The Paris Opera announces the composition of the new Junior Ballet

9 dancers aged between 17 and 22 have been recruited to join the Paris Opera Junior Ballet.

Conceived as an incubator for young talent, the Paris Opera Junior Ballet meets a number of challenges: diversifying the dancers' profiles, encouraging their professional integration, and strengthening its openness to the public through tours and mediation activities, while perpetuating the Paris Opera's tercentenary expertise.

9 male and 9 female dancers were recruited to join the Junior Ballet following the Ballet's external competition on July 2 and 3, 2024, open to young dancers from all backgrounds.

FEMALE DANCERS:

• Ève Belguet, French (Paris Opera Ballet School)
• Grace Boyd, American (Boston Ballet II)
• Angélique Brosse, French (on fixed-term contract with the Paris Opera Ballet)
• Typhaine Gervais, French (Paris Opera Ballet School)
• Yoon Seo Lee, Korean (Korean National University of Arts)
• Shani Obadia, French (CNSMDP*)
• Laure Ravera, French (Paris Opera Ballet School)
• India Shackel, New Zealander (Australian Ballet School)
• Natalie Vikner, French-Swedish (CNSMDP*)

MALE DANCERS:

• Jaime Almaraz Baizán, Spanish (Finnish National Ballet Youth Company)
• Davide Alphandery, Italian (Scuola di Ballo dell'Accademia Teatro alla Scala)
• Junsu Lee, Korean (on fixed-term contract with the Paris Opera Ballet)
• Mei Matsunaga, French/Japanese (Paris Opera Ballet School)
• Sergio Napodano, Italian (Scuola di Ballo dell'Accademia Teatro alla Scala)
• Isaac Petit, French (CNSMDP*)
• Emryck Sanchez-Raffy, French (Paris Opera Ballet School)
• Santiago Sales Manzanera, Spanish (on fixed-term contract with the Paris Opera Ballet)
• Jackson Smith-Leishman, Australian (Royal Ballet Upper School)

^{* Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris}  

Under a two-year professionalization contract, they will join the Paris Opera on August 26, and throughout their training they will deepen their mastery of the Paris Opera Ballet's classical and contemporary repertoires, as well as gaining stage experience in live performances and on tour.

The Junior Ballet would not have been possible without the support of generous patrons.

The Paris National Opera and the Association pour le Rayonnement de l'Opéra national de Paris (AROP) would like to extend their warmest thanks. Their contribution enables the institution to give life to a large-scale project, driven by the conviction, shared by these patrons, that everyone has a place at the Opera, and that it belongs to everyone.
 
 

The Junior Ballet receives exceptional support from

 
and the generous support of 

Caroline and Alain Rauscher
Bertrand and Nathalie Ferrier

GRoW @ Annenberg
Yleana Arce Foundation
Fonds Haplotès