Driven by its deep-rooted reverence for artistic expression, CHANEL stands at the forefront of cultural impact, championing one of the most revered forms of artistic reverie in the classical and contemporary ballet tradition.
As Major Patron of the Paris National Opera, the Maison played a pivotal role in the 2024 creation of the Paris Opera Junior Ballet — a company formed to nurture young dancers from around the world as they refine their technique and expand their mastery across both classical and contemporary repertoires.
Stepping into its second season, its Junior Ballet is gracefully ascending onto the world stage with its inaugural Asian tour marked as an important milestone, following a breathtaking, rather exemplary performance of modern contemporary, at Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS in Kuala Lumpur. For many of these young artists, this Malaysian debut enables a visibly new audience, and profound moment of artistic exchange.
A Performative Show of Strength and Vulnerability
Headlining the evening, and serving as the program’s centrepiece, is Eternal Rift—a delicate but daunting piece, a powerful choreography created by Julian Nicosia, charting a dark narrative that navigates the topography between fragility and resilience.
Visually intoxicating, the work’s emotional contrasts are brought to life and further amplified by the Maison’s interpretation through CHANEL’s specially designed costumes, which deepen the piece’s tension, beauty, and sense of transformation.
The costumes, sculptural in silhouette and luminous in detail, traced each movement with golden accents that resembled shimmering fractures.
This thoughtful interplay underscored the ballet’s thematic tension between breaking and becoming.
CHANEL’s design also introduced two symbolic aesthetic worlds: one encapsulated in an oversized enveloping coat that nearly conceals the body, and another in a pared-down ensemble of wide-cut black trousers paired with a simple tank top, exposing the dancer’s vulnerability.
Masterclass Visionaires
Beyond Eternal Rift, the evening featured a rich array of classical and contemporary works, including George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante and Jean-Guillaume Bart’s À la manière de….
The repertoire soared with the presence of Paris Opera Ballet Étoiles Roxane Stojanov and Sae Eun Park, Premier Danseur Francesco Mura, and Sujet Antonio Conforti, giving Malaysian audiences an exceptional chance to witness celebrated masters performing alongside rising stars.
Imagined as shared spaces of curiosity and cultural connection — The Junior Ballet’s Malaysian tour extended far beyond the stage, inviting students from local ballet academies and pupils from the Lycée Français into the dancers’ world. These encounters afforded a rare glimpse into the discipline, artistry, and the collaborative spirit of its sphere.
CHANEL’s Enduring Stewardship of the Arts
As Founding Patron of the Junior Ballet, CHANEL reaffirms its enduring devotion to nurturing artistic excellence and passing knowledge from one generation to the next. Infused with youthful vitality, rigorous discipline, and a far-reaching global vision, the Paris Opera Junior Ballet will shape the choreographic world of tomorrow, emerging as an emblematic and defining force.
(Photo Credits: CHANEL)
