The Beauty of Ballet

Continuing a project launched in 2019, lyrical singer Ekaterina Anapolskaya and former Opéra de Paris sujet, now professor at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP) and ballet professor at the Opéra, Gil Isoart curated an evening of international guests conceived as a celebration of the nineteenth-century heritage. Presented once again at La Seine Musicale as part of the Les Beautés de la Danse series, the event reaffirmed its distinctive identity through its commitment to the grand ballet tradition. Despite the inevitable challenges associated with dancers’ conflicting commitments, injuries and last minute changes, as well as the highly competitive Parisian cultural landscape, the evening emerged as a convincing artistic success. It unfolded as a display of classical beauty, pairing virtuosic showpieces with lesser known works entrusted to a carefully assembled ensemble of gifted and stylistically diverse artists.

Performance

Les Beautés de la danse gala

Place

La Seine Musicale, Paris, France, January 30, 2026

Words

Elsa Giovanna Simonetti

Inès MacIntosh and Shale Wagman in “Le Corsaire” pas de deux de l’esclave. Photograph by Francette Levieux

As co-founder Katia Anapolskaya explains, the initiative is conceived as a space for exchange, offering spectators the opportunity to encounter dancers from different schools and theatres and to experience each institution’s unique artistic vision. At a time when contemporary dance is becoming increasingly dominant on European stages, the project deliberately asserts itself as a platform devoted to safeguarding the visibility of classical dance. Its purpose is to sustain and promote this heritage by bringing together young artists from theatres in France, Italy and the United Kingdom.

The evening opened with a finely executed Pas de trois from “Paquita,” performed by the Scaligeran soloists. The ballet had previously been staged at Teatro alla Scala by Gil Isoart. Linda Giubelli and Agnese Di Clemente were joined by Edward Cooper, an Australian dancer trained at the Bolshoi, currently dancing at the Teatro alla Scala, whose clean batterie and precise jumps stood out. Together they formed a spirited trio that captured the international essence of the event. The variations unfolded as a festive display of crystalline technique, a succession of turns and arabesques that led the piece to its close with striking musicality and finely calibrated ensemble coordination.

They were followed by first soloists of the Opéra de Paris, Hohyun Kang, recently promoted to that rank, and Francesco Mura, in “La Sylphide” by August Bournonville. This Romantic gem was brought to life by Kang’s tender performance and feather light jumps; her port de bras was imbued with the elusive quality of a true spirit. Mura’s elevation and batterie were notable, and the phrasing of his legs revealed a deeply personal and consistently elegant approach to music.

Other principal artists of the Paris Opéra Ballet performed the White Swan pas de deux from the second act of “Swan Lake.” Inès MacIntosh and Lorenzo Lelli, not frequently seen together on the Paris stage, formed a remarkably harmonious duo, displaying genuine chemistry and deep mutual understanding. MacIntosh’s technique was once again striking, here softened by a vein of delicate and poignant lyricism. Lelli, trained at the Teatro alla Scala, displayed an artistic maturity that confirms his recent promotion to sujet and suggests he may rise further within the company’s ranks.

Navrin Turnbull embodies a compelling international trajectory: Australian by origin and formed at the prestigious John Cranko School in Stuttgart, he is now firmly established at Teatro alla Scala. His ascent in Milan culminated in January 2026 with his promotion from soloist to principal dancer, following a performance of Rudolf Nureyev’s “The Sleeping Beauty.” He brought to the stage the solo of Prince Désiré from the same ballet, one of the most demanding male variations in the classical canon. Its challenges lie not only in technical intricacy but also in the need to suggest psychological depth, particularly when performed in isolation from the narrative arc of the full work. Turnbull held the audience with a performance of refined elegance, sustained by elongated lines and a controlled, lunar melancholy well suited to the role.

Lorenzo Lelli and Hohyun Kang in “Papillon” by Marie Taglioni. Photograph by Francette Levieux

Clara Mousseigne and Shale Wagman then tackled the Black Swan Pas de deux from the third act of “Swan Lake,” one of the most exacting tests of classical virtuosity. Wagman remains one of the most anticipated figures of this gala. At the Opéra, where he is still a coryphée, having chosen to rebuild his career from within the ranks after leaving the Bayerisches Staatsballett, he is seldom entrusted with roles that fully expose the breadth of his virtuosity, a brilliance capable of provoking ecstasy in the audience. His jumps were particularly impressive, marked by sustained elevation, and his fifth position closed with unwavering precision. He also proved to be an engaged and responsive partner to Mousseigne, who impressed with expansive lines, generous développés and fouettés executed with extraordinary control.

“Le Papillon,” the only surviving choreography by the Romantic icon Marie Taglioni, premiered at the Paris Opéra on 26 November 1860. Accompanied live by Naruko Tsuji at the piano and Thierry Poulet on the violin in Jacques Offenbach’s sparkling score, the work was brought to the stage by Hohyun Kang and Lorenzo Lelli as a delicate and refined homage to one of the rare nineteenth century ballerinas to turn to choreography after her performing career, at a time when retirement marked a fragile passage for dancers. Created by Taglioni for her protégée Emma Livry, the ballet centres on Farfalla, a sylph-like figure aligned with the Romantic fascination for the ethereal. Kang captured the heroine’s metamorphosis into a butterfly through fluttering, airborne movement and finely shaped épaulement. Both interpreters displayed the coordinated footwork characteristic of the Opéra tradition, articulated for her through delicate pointe work and intricate batterie, and for him through light, rhythmically precise jumps in a male variation with a subtle Hungarian inflection.

A quintessentially British style emerged in the wedding pas de deux from “The Sleeping Beauty.” Yu Kurihara, recently promoted to Principal at Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Taisuke Nakao of the Royal Ballet conveyed a distinctly British aesthetic, marked by restraint, measured gestural expression and an understated nobility of line. Nakao in particular received warm applause for the sustained energy and clarity of his final manège.

Clara Mousseigne and Shale Wagman in the Black Swan Pas de deux from “Swan Lake.” Photograph by Francette Levieux

The evening reached its final crescendo with three virtuosic showpieces. Clara Mousseigne returned to the stage alongside Francesco Mura for the celebrated “Don Quixote” pas de deux. The formidable demands of the choreography were met with clarity and confidence, each variation shaped with precision and amplitude. The audience was understandably enthralled by Mousseigne’s seemingly endless balances, while the performance as a whole radiated passion, Spanish colour and unreserved sensuality.

Linda Giubelli and Navrin Turnbull then ventured into the demanding August Bournonville style with “Flower Festival in Genzano.” Delicate and almost fairy tale in tone, their interpretation conveyed the buoyancy and understated joy intrinsic to the piece, supported by finely articulated footwork and a clear sense of harmony between them.

Inès MacIntosh and Shale Wagman, undoubtedly the pinnacle of the evening and fervently embraced by the audience, formed a brilliant partnership more frequently encountered in gala settings than on the Paris Opéra stage. They brought thrilling virtuosity to “Le Corsaire” pas de deux de l’esclave. What distinguishes the pair is a fearless willingness to take risks and extend physical boundaries. They do not hold back and their commitment on stage is total, yet always within the language, measure and constraints of the Paris school. Exotic yet controlled, they embodied Medora and Ali with conviction, Ali’s athletic brilliance set against Medora’s regal, shimmering presence, conveying a dynamic of loyalty and quiet devotion.

A gala, at its best, leads the audience on a journey without leaving their seats. What distinguished this edition was the diversity of styles embodied by these young interpreters, each rooted in a distinct tradition, whether French, Italian, or British. Even within a shared classical vocabulary, the performances revealed how lineage, schooling and aesthetic heritage continue to shape interpretation, and that classical ballet, even if difficult and demanding and somewhat esoteric, can still tell us so much. The juxtaposition of familiar gala staples such as “Don Quixote” and the Black Swan pas de deux with rarer works like “Le Papillon” and “La Sylphide” proved particularly effective. The format allowed the dancers to venture into less familiar ground, explore roles not yet entrusted to them within their own companies and form new partnerships, several of which were especially compelling. Despite the use of recorded music, the warmth and enthusiasm of the audience generated an electric atmosphere, keeping the focus firmly on the dancers, their individuality and the traditions they embody.

Elsa Giovanna Simonetti

Elsa Giovanna Simonetti is a Paris-based philosopher researching ancient thought, divination, and practices of salvation at the École Pratique des Hautes Études. With over a decade of ballet training, she studied History of Dance as part of her Philosophy and Aesthetics degree at the University of Bologna. Alongside her academic work, she writes about dance.