Daphnis et Chloé by Benjamin Millepied, music by Ravel

In his third collaboration with the Paris Opera Ballet in 2014, Benjamin Millepied created a daring new choreography of Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé that was a triumph with audiences and critics alike. The brilliant premiere production at Paris’s Opéra Bastille starred the captivating pair of Étoile dancers Hervé Moreau (Daphnis) and Aurélie Dupont (Chloé) joined by Eleonora Abbagnato (Lycénion), and featured a stage design by Daniel Buren!

Maurice Ravel’s ravishing symphonie chorégraphique (“choreographic symphony”) sets to music the tale of two lovers, the shepherd Daphnis and shepardess Chloé, from a romance by 2nd-century Greek writer Longus. Originally commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev and choreographed by Michel Fokine, the work was premiered by the legendary Ballets Russes in 1912 at the Théâtre du Châtelet. In his new choreography of this early 20th century classic, Benjamin Millepied superbly blends modern dance and classical ballet. Music Director Philippe Jordan leads the Orchestre de l’Opéra de Paris in a performance of Ravel’s lush score in its entirety, music widely regarded as some of his best and most passionate!

Photo: Daphnis et Chloé, Aurélie Dupon (left) © Agathe Poupeney/Opéra national de Paris