{"id":454587,"date":"2026-09-05T14:46:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-05T14:46:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/454587\/"},"modified":"2026-09-05T14:46:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T14:46:13","slug":"review-superstars-of-paris-featuring-hugo-marchand-friends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/454587\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Superstars of Paris featuring Hugo Marchand & Friends"},"content":{"rendered":"

This small ensemble of dancers from the Paris Opera, presented at The Music Center\u2019s Walt Disney Concert Hall<\/a> July 31 \u2013 August 2, 2026, is a force to be reckoned with!\u00a0 Hugo Marchand<\/a> has assembled a wonderful company.\u00a0 It is an ensemble composed of\u00a0 6 \u00c9toile Dancers and 2 Soloists from the renown Paris Opera Ballet Company.\u00a0 An \u00e9toile dancer is the highest rank a dancer can achieve at the Paris Opera Ballet and signifies exceptional technical skill, artistic interpretation, and dramatic presence in performance.\u00a0 A Paris Opera Ballet Company Soloist is a dancer\u00a0 demonstrates exceptional skill and artistry performing featured roles and solos between the corps de ballet and principal dancers and may also serve as understudies for leading roles in productions.\u00a0 Although this distinction was noted in the program it did not appear to be a factor assigning roles in this production.\u00a0 Everyone had an opportunity to shine in this beautifully curated, intimate evening of ballet featuring Hugo Marchand.<\/p>\n

One cannot overestimate the impact of seeing the company in the Walt Disney Hall with live accompaniment as well as recorded music.\u00a0 The impeccable sound is a testimony to the architect, Frank Gehry\u2019s<\/a> commitment to producing a building that would promote the best acoustics possible. The pianist, Elena Bonnay and cellist, Julie S\u00e9villa \u2013 Fraysse were outstanding.\u00a0 The music seemed to surround the movement.\u00a0 The hall has an intimate feeling to it with minimal lighting design and the proximity you are to the dancers and stage.\u00a0 The person who attended with me wanted greater production values while I loved the intimacy and being able to see the dancers, their facial expressions, and movement nuances up close and personal.<\/p>\n

I was lucky enough to secure a very short interview with Mr. Marchand in between rehearsals and press demands.\u00a0 During our short interview Mr. Marchand made it very clear that he selected this team of dancers for their technical prowess, personalities, and showmanship.\u00a0 As he talked about working with them at Paris Opera Ballet, his deep respect and appreciation for their tremendous talent, work ethic, and commitment was palpable. When asked to describe each dancer with one word he quickly rattled off, \u201ccharisma, elegance, poetic, fresh, depth, pureness, and entertainer\u201d to describe each of the 7 dancers.<\/p>\n

\"Hugo<\/a><\/p>\n

Hugo Marchand in Maurice Bejart\u2019s \u201cBolero\u201d \u2013 Photo by Julien Benhamou.<\/p>\n

The program opened with the classical \u00a0French ballet Delibes Suite performed by Letizia Galloni and Antonio Conforti.\u00a0 The lines were sharp and clean throughout the pas de deux. The musical phrasing was delicate perfection.\u00a0 The male solo was beautifully executed jumps and turns while the woman\u2019s solo featured expressive arms and excellent technique.<\/p>\n

The Dying Swan, performed to live accompaniment was amazing.\u00a0 It is an iconic solo fueled by nuance, gesture, and sheer artistry that transcends technical prowess.\u00a0 Etoile, Doroth\u00e9e Gilbert, was magnificent. When she bourr\u00e9es across the floor it is as if she is skimming across water.\u00a0 Her feet move so quickly, and effortlessly without a sound.\u00a0 Her sinewy, fluid arms and hands communicated a profound emotional depth that was complimented by the exquisite musical accompaniment provided by pianist, Elena Bonnay, and cellist Julie S\u00e9villa-Fraysse.<\/p>\n

\"Hugo<\/a><\/p>\n

Hugo Marchand in \u201cBody and Soul\u201d Choreography by Crystal Pite \u2013 Photo by Yonathan Kellerman.<\/p>\n

A change of pace comes with \u00c0 corps ouvert, a contemporary ballet and tour de force performed by Hugo Marchand.\u00a0 His charisma is undeniable the moment he sets foot on stage.\u00a0 The music and dance become one.\u00a0 It is as if they were created together.\u00a0 The choreography includes beautifully executed floorwork, interesting long lines that flow from one phrase to the next effortlessly. Languid, luxurious port de bras and never-ending turns characterize various sections of the ballet.\u00a0 Mr. Marchand has the ability to communicate a myriad of emotions throughout the dance and at one point his movements take on a flirtatious quality that elicited a positive response from the audience.\u00a0 It is clear that his movements are visceral and driven by emotions.<\/p>\n

Carmen Pas de Deux performed by Hannah O\u2019Neil and Antonio Conforti is all about the accents.\u00a0 A flick of the wrist, sharp turn of the head, articulate footwork matching the well-known music of Bizet.\u00a0 Through nuance, gesture, and movement quality, the dancers tell the story of two volatile characters, sultry, sexy Carmen punctuating the image with a cigarette elegantly held in her long fingers and the matador, broad shouldered, strong, commanding with sharp, sharp, sharp movements.\u00a0 The highpoint of the dance is the beautiful love duet that communicates an almost forbidden attraction that exists between the two.<\/p>\n

\"Hugo<\/a><\/p>\n

Hugo Marchand and Hannah O\u2019Neill \u2013 Photo by Steve Pisano.<\/p>\n

Hugo described his early introduction to dance at 9 years old, \u201cYou discover you have 10 fingers and you have 10 toes and you have two arms and two legs and then you discover that you are in the studio but there are other people around you. \u00a0\u2026 you get to learn how your body works and how your body can work with other bodies. You get to know which space you can take and which space you have to give to the others.\u201d This statement is the essence of Pas de Deux from Le Parc performed by Doroth\u00e9e Gilbert and Hugo Marchand.\u00a0 It is a contemporary love story that shows a young couple surrendering to one another passionately.\u00a0 Bodies are continually intertwined as the dancers move as a couple and then as individuals giving space and taking space.\u00a0 Then there is the kiss that happens as the couple is turning and the woman is amid a lift.\u00a0 It is a deep, passionate kiss.\u00a0\u00a0 It is breath-taking.\u00a0 The ballet shoes are gone, and this helps create a sense of freedom. There are moments when the intimacy and trust between the two made me feel like a voyeur.\u00a0 The closing sequence where the dancers melt into each other\u2019s arms and onto the floor is one of those moments.\u00a0 This was a truly unforgettable performance that immediately brought the audience to their feet in a thunderous standing ovation.<\/p>\n

Sonatine performed by German Louvet and L\u00e9onore Baulac is accompanied by the pianist, Elena Bonnay<\/a>.\u00a0 It is the quintessential Balanchine classical ballet complete with a pas de deux featuring elegance, control, and exceptional technique from both dancers.\u00a0 This is followed by both dancers\u2019 solo turns demonstrating their technical prowess with turns, jumps, and amazing petite allegro.<\/p>\n

Hugo stated during our interview that he had chosen to feature the work of French choreographers.\u00a0 \u00a0Le rendezvous pas de deux was one of two pieces choregraphed by French choreographer,\u00a0 Roland Petit.\u00a0 Doroth\u00e9e Gilbert and Marc Moreau performed this charming ballet beautifully.\u00a0 Artistry shines as the dancers effortlessly perform beautiful lifts and combinations that highlight the technical skill and virtuosity of both dancers, the joy, elegance, and technical mastery that remain central to ballet\u2019s enduring appeal.<\/p>\n

Esprit du bleu from Signes, performed by Hannah O\u2019Neil and Germain Louvet, \u00a0brought an abrupt change in mood.\u00a0 It is a contemporary ballet, with a foreboding atmosphere, danced by two dancers who communicate with their entire bodies\u2014-arms, head, fingers, beautiful extensions, light jumps all create a mood.\u00a0 Every movement communicates an emotion.\u00a0 The dancers have command of ballet and modern technique and fuse them seamlessly.\u00a0 \u00a0It was choreographed by Carolyn Carson, a self-proclaimed contemporary artist who is an American born French nationalized citizen of\u00a0 Finnish descent.\u00a0 The movement is fluid and ethereal in quality.\u00a0 It is in the perfect place in the evening\u2019s program.<\/p>\n

L\u00e9onore Baulac and Hugo Marchand did a marvelous job with Trois Gnossiennes.\u00a0 Pianist, \u00a0Elena Bonnay, gave the Erik Satie piano compositions a sense of mystery.\u00a0 The duet was the antithesis of the freedom seen earlier in the evening in Pas De Deux from Le Parc.\u00a0 It was a study in restraint yet the way he partnered Ms. Baulac communicated a level of intimacy.\u00a0 Ms. Baulac\u2019s wonderful extensions and tremendous control are stunning.\u00a0 She can repeatedly perch on one leg in attitude with a perfectly turned-out flexed foot without any extra movement or preparation.\u00a0 There is a sequence at the beginning of the piece that includes a roll to the floor by Ms. Baulac and it has a poetic quality to it that communicates a letting go or releasing.\u00a0 She has a doll-like quality for much of the dance and Mr. Marchand effortlessly lifts her and moves her through space.\u00a0 As the dance progresses it becomes more like a conversation between two people with moments when they move in perfect unison and although side by side the elicit a feeling of oneness.<\/p>\n

\"Aurelie<\/a><\/p>\n

Aurelie Dupont and Benjamin Perch in \u201cLe Parc\u201d \u2013 Photo courtesy of the artists.<\/p>\n

The evening closed with Marc Moreau\u2019s Adage en blanc which moved into a beautiful finale that was pure unadulterated fun!\u00a0 The costuming in genteel white created a truly beautiful picture of pure elegance. It was a celebration of classical ballet highlighting the gifts of each dancer and the exceptional ensemble work.\u00a0 The choreography was clearly designed to demonstrate classical technique at its best.\u00a0 Interesting poses, clean lines, and truly intricate partnering executed effortlessly.\u00a0 The men exuded athleticism as they soared through the air in grand jet\u00e9s and executed clean, precise batterie that finished in a perfect fifth position or on one knee.\u00a0 The women displayed endless grace, musicality, and control as they perched in perfect arabesques and extensions that seemed to be reaching for the sky.<\/p>\n

\u00a0 \u201cWe all dream about becoming a lead dancer but in the end what we truly want is to be alone on a stage in front of an audience to deliver the best of our talent.\u201d
\u2014Hugo Marchand, Principal Dancer Documentary (2020)<\/p>\n

When asked if the statement above still captured his feelings, he quickly said a firm \u201cNo, it\u2019s not true anymore.\u201d then went on to explain that he was very young when the documentary was made.\u00a0 Our short interview was made even shorter due to technical difficulties and a late start but in minutes it was clear that his vision is far beyond being a \u201clead dancer\u201d wanting to be alone on stage.\u00a0 He has clearly grown into a mature artist with a vast vision.\u00a0 He has spent time reflecting on art and psychology and acknowledges that he has changed a lot and makes note of the impact of the pandemic and life moving fast.\u00a0 In his own words,<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to use dance to make people feel better. I want the audience to experience something about themselves coming to see the performance through the dancers.
I want them to get in touch with their own emotions about their own life\u2026 to get in touch with their own intimacy through the pieces that we are showing on stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Hugo<\/a><\/p>\n

Hugo Marchand \u2013 Photo courtesy of The Music Center.<\/p>\n

As I left the Disney Hall I stopped in the vestibule to say \u201chi\u201d to a friend and we immediately became engaged in an animated conversation about the experience of seeing Hugo Marchand and Superstars of Paris.\u00a0 Congratulations Mr. Marchand! Your vision is coming to fruition.<\/p>\n

For more information about the Superstars of Paris, please visit their website.<\/p>\n

Written by Leah Bass-Baylis for LA Dance Chronicle.<\/p>\n

Featured image: Hugo Marchand in \u201cSwan Lake\u201d by Rudolf Nureyev \u2013 Photo by Ann Ray.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This small ensemble of dancers from the Paris Opera, presented at The Music Center\u2019s Walt Disney Concert Hall…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":454588,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[131,133,132],"class_list":["post-454587","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-long-beach","tag-long-beach","tag-long-beach-headlines","tag-long-beach-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/454587","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=454587"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/454587\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/454588"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=454587"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=454587"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=454587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}