grégoire Lansier, Louise Dieye, Jessy Chraibi, and Emelyne Woodley, whose backgrounds at the Paris Opera, European ballet companies, and international stages enrich the show's choreographic palette. Mathieu Forget, a dancer and photographer known for his visual performances playing with gravity, also joins the production as a guest artist, bringing an additional dimension of scenic experimentation.
With this production at the crossroads of ballet and contemporary dance, the show questions the place of classical dance in contemporary creation and aims to make this art form more accessible. The scenography emphasizes movement and individual expressiveness, in an approach that prioritizes emotion and freedom rather than the strict reproduction of traditional forms. The show can be seen at the Théâtre Libre until January 4, 2026.
This page may contain AI-assisted elements, more information here.
Dates and Opening Time
From December 17, 2025 to January 4, 2026
Location
Le Théâtre Libre - La Scène Libre
4 Boulevard de Strasbourg
75010 Paris 10
